Dave and Karen Golding abandoned their former lives in the city to set up the Mornington Peninsula's first brewery. Just five minutes spent there and you'll be hurriedly scrawling: "Dear boss, I've had a revelation..." on the nearest napkin.
Nestled among trees on the slopes of Red Hill South with the Goldings' pets roaming the neighbouring fields, Red Hill Brewery have been knocking out traditional British and European-influenced ales since 2005, enhanced by an ever-evolving number of seasonal and one-off specials.
Many of the beers have become regarded as modern Aussie classics, in particular the much sought after Imperial Stout, one of the very first beers of its style to be brewed locally. Their beers are regularly made with hops grown onsite including, of course, the British Golding variety. Visit at different times throughout the year to watch the plans shoot from roots to 16 foot climbers.
These days, the brewery bar is open every Thursday to Sunday plus public holidays with extended hours during the summer. There's happy hour from 4pm to 6pm every Thursday and Friday too.
It's a range that continues to grow with the aforementioned classics joined by new one-offs – often accompanied by barrel aged versions; for their tenth birthday in 2015, they created ten red beers. Weekends such as their Secret Stash see a wide range of vintage and rare beers pulled from the cellar too.
At the end of 2018, the Goldings unveiled a brand refresh that put their location on the Mornington Peninsula front and centre. As well as redesigning the look of their existing beers, they moved into cans with two new beers, the The Rip Pale and East Coast Session IPA.
You don't survive this long in any industry, let alone as an indie brewery, without knowing what your customers are after beyond just beer. Hence a menu designed to pair perfectly with whatever drink has taken your fancy: huge nachos loaded with avo, jalapenos, sour cream, salsa black beans and more; a Korean fried chicken burger; longstanding favourite, the Brewery Platter featuring delicious meats such as slow-cooked brisket and a chipotle smoked rack of ribs.
As well as visiting during opening hours, you can also book to stay at the brewery, with the Goldings' former home available to rent as the Brewer's Cottage complete, of course, with a well stocked fridge. And, as of late 2022, you can even go a step further after Karen and Dave decided to put their brewery and brand on the market as they look forward to new adventures.