We all look forward to Sundays for various reasons.
For some of us, it’s the day of rest: sitting back, relaxing, and doing as little as possible. For some, it’s the chance to spend time with the people we love: friends, family, anyone who gives a sense of acceptance and belonging.
For others, Sundays are the time to work on our passion: fun, adventure, accomplishment. It’s fine to break a sweat and get sore and tired, because at the end of the day we’re satisfied with what we achieved.
Sunday Road Brewing is about looking forward to the best day of the week. That’s what founder Brad Walker used to do in his homebrewing days.
“I’d brew every Sunday, ‘cause that was the day I had off. So it was always just hanging for Sunday. The path, the road to Sunday.”
Now Brad uses Sundays to enjoy the natural beauty of the Sutherland Shire with his young family. And he spends the rest of the week making beers we can all enjoy as we look forward to doing the things we love. Or while we do the things we love. Or after.
Hiking for a couple of hours along the Coast Track in Royal National Park? Crack a Coast Track Lager at the end to cool off. Spending the day basking in the quiet of Blackwoods Beach? Let a Blackwoods Pale keep you company.
Of course, Sunday Road beers aren’t only for the outdoorsy types. A Sunseeker red IPA is just as enjoyable on a Friday night in the buzzing Sunday Road taproom in Kirrawee, and even non-surfers who prefer to be dry, warm, and comfortable can knock back a 6ft & Offshore IPA.
But, if you head to the brewery, it’s difficult to escape the call of the wild as you’re brought into the world of Sunday Road: strong forest green covers just about every surface, and the walls are one giant mural of the Royal National Park’s coastline.
Sunday Road sings the praises of Sydney’s south and all it has to offer, from the Coast Track that winds along the cliffs with stunning views of the South Pacific, to the talented local artists whose work is showcased on the mezzanine level of the taproom. The brewery also gets heavily involved with the community, sponsoring mountain biking clubs, connecting with the Shire’s sporting clubs, and always aiming to collaborate with local businesses.
The brewery has a different feel to, say, the breweries of the Inner West. While you will find Sunday Road putting out a wide range of limited releases from summer sours to cold IPAs, they’re not aiming to release a crazy new flavour every week. Head brewer Mick O’Rance, whose 20 years’ brewing experience includes Malt Shovel, BentSpoke and Goose Island, loves seeing people go back for the same beer again and again and again. For him, the mark of a good beer is one to which that people want to return.
“My first preference is to make a beer that people can appreciate and go back to time and time again,” Mick says. “A beer that’s innovative, accessible and always interesting. If we can get drinkers to appreciate the flavours and methods that go into each drop, then walk away feeling happy, I’ve done my job.”
He makes sure his beers are flavourful and balanced – the flagship Enigma Ale is a prime example, as is the trophy-winning Cryotherapy Hazy IPA – and as a result people consistently walk out of the brewery with a case of beer in their hands and a smile on their face.
Owner Brad Walker says he loves having a brewery in the Shire: “We’ve got a huge local following, as locals love us as their fridge beer… we’re their go-to. For their day in, day out beer, they’re happy to come in and buy fresh Coast Track, Blackwoods or Enigma.
“There’s such a great buzz around the brewery when we release a new beer. We think we’ve got the balance right, and also have big plans as our brewery continues to grow and develop new, exciting beers… watch this space.”
Because the truth is Sunday Road’s beers are quite versatile: you can knock back some tinnies after a surf, drink by the schooner at the brewery with woodfired pizza from a food truck, or pair with oysters at a fancy seafood restaurant.
They’re designed to help you relax and socialise on a Sunday… or on any of the other days of the week as you look forward to Sunday.
Mick Wust
