Last night we had the pleasure of being some of the first people to try out a new local brewery, Malt Shovel Taphouse.

We got to try all the craft beers, taste so much delicious food that pairs perfectly with the different brews. And enjoy a fun, entertainment filled night. Great music, art, and speeches.

We got to be part of something special.

Hearing the stories of the people that had the vision for the place, meeting all the people who are part of the journey, learning about the product and appreciating it more, (side note: I’m not usually a beer fan, the only time I’ve actually enjoyed it before was at Oktoberfest). I like the fancy stuff so craft beers are right up my alley and coming from WA I’m used to going to venues that celebrate this.

But over in QLD things are a little different. Malt Shovel Taphouse is actually the first venue of its kind over this side. I found that quite incredible as I’m so used to wineries and breweries being everywhere in Perth and the surrounding regions. So it’s nice to have a little bit of that culture and flavour heading over this way.

Ok let’s get into the details a bit more…

Venue & Location

Malt Shovel Taphouse is located in the Birtinya Stockland shopping centre. I first thought this an odd location for a brewery, but it’s perfectly situated to the exterior of the shopping part and has it’s own separate area. It’s a large and spacious venue with various bars and seating areas.

A stage for live entertainment, and a range of old school gaming machines to offer some fun for the kids so families can enjoy the venue as well.

And for those of you that do it for the gram, I can definitely say the venue has you covered. It has a modern industrial aesthetic with a touch of coastal vibes. There’s fresh greenery, large murals, timber and copper. It is a modern take on a traditional craft beer venue.

And for the girls, even the bathroom is a great spot for a selfie. With cute pink and white walls. I wish we had bathrooms like that back in my regular clubbing days. Our bathroom selfies definitely weren’t ever that nice.

Food

I’m not a huge beer lover so I was a little nervous about attending this opening night. But I can definitely say it was worth it just to try all the delicious food.

There was a live oyster shucking bar and a range of canapes being handed out all night long. From haloumi and tomato skewers, seafood croquettes, prawns, burgers. And my favourite of the night was the lamb wraps. I should’ve made note of the actual descriptions of each dish because they sounded much more mouth-watering when the waiters told us what was on the plate.

But you can see from the pictures just how delicious it all looks.

On the standard menu you can expect free range Elgin Valley chicken in a craft beer marinade, Bileola sustainable pork belly, and rolled Sovereign lamb with a wild thyme rub, all slow cooked on a custom-built rotisserie in an open kitchen.

Provenance, Sunny Coast produce and beer pairings are at the heart of the kitchen.

Beers

As I mentioned earlier, beer isn’t generally my go to drink of choice. But I was pleasantly surprised by each of the different brews I got to try last night.

It was explained to us last night that there are three different types of craft beers. Quenchers, Crackers and Flavour Packers. And you can find 16 of these types of craft beers on tap at any time at Malt Shovel House.

The beers will be rotating so each time you go you might get to try something new and different. And the beers featured will be from brewers such as Malt Shovel, White Rabbit, Eumundi, Byron Bay Brewing, Furphy, Kosciuszko, Little Creatures, Brooklyn Brewery and Panhead.

The Malt Shovel Taphouse Beer Guides will take customers on a journey into a brave new world of flavour.

Malt Shovel Taphouse Exbeerience

From the moment we entered the venue, we knew it was more than just a typical bar experience. With flame throwers, gymasts, artists and a wonderful musician. There was something for everyone.

We had a traditional smoke welcome from an Aboriginal elder, a speech from the owners, craft beer appreciation with a Cicerone and a ceremonial keg tapping as the first beer was poured to celebrate the opening of the venue.

Ok, so they went all out because it was opening night. But even on a normal night the focus will be on intimate customer service experiences from ‘beer guides’ and the authentic stories and flavours that make craft beer so unique. It will have a changing roster of great beer combined with great people and great food.

With private beer tasting zones, roaming brew crews spreading the joy of craft beer, tasting flights and beer appreciation classes. It will definitely be a venue to keep going back to.

Malt Shovel Taphouse officially opens to the public this Saturday. Head to their website or socials to find out all the details about the event.

If you’re bored of the typical Aussie beers and want to take your tastebuds on a journey then head here to experience the quenching, cracking, and flavour packing beers. And of course if you’re more about the food (like me) then they’ve got you covered too.

It’s more than a pub, it’s an exbeerience. I can tell it’s going to be one of our new faves.

I’d love to know what you think about it if you go.

Jade xo

I hope you got lots of value out of this post. As usual, if you like what you’ve read feel free to like, comment, or share. Your time reading my posts is greatly appreciated.