Beer & Brewer has launched #backtothepub; a series with chats with Australian beer lovers, both well-known and less so, to find out how much they’re missing their local, which establishment they’ll head to first when restrictions lift and what they’ll be drinking when they do.
Running each week until every brewpub, taphouse and bar fully reopens across Australia, the series aims to support the craft beer industry at this critical time and to raise awareness of the important role tap beer plays in a brewery’s livelihood.
The series will also shine a light on impact the lockdown has had across the entire hospitality industry.
First cab off the rank for Beer & Brewer is Leader of the Opposition and well-known craft beer fan, Anthony Albanese.
Editor of Beer & Brewer, Gifford Lee, said: “Albo was the obvious choice to get things underway seeing as though he loves craft beer, hails from Sydney’s inner west, where small breweries are more densely populated than anywhere else in Australia.”
You can see highlights from the chat with Albo below, and for the full interview head to Beer & Brewer.
Why is it important to support our local breweries, brewpubs, taphouses and bars at this time, and when restrictions hopefully lift soon?
Local breweries and bars are important because they provide jobs, not just in brewing, but also in the local hospitality industry. I enjoy craft beer, but for me it’s not just about the brew. It’s about the jobs and the economic activity that are generated. In my own part of Sydney, for instance, a concentration of craft breweries has created a tourism spin-off, with people able to take breweries tours. There’s great economic potential in this industry and we need to support it as much as we can. It’s about jobs.
Which venue will you go to first to enjoy a beer when restrictions are lifted and why?
Willie the Boatman – because their social media during the lockdown has been so bad, it’s great.
And what Aussie craft beer will you be drinking when you get there?
Albo Corn Ale, of course.
For more from the Leader of the Opposition reflecting on a post-COVID world and what can be done to help small breweries and associated industries bounce back strong after the crisis, read the full interview in Beer & Brewer.