Red Bottle Central Park, Chippendale

There aren’t many chain bottle shops on this site but when one is clearly trying to push good beer, it’s fair to give credit where it’s due. Red Bottle on the basement floor of Chippendale’s now iconic Central Park building is doing just that.

What’s better still is that the beer is fresh and independence is at the forefront, near the entrance of the shop.  There’s a fridge packed with local beer.

You’ll spot the likes of Wayward, Batch, Yulli’s Brews, Sauce, Modus Operandi, and more. There’s also leading national brands from around the country such as Kaiju and Balter. There was even some Wildflower at one stage but perhaps that was a bit too esoteric for the regular demographic. It’s still early days though.

There’ll frequently be the latest tall boy can of hazy IPA from Sauce or Modus but there’ll also be fresh cans of Wayward’s Pilsner or Batch’s American Pale Ale. There’s often a discount when purchasing a mixed six pack which is encouraging for those keen to explore a few different styles.

Independent Beer

Towards the back of the store there are more beer fridges, featuring the familiar Big Beer brands, as well as the likes of Coopers. It’s back here that you’ll find 4 Pines, Pirate Life and other corporate-owned beer brands like Fat Yak and Furphy.

The separation of independent and non-independent is not in-your-face but provides a big enough clue as to the difference between the different products.

This is all the more prescient when you remember that Red Bottle Central Park is located under the shadow of the old Carlton United brewery. It’s admittedly a beautiful historic building worthy of preservation but that a bottle shop directly beneath it should be promoting local independent beers over CUB-owned products is reflective of current trends in the beer market.

A Growing Market

Bottle shops like this Red Bottle show that independent local beer is infiltrating into places where just a few years ago it would not have been found. This is thanks to a growing market but also because of the passionate and keen-eyed people running stores like this.

The staff are friendly and helpful and are happy to recommend something if they’ve tried it. If you’re in this part of town and looking for a decent beer to take away there aren’t many better options nearby.

Have you checked out Red Bottle Central Park? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.