Our Story.

I was ten years old when my pet tree frog decided to hop straight into a visitor’s cup of tea. I ran my little green friend over to the sink to sluice him under the cold tap, oblivious to the commotion behind me, which was mostly my parents, apparently more concerned about our guest than my poor frog.  I learned two things that day:

1. Caring for wildlife is a full-time occupation; and
2. Always stick to cold drinks.

The frog was fine by the way.

I left my home town of Cairns at twenty-six. A qualified veterinary surgeon, I headed to the UK to pursue my interest in wildlife and in particular marine mammal medicine. I met a girl; we fell in love and spent many happy years in our Scottish cottage by the sea, shovelling coal into our little wood burning stove, as our amber ales chilled outside on the windowsill. We worked in private veterinary practice to pay the bills and dedicated our time to marine and wildlife charities, often finding ourselves waist deep in the freezing North Sea, or on an overnight ferry to the Hebrides to see a man about a Humpback, or transporting juvenile seals to rehab centres in the back of our VW. It was a good life, fulfilling and unpredictable. We met some amazing people and did some amazing things, and we had time to appreciate our life in Scotland – the landscape, the wildlife, and of course, the beer!

And it was during this incredible time, that I became fascinated with the process of beer production. How was it made? Where were the ingredients sourced? The biochemical processes, the technicalities of yeast wrangling. I spent time in microbreweries, talking to brewers and reading everything I could get my hands on. I visited farm markets and obscure bottle shops on a journey of discovery, with the aim of recreating everything I learned with my home pilot system. I wanted to know everything about making good beer.

And so, many, many brewing hours later, here we are! Home again and we’re on a mission! To bring the people of Cairns everything we have learned and experienced about good quality beer!  And we’re talking more than just the act of beer consumption. We’re talking about the process of producing top-quality ale. We’re talking pure, filtered water, fresh local flavours and tropical inspiration. We’re talking laboratories, microscopes, yeast propagation and pH meters. We’re talking craft beer.

Because, ever wondered what really matters? Well, we did, and it’s the ethos of our company, and it’s the ethos of crafting great beer. Because what matters in the end is the journey, it’s the experience, the process. It’s creating something good and sharing it with others, and the enjoyment that sharing a good thing brings. It’s about the amazing people we meet, and the differences each of us can make along the way…

So, come join us in our quest to live better, have fun, and best of all, enjoy great beer! We think you’ll like it!

Cam & Caz