By James Atkinson
Award-winning brewer Richard Adamson is in the final stages of setting up his new Sydney microbrewery, Young Henry's, and hopes to get beer production underway within the next few weeks.
Adamson, who was brewer and founder at Barons Brewing – but resigned long before the company's eventual collapse – told TheShout the tanks are in at his new brewing headquarters in the inner western suburb of Newtown.
He said the 12-hectolitre brewery (pictured below) will have the capacity to produce between 8,000 and 10,000 litres of beer a month.
Young Henry's will supply kegs of draught beer to pubs in the local area, as well as specialty venues in the CBD, and 'longneck' bottles to small bars, restaurants and specialist retailers.
The aim is also to sell returnable two-litre "growlers" direct to the public.
"That seems to be taking off because it allows bottle shops to sell beer that's not available in bottles," he said.
"It's recyclable, it's better than all the packaging we waste on six-packs."
Adamson said the brewer's range will include natural lager, cider, seasonal ales, "and something along the lines of a 'beer geek' range, where we can get a bit wild".
But the flagship beer will be a hand-pumped "real ale" he believes will smash people's misconceptions about English-style beers, which he says are anything but warm and flat.
"It's still cold, but because it's less carbonated and not icy cold, you get to taste more of the beer."
The ultimate plan is to set up a restaurant adjoining the brewery, but Adamson said that's a long way off yet.
"Newtown's very proud, everyone still backs the Jets [rugby league club], so I'm pretty sure they'll be keen to back us at the same time," he said.
"Our slogan's 'serve the people'."