The Sunshine Coast is becoming synonymous with craft beer, so much so it’s now known as the Craft Beer Capital of Australia!
In Pursuit of Hoppiness podcast is all about those breweries and the characters behind the beer, who they are, how they got started and why they chose the Sunshine Coast.
Listen on your favourite podcast player - Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Tunein, Podchaser, Podbean, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM and ListenNotes.
Episode 1 - Moffat Beach Brewing Co
This episode of In Pursuit of Hoppiness is a chat with Matt Wilson, the owner and brewer of multi-award-winning Moffat Beach Brewing Co with host and legendary news anchor, Paul Taylor.
From small beginnings to being crowned the most awarded Independent brewery in Australia – find out how Matt and his team have gone from strength to strength, expanding to open a second big brewery that's adorned with magnificent local artwork at the entrance to Caloundra.
Episode 2 - Your Mates Brewery
The craft beer scene here on the Sunshine Coast is vibrant and it's growing. In this episode Paul Taylor has a yarn with Christian McGarry from Your Mates. Now talk about vibrant and growing!
Probably too modest to admit it himself, but Your Mates in fact, Christian, they're the epitome of the local independent beer scene. Laid back, cheeky, natural and just great fun to be around. So, grab your thongs, get a towel, slap on some sunscreen because this one is a beauty.
Episode 3 - Brouhaha Brewery
This episode of In Pursuit of Hoppiness, host Paul Taylor sits down with Brouhaha Brewery production manager Tobias Alcorn and venue manager Becks Smedley. Brouhaha was born in Maleny in 2016, where four lads actually did what many of us have dreamed of doing – and they put their money where their mouth is and opened a brewery.
Brouhaha now operates out of two locations, with Maleny acting as the pilot lab for seasonal creations, where the mad scientists do their stuff, and the new venue at Aura acting as a production brewery tap room.
Episode 4 - Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours
This episode of In Pursuit of Hoppiness involves a bloke, a van and a dream filled with craft beer. Josh Donohoe from Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours is that man with a van. Actually, he's a man with four vans. He can get his hands on a bus to if you need it.
He's been part of the craft beer scene on the Sunshine Coast for longer than most of the brewers and has seen how the industry has grown over the last decade. Being a tour operator, he can talk underwater with a mouthful of marbles. Talk the leg off a chair! Join Paul Taylor as he chats with our unofficial Sunshine Coast craft beer Ambassador. The man with a van and a plan, Josh Donahue.
Episode 5 - Terella Brewery
Join Paul Taylor as he cracks a tinny or two with Terella Brewery, founder, owner and head Brewer, a bloke called Brandt Bamford. Now Brant is a knockabout type of fella. He's armed with a dream in his mind, a twinkle in his eye and a bucket full of energy to boot. Paul and Brandt have a chinwag over Sunshine Coast holidays being more than meets the eye and an introduction that turned his dream into a reality.
Episode 6 - Heads of Noosa
If you’d prefer a lager style brew than this is the episode for you. Join Paul as he chats with Craig Masterton, founder and owner of Heads of Noosa about their range of award-winning lagers, sustainable brewing practices and how he and his brother/head brewer Lance, got into the art of craft brewing.
Episode 7 - 10 Toes Brewery
In the hot seat for this episode is Rupert Hall from 10 Toes Brewery. Ten Toes is one of the first of the Sunshine Coast new wave of breweries now totalling over 20. But who's counting?
The Ten Toes philosophy is about taking a step back from the corporate life and embracing your passion – for Rupert that includes his love of beer and the science that goes into making it. Join Paul as he chats with Rupert about his journey, his family and the characteristics of this independent breweries stand out craft beers.
Episode 8 - Boiling Pot Brewing Co
In the hot seat for this episode is born and bred local John Madill from the Sunshine Coast’s very own Boiling Pot Brewery. John had a successful career in the car industry before putting the brakes on it and beginning a brewery in his hometown of Noosa. John's a bloke who knows what he wants, and he goes about getting it with a twinkle in his eye.
Episode 9 - Blackflag Brewing
Paul catches up with the bad boys of brewing here on the coast at Blackflag Brewing. It’s all about the beers and ideas on a whiteboard. It's Steve, the leader. Ross, the resident artist. And Clint, the brewery creator from Black Flag Brewing. They talk award-winning Can Art, tattoos, Harleys, engineering expansion and crowd funding.
