Hot on the heels of the Polar Vortex, I bring you the Liquid Amber Vortex. I’m not quite sure what it is about Newstead and Tenneriffe but the area seems to be a magnet for micro breweries and craft beer pubs. Green Beacon Brewing and Tippler’s Tap paved the way and now Newstead Brewing Co has arrived. Established, the tag line says ‘Since Before The Flood’.
A bus depot at one time, it has retained its ‘garage chic’ with exposed beams and tin roof, flaking paint on walls and the brew tanks perched on the edge of the maintenance pit. The week before Christmas, the joint was jumping. None of us had thought to book but that didn’t stop the helpful bar staff from setting up a table for us in the loading dock. Order at the counter when you buy your drinks and they’ll deliver to your table.
There’s a good selection of bar snacks, sandwiches and pizzas as well as some mains. I went for a Corn Beef Sanga ($13) and a schooner of Johnno Cider that was on tap. A welcome lunch on a hot day. The ‘sanga’ actually turned out to be corned beef and home made coleslaw on a slightly toasted brioche roll. The brioche was warm but the meat was almost but not quite, fridge cold. The coleslaw was crunchy and not too sweet and the corned beef was thickly sliced from a full piece rather than thin, mass manufactured slices. It came on the requisite wooden platter that pubs are so fond of with a pile of tiny cornichons. I let the sandwich stand for a few minutes until the chill came off the meat and tackled the cider. Very pale, not too sweet or overly carbonated and lethal at 6.2%, the strongest of all the brews currently being made. After a few gulps of this, I was very thankful I had the sandwich as it helped (somewhat) to soak up the alcohol.
Others chose mains including the Steak, Warm Potato Salad & Bernaise ($28) ‘It’s good. It’s a steak. It’s what you’d expect.’, Chicken Speck, Forest Mushrooms, Mac & Cheese ($19) ‘Prettier on the plate than I expected and tastes great.’ and Lamb Pie, Eggplant Caviar & Kale ($19) ‘$19 for a pie?’. In the end, $19 for a pie actually turned out to be a pithivier with golden egg glaze containing a saucy, tender shredded lamb filling. Much enjoyed by those who has ordered it. Perhaps a little more explanation on the menu wouldn’t make it such a lucky dip when ordering as almost nothing when it arrived, was as expected. I can’t comment on the beers but they seemed to be going down at an alarming rate of knots so they must have been fine.
Some prices seem a little steep such as $6.60 for almonds but almost all meals are under $20 with the exception of the steaks, that are under $30. Whilst I was at the bar, I saw some hot baked pretzels ($6) coming out of the oven that made me regret not ordering one. Butcher’s Candy (pork crackling) was unavailable on the day I visited but is an excuse to go back. It’s such a pity I don’t like beer. It’s cheap, there are endless varieties and you can get it basically anywhere in the world. Still, I don’t like it. Yet, I seem to end up at bars and pubs where the major focus is beer on a regular basis. None the less, this is a welcome addition to the suburb.
Newstead Brewing Co
85 Doggett St (opposite the Gasworks)
Newstead Qld 4006
http://newsteadbrewing.com.au/
Visited: Thursday 19th December 2013 – Lunch Service
Pie and cider, what a great combo! I like the look of the 'garage chic' too – this is just the sort of fab bar we're short of in the Cotswolds. Plenty of cosy old pubs but industrial chic is lacking & I wouldn't mind dipping in every now & then. Still, lots of pie & cider lately at home!
The grass is always greener Andrea. Industrial Chic is a dime a dozen in Brisbane and in fact, the whole of Australia. We are a young, modern, brash country so the astethic fits us well but I think that most would kill for a good old fashioned, cosy pub. Of which we have none! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
This is my Peter's kind of fare… he'd love this place!
It was a surprise. I walk past every day. One minute there was nothing and the next minute it was open! It's a go ahead area, that's for sure.
Mmmmm! Looks and sounds great. I love my cider as you know so I will store this little number away for future consumption.
The cider is good. Not a scrumpy but easy to drink. You can catch a City Glider to the Gasworks and cut through. Family outing?