We won't lie. When we first saw there was a new brewing company set to start up in Melbourne going by the name Fury & Son, our initial thought was that it could be some hipster brand. Fury & Son: it seemed to possess an air befitting the sort of tattoo, barber and gentleman's outfitters salon you can find lining the country's more fashionably boho strips. Then we went to the brewery...
It turns out that Fury is indeed a person rather than the figment of a marketer's imagination. And, indeed, that Fury – real name Reno Georgiou – is no hipster, but rather the businessman behind a successful window manufacturing business in Keilor Park. What's more, his nickname comes from his temper, so we hope he appreciates where we're going with this listing or The Crafty Pint may not be welcome back at the brewery in a hurry...
The Son is Andrew, with whom Reno had been brewing at home for around 15 years before they decided to step into the commercial realm. Prior to launching Fury & Son, he was working as a pharmacist but dreaming of doing something into which he could put his heart. And that turned out to be craft beer.
Their move from occasional homebrewing partners to owners of towers of stainless steel came to fruition in the winter of 2016. They'd taken over a cavernous industrial unit not far from Reno's window business – one that previously housed a Chinese run $2 trinket business, some of which you might still spot around the brewery. There they installed a 25 hectolitre brewhouse alongside some brand new fermenters and a bottling line. And then they added a brewer.
At launch, there were two core beers: an approachable New World Pilsner and punchy, relatively malty American Pale Ale. Seasonals followed, ranging from a lightly peated, hearty Scotch Ale to a mid-strength hoppy sour, while the core range soon welcomed an IPA.
They're all presented in strikingly simple and elegant packaging, packaging that puts independence as well as the family ownership of the business front and centre. And they quickly found favour too, not just with the Melbourne drinkers who were first to get their hands on the beers but the country's finest experts too: at the 2016 Craft Beer Awards the Pale collected a gold medal, while there were bronzes for the other two – not bad going for the first brews put through the system.
For a period, they welcomed guests to a venue at the brewery too, but licensing issues – not to mention the impact of COVID – saw them return their focus to brewing beer. And it's one that's continued to expand over the years, with various stouts appearing each winter, fruity sours in summer, and a barrel program augmenting their offer as and when the liquids inside oak are ready for release.
