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Every good country town needs its own brewery, and it wasn’t until a state-of-the-art facility was completed in North Street in 1952 that we could say Grafton had its very own.
But it didn’t come without a hard-fought battle with community spirit triumphing over government bureaucracy. The application to build the brewery had been delayed because the Department of Building Materials, which existed as a result of post-war shortages, had delayed the development application.
The South Grafton Council criticised the department for holding up the permit pointing out materials could be sourced locally, and helped complete the brewery by putting in the pipes that were needed to make the buildings fire safe.
Bottles were added to production in 1953 and the following year the local paper proudly announced that unlike the rest of NSW, Grafton would have sufficient supplies of beer for the upcoming summer – the “El Dorado of beer lovers in NSW”.
By 1958 Sydney-based breweries flooded the northern market with inferior product using cheap rail freight, causing substantial staff cutbacks. A debate even came to blows in the State Parliament when the premier at the time, John Joseph Cahill, had to be dragged off a colleague by the then member for Lismore Jack Easter.
The brewery was eventually bought by Tooheys in 1961 and would spend the majority of its working days under the label, eventually closing in 1997.
Bought by the local Firth family in 2019, the historic complex is now ready to take on a new life including a family friendly brewery, distillery and coffee roastery to complement the existing café and 70 other tenants calling the complex their working home.
The brewery has a rich heritage intertwined with the history of Grafton and the new Grafton Heritage Brewery aims to honour this legacy.
NOW THE COMPLEX IS READY TO TAKE ON A NEW LIFE AS AN ARTISAN BREWERY
OUR BREWS
Named after our iconic five storey Red Brick Tower, this lager is a blend of noble and New Zealand hops creating a perfectly well-balanced beer with smooth bitterness and bready malt undertones with slight ester flavour to round off its backbone. Traditionally lagered, our Bricktower Lager gives a quick and clean finish - the way a good lager should.
A hoppy yet malt driven IPA that’s as big as the mighty Clarence River (also known as the Big River to locals), this IPA gives you an enjoyable biscuity backbone to compliment the piney, tropical fruit and citrusy flavours and aromas that a beer of this standing should.
Paying homage to the original Grafton Old brewed in the 1950s, our Brewhouse Old is a malt driven ale that is pleasantly rounded out with smooth chocolate biscuit flavours. The combination of fruit like esters and subtle hoppiness makes this ale quite refreshing and befitting as the Brewhouse Village’s signature beer.
A local river that meets the mighty Clarence and winds through the farmlands around the town of Tucabia, our Coldstream Special is a light, crisp refreshing mid-lager with a smooth mouthfeel and slight citrus finish. This mid strength, or as we call it ‘Special’, has plenty of flavour and often called the Pride of the North.
Named after the road that ran adjacent to the Firth family farm near the small town of Tucabia, our Somervale Pale Ale delivers tropical and citrus zest aromas bursting with pine needle and tangerine flavours, making this pale a perfect balance of bitterness and aroma.
Very well balanced with a subtle body and delicate aromas of herb, spice and slight citrus, our Export Pilsener is named in honour of the original Export Pilsener brewed by Grafton Brewing Co. back in the 1950s. Very drinkable yet full of the same special character that gave the original brewery Flavour in its Favour.
Available in Grafton at: Village Green Bottle Shop, Clocktower Hotel, Crown Hotel, Grafton Golf Club. Elsewhere: Seaview Tavern, Hoey Moey Bottle Shop, Emerald Beach Bottle Shop, Coffs Hotel Bottle Shop
The family friendly Grafton Heritage Brewery will be similar to other well-known rehabilitated industrial sites in Australia and overseas and attract people for its range of creative, cultural and food offerings.
The first two floors of the existing brewery tower will comprise up to 12 brewing tanks producing up to 3,500 litres of beer per week.
Supporting the craft brewery in the old Bottling Hall and Canning Mezzanine will be a 247 seat dining area, complete with a bar, commercial kitchen and amenities blocks.
Once complete the Grafton Heritage Brewery will provide something new and exciting for the town, create over 40 new jobs, and act as a tourist destination for people to shop and enjoy a drink or meal.
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