Newstead Brewery shut their doors late last week and, unlike many businesses in the storm-ravaged region, their closure is permanent.
Instead of the impact of Cyclone Alfred, head of operations Michelle Thompson told The Crafty Pint the brewery’s closure stems from an earlier natural disaster that hit Brisbane: the devastating floods of 2022. The Milton production brewery and accompanying taproom (pictured above) were hit particularly hard by those floods, having to repair significant damage across the venue and unable to brew for seven months. Before that, revenue at the Milton venue had been impacted by COVID, with crowds unable to attend Suncorp Stadium across the road.
“When we flooded in 2022, that was truly – that was the end,” Michelle says. “That was the do or die moment [and] we were really performing CPR for the last three years since that time.”
Michelle says she and the team have loved being part of the craft beer industry and, as a result, tried to keep the brewery operating despite the ongoing economic downturn and tough market conditions.
“Because we care about this industry and it matters to us that we can give it a real good red hot crack,” Michelle says.
“The crisis that the industry is currently in is real. Everyone says it, everyone talks about it.
“All these breweries going under, another brewery going under – that pattern needs to be paid attention to.”
For some time, brewery director Peter Howes had been working to sell the brewery or bring in an outside investor but, in the current economic climate, that never became a reality. Ultimately, the decision to shut came quite suddenly: last Thursday was the final day of trading with staff only informed of the directors’ decision just ahead of the doors closing for the final time.
The winding up of the business was only confirmed publicly today due to the sudden nature of the call, the devastating impact on staff, and the arrival of Cyclone Alfred.
“We had a lot of people that we needed to talk to and a lot of cleaning to do,” Michelle says. “It certainly hasn’t been something that’s been on the forefront of our mind when we’ve been sandbagging houses and all that sort of thing.”
Newstead Brewing were one of the very first breweries to appear in Brisbane as the modern craft beer wave finally took root in the city. They opened their original brewpub in Doggett Street in December 2013, not long after near neighbours Green Beacon launched, bringing a level of hospitality not previously seen in the city’s nascent beer scene.
Growth over the coming years, which came with trophy success for their beers, saw them expand to the point they opened a major production facility and second venue in Milton in 2017, just across the road from Suncorp Stadium. And while attempts to expand their reach beyond state borders proved relatively short-lived, the brewery that had always put their home city and state at the heart of what they did – and on their cans – continued to strike up high profile partnerships in areas such as sport and the arts.
Founded by the Howes family, the brewery was initially led by Mark Howes with Mark’s dad, Peter, overseeing the operation in more recent years. Newstead vacated the Doggett Street brewpub in 2023, with that space soon taken over by Mark and fellow Working Title founder Luke Shield.
As the final part of Newstead closes, Michelle says she's proud of Newstead's role in the local beer landscape, while also pointing to just how important it is for people to know just how perilous a position the beer industry is in.
“We can be very proud of what we did do and the contribution that we made,” she says.
“Ultimately, the biggest focus I have right now personally is to fight like hell for this industry. This is bigger than us, this is bigger than Newstead Brewing; we are just part of a massive story.
“Whatever happens to the site, it is really small biscuits compared to what is happening to our industry at large, and that is something that I will be continuing to fight for.”
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 in 2018 and in 2024; 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?
-
Boatrocker's Miss Pinky: It's a raspberry-packed Berliner Weisse that neither looks or tastes the way many people conceive of beer.
-
Bad Shepherd Hazelnut Brown: A luscious mix of chocolate and hazelnut that can appeal to the sweet tooth within us all.
-
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
