The Adelaide suburbs look even craftier today, as The Suburban Brew welcome the first guests inside their new home in Glynde. It’s the second venue for the Suburban crew, although unlike their taproom in Goodwood this one is home to a 20-hectolitre brewery.
Brewery co-founder Tony Dichiera says they’ve long known they needed a substantial brewery of their own and secured the industrial spot in Adelaide’s northeast towards the start of the year.
“We always knew we couldn’t use other people’s equipment forever and a day,” he told The Crafty Pint.
The brewing company released their first beers in August 2017 after Tony and co-founder Troy Brailsford met while studying brewing at SA TAFE. Their first commercial release was brewed on the TAFE brewhouse before Tony and Troy invested in their own fermenters at Little Bang, later moving to Big Shed.
“I’m risk-averse,” is how Tony describes their approach. “I’m an accountant by trade so wasn't really willing to just go: mortgage the house, quit my day job.”
But The Suburban way started to feel a little less risky after they opened their taproom in a former industrial unit in the heart of Goodwood in September 2020 and instantly struck a chord with locals.
“That gave us the confidence and let us know we’re onto something if we followed it,” Tony says.
Although they’ve always operated a 200-litre brewery at Goodwood, their initial plan was to find a production site that would help keep that venue’s taps full and supply beer to the wider market. As is often the case, however, that plan changed...
“When we came across this site,” he explains, “it was too good an opportunity not to add a taproom – and it's too big to not, to be honest.”
The space is licensed for 200 people and while it’s still a cavernous industrial building, its sawtooth roof and copious natural light have helped them give it a homely feel.
Taking control of the new brewery is head brewery Peter Bradley, who joined them as a business partner after previously working at Big Shed. He says that, beyond the building’s natural fit as a brewery, the team felt opening in Glynde helps fills a gap in the suburbs beyond Little Bang's buzzing Stepney venue.
“We thought it was a good location,” Pete says “But when we saw the building, we fell in love with it straight away. It also has plenty of ceiling height for growth if we want to look to put bigger fermenters in.”
The plan is to start brewing on Monday on a setup that features a fermenters in multiple sizes – including a couple of horizontal tanks for lagering – to give them plenty of room to brew with freedom.
“I love a good lager,” Peter says. “I originally worked at West End, so I know how to make lagers by the truckload.”
Their Goodwood home will remain just how locals know and love it – for now. They've secured an adjacent building and intend to install a kitchen there early next year. But for now it's all eyes on Glynde as the doors swing open at 2pm ACDT.
The Suburban Brew’s Glynde Brewery & Taproom opens at 2pm today (December 2) and is located at 26-30 Provident Avenue, Glynde. You can find it and hundreds of other good beer venues in the free Crafty Pint app.
Will Ziebell is a history graduate who knows more about The Wire than he does about beer. He was awarded the AIBA Best Media trophy for 2018; HBO have told him to please send his fan mail elsewhere. He can be found on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
The beer(s) or moment(s) that turned you on to good beer:
Spending time living in the UK (and backpacking across Europe) when I was 21 certainly gave me a better understanding of the beer and different styles of the world. But I'd say it was a holiday to the High Country a little while later when lunch and a tasting paddle at Bridge Road Brewers created an obsession with Australian breweries and locally made beer.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
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Boatrocker's Miss Pinky: It's a raspberry-packed Berliner Weisse that neither looks or tastes the way many people conceive of beer.
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Bad Shepherd Hazelnut Brown: A luscious mix of chocolate and hazelnut that can appeal to the sweet tooth within us all.
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Stone & Wood Pacific Ale: As the father of my oldest friend once said to me: "It's the perfect refreshing pint that smells like they've loaded it with the God's herb."
The last beer you enjoyed:
Garage Project's DFA while sitting at the bar at Miss Moses as the sounds of The Rolling Stone drifting in the background.
Three things that represent you:
- Bruce Springsteen
- Ken Burns
- The State Library of Victoria
