Opening in late 2015, Five Barrel Brewing have added to the fast growing Wollongong craft beer scene.
As with Five Barrel’s neighbours, Illawarra Brewing, there’s some question as to whether they should be included on a website dedicated to beer in Sydney. The justification is simple. You can get there easily on a train and they make good beer, much of which is available in Sydney.
Five Barrel Brewing opened up at a good time, as craft beer was starting to receive more mainstream recognition but there wasn’t yet the flood of breweries we see now. As with many new breweries, they set up in a warehouse in an industrial part of town.
“They” are Phil O’Shea and his father Mike and their initial focus was on brewing and serving good beer to locals. Some acclaim followed and it’s led to Five Barrel beers appearing in more and more Sydney bottle shops. That said, they’re still a small operation, typifying the “craft” end of the brewing spectrum. Beer is made in small batches and the duo are hands on from mash in to truck out.
It would do a disservice to Wollongong’s long industrial history to say that this model of brewery is fitting of the surroundings but the small scale, heartfelt production lends itself to that part of the world, where you don’t have to look hard for natural beauty, natural produce and a natural appreciation for such things.
As well as a tight range of approachable core beers, Five Barrel Brewing also turn their hands to Aussie and American interpretations of IPA, a big imperial stout, an oyster stout, and other seasonal releases such as an ESB and a Christmas ale. They’ve even dabbled with barrels.
The core range of a golden ale, pale ale, hoppy amber and a delicious milk stout are what pop up around Sydney. However, the closer to Wollongong you get the more likely you are to find something small batch and limited release, particularly if you visit the brewery taproom.
Core beers:
- Golden Ale
- Pale Ale
- Hoppy Amber
- Milk Stout