If you’re looking for signs of craft beer’s steady creep in from the margins, the fact that it’s starting to take up space in places previously dedicated 100% to wine could well be one. Opened in 2004 by wine rep Domenic Galati, the Australian Wine Clearance Centre spent the first few years of its life doing what you’d expect – selling cleanskin wines. Five years on, a handful of beers were added to the lineup and such has been the interest that in 2011, 100 different beers are on offer.

Among them are plenty of beers from Australian micros and some quality imports, with the list of 100-plus guided by a simple principle – if it sells, we’ll keep stocking it. Clearly, the Centre’s customers have good taste as among those selling are the likes of Burleigh Brewing’s Black Giraffe, Feral’s Hop Hog and beers from Mountain Goat, Red Duck, 2 Brothers and White Rabbit among others.

The store itself is a somewhat ramshackle affair: rows of wine barrels topped with cleanskins take centre stage, flanked by a wall lined with beer bottles on one side and a collection of fridges on the other. As well as the beer and wine, there’s a growing number of ciders too – 20 and counting – making it little surprise that Domenic is considering a change of name for the shop.