Episode 10 - Sunshine Brewery
Opening to the public in May 2017, Sunshine Brewery is situated in the industrial estate of Kuluin. In this podcast, listen to the origin of Sunshine Brewery as Paul and Daryle Cook talk through their flagship beers and get more of an understanding on how these Brewers keep their family brewery hustling in the Craft Beer Capital of Australia.
Episode 11 - Sunshine Coast Brewery
This podcast is about the Sunshine Coast’s (and Qld’s) first brewery, Sunshine Coast Brewery. It's a great story, a conversation about the start of craft beer in Queensland on the Sunshine Coast.
Join Paul as he chats with the Curran family, Bridget and Greg who bought the place at Kunda Park behind Maroochydore over 20 years ago, and their daughter Bernadette who recently joined the throng as head Brewer. With their mixed bag of skills and passions – they may be the perfect lot to own a brewery.
Episode 12 - Noosa Hinterland Brewing
In this episode Paul twists the top of a squealer of Noosa Hinterland Brewing Companies Finest IPA with founder, owner, Brewer, Barman and Chief bottle Washer John Tynan. Noosa Hinterland - that family owned and run microbrewery at Curran. Believe it or not, it's in the Noosa hinterland. Google it, it is a beautiful Aussie village. It's safe to say it's the smallest brewery that we've talked about so far in this podcast.
Episode 13 - Morts Brewing
Now to Morts, which this episode about. It sits in the boutique aisle. Maybe the smallest brewery we've had on the podcast so far. Anyway, the Mort story is a beauty, a home brewer who wanted to brew on a larger scale. He knew of a space at the back of a pub in Nambour because he used to drink there.
Episode 14 - Kenilworth Hotel and Brewery
Our Head Brewer Steve Conway is passionate about Beer, starting in the business as a cellarman in 1984, Steve understands the type of beer people want to drink and has produced a range of craft beers that has something for all beer lovers. We brew in the traditional way so our craft beers get time to be the best they can be. Catch up with Paul Taylor on this weeks chat with Kenilworth Brewery.
Episode 15 - Pomona Distilling Co
Join Paul Taylor as he pursues more than just hoppiness, in the ‘Spirit’ series: a podcast about craft beer and distilleries on the Sunshine Coast. In this episode you’ll meet founder and owner at Pomona Distillery Robin Yates, who has a love of the Alchemy of Spirits, dating back to University where he spent his lectures distilling in the back of the chemistry lab while flirting with fellow students!
Episode 16 - Sunshine and Sons distillery
In Pursuit of Hoppiness continues in good spirits with Paul Taylor catching up with Matt Hobson, co-founder of Sunshine & Sons distillery based at the Big Pineapple precinct in Woombye. Within minutes of tuning in, you’ll be transported to your happy place just by listening to Matt’s passion and zest for the Sunshine Coast way of life – no spirits required!
Episode 17 - Beachtree Distilling Co.
In this episode of In Pursuit of Hoppiness, the ‘Spirit’ series heads to Caloundra to learn the history and inner workings of award-winning gins at Beachtree Distillery Co. Steve Grace and Kirra Daley turned a passion into a business. Beachtree is Australia’s only First Nations-owned-and-operated distillery, producing small-batch artisan gin – and with names like Quokka and Koala – you know that native botanicals are a key ingredient. The proof is really in the gin itself - they entered the World Gin Awards and won gold with their first gin within a few months of opening in 2021. Stay tuned for some rum and whiskey that is currently maturing in barrels out the back!
Episode 18 - Diablo Co
In this doubleheader episode, Paul Taylor chats with both Demetrius Limnatitis owner and founder of Diablo, and his production manager Ian Dalloway. Demi's is a bit of a stalwart of the Sunshine Coast entertainment scene. He's the owner of live music venue Soul Bar and a number of other venues as well. He's also a champion of Ocean Street in Maroochydore, helping make it one of Queensland's Premier entertainment precincts. His newest passion is Diablo. He makes a devilishly good beer. It says so on the label. He also makes some very special rum, as well as vodkas, gins and liqueurs. Join Paul, Ian, bartender extraordinaire, and Demi having a devilishly good time!
Craft Beer Capital Brewery Trail
Our breweries are so much more than producers of award-winning beer, they are places to come together, enjoy good food and drink, listen to live music and have a good time.
You can discover the regions diverse range of breweries and venues with our new online trail .
If you want to learn more about the beers and meet the local brewers; go behind the scenes and join one of the many craft beer tours on offer.
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The craft beer scene is booming here on the Sunshine Coast and there is no shortage of options to quench your thirst.