# Decent Bottle Shops Around Nsw/qld Border Region



## MattC (14/1/09)

Hey guys, want to know if anyone can point me to a decent bottle shop that may have a reasonable supply of craft and imported beers. I live in Ballina and venture to Brisbane every now and then. So anything around northern NSW, gold coast, brisbane etc? any ideas?

I have visited Dan Murphy's frequently but I have nearly tried everything on their shelves


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## MarkBastard (14/1/09)

Dan Murphys and First Choice are the obvious ones.

I've been told there's a Dan Murphys opening in Ballina by the way.

Haven't found any decent bottle shops in Ballina / Lennox area personally. Trying to get a carton of james squire amber ale from a bottle shop had me waiting around for 20 minutes on christmas eve with people giving me annoyed looks like 'why dont you get a fukn carton of VB midstrength'. Sorry guys not for me. Plus they serve amber ale on tap down the road, its not like its that obscure.

Maybe there's a decent one in Byron? They usually have good butchers and green grocers.


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## Screwtop (14/1/09)

MattC said:


> Hey guys, want to know if anyone can point me to a decent bottle shop that may have a reasonable supply of craft and imported beers. I live in Ballina and venture to Brisbane every now and then. So anything around northern NSW, gold coast, brisbane etc? any ideas?
> 
> I have visited Dan Murphy's frequently but I have nearly tried everything on their shelves




Only place to get those extra special beers is the Spotted Cow Hotel's off prems bottle shop cnr of Mary and Bridge Sts in Toowoomba.


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## tcraig20 (14/1/09)

Mark^Bastard said:


> Dan Murphys and First Choice are the obvious ones.
> 
> I've been told there's a Dan Murphys opening in Ballina by the way.
> 
> ...



The best bottle shop Ive found in the area is the one in River st, Ballina (cant remember the name of it). Across the road from where the Lobster Pot used to be. They get some different things in, but its still a pretty poor crop.


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## winkle (14/1/09)

In Brissy try "Nectar Beer and Wine Specialists" 114 Boundary St West End. Good range of Aussie craft beers.


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## Arbo66 (18/11/10)

I went to a new Bottleshop in Brisbane's Red Hill on Musgrave Road. Festival Cellars. These guys seem to be heading into a very interersting direction. Their entire beer fridges have all craft beers from Australia (Holgate, Red Duck, Hargreaves, 3 Ravens ect.) and their international stuff is getting pretty good to (Rogue, Anderson Valley) Just to name a few. Been to a few of their tasting which seem to happen on Tuesday nights and the staff are really nice and love beer which is pretty cool. Check them out
www.festivalcellars.com.au cool facebook page to. Hope this helps.


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## ekul (18/11/10)

There used to be a bottle shop right next door to the airport tavern in tugun that had a pretty wide selceltion selection.

Plus on the way back from Brisbane theres a dan murphy's in Springwood, just off the highway when you're heading south. The servo near it is the cheapest servo in brisbane too. So you can fill up and grab a couple roadies for the long journey home...

I think there may be a dan murphy's in nerang too.


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## Norcs (18/11/10)

The best one that I have come across is nectar by a long way, the insane liquor licencing laws in Queensland pretty much stop any decent bottleos opening up.


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## Brew Matt (23/2/12)

Just reopening this post to see if anyone can add any recommendations for bottleshops carrying a half decent or better craft beer selection on the Gold Coast or further down south. I know about the various Dan Murphy stores, and have yet to visit the first Choice at Tweed Heads. I have Kingscliff Bottleshop & Tugun Cellars as 2 potentials, but am thinking there must be at least one good craft beer bottleshop on the Gold Coast???


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## Brew Matt (26/2/12)

Brew Matt said:


> Just reopening this post to see if anyone can add any recommendations for bottleshops carrying a half decent or better craft beer selection on the Gold Coast or further down south. I know about the various Dan Murphy stores, and have yet to visit the first Choice at Tweed Heads. I have Kingscliff Bottleshop & Tugun Cellars as 2 potentials, but am thinking there must be at least one good craft beer bottleshop on the Gold Coast???





Thinking there must be a least one of the Gold Coast??


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## kevo (26/2/12)

The bottle shop at Ferry Rd Markets is good in that it has a number of beers not available anywhere else on the coast.

In there today, Rochefort 10, many of the St. Bernadus beers, Schlenkerla beers, old bruins, UK bitters, NZ brews etc.

Not a massive range but worth a look.

Kev


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## winkle (26/2/12)

kevo said:


> The bottle shop at Ferry Rd Markets is good in that it has a number of beers not available anywhere else on the coast.
> 
> In there today, Rochefort 10, many of the St. Bernadus beers, Schlenkerla beers, old bruins, UK bitters, NZ brews etc.
> 
> ...


Ta Kev, I didn't think there were any at all
:icon_cheers:


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## Brew Matt (17/2/13)

Just thought I would update this thread with some of my recent findings, rather than creating a new one. At some point someone will be visiting the Gold Coast and hopefully find this. Also, any additions welcome.

+ Bottle Shop At Ferry Road Markets (Ferry Road Wine & Beer): 107 Ferry Road, Southport 4218 
Some good boutique beers, and a few I had not seen previously. The owner was not there when I visited, and the person there at the time did not appear to be overly passionate about beer (but the cricket was on the telly). Be sure to look at the unrefridgerated shelf to the right for most of the unusual beers. There were a few I was going to purchase, but the date on one had a BBE from early 2012, and another did not have a date at all, so I passed altogether (not intended to be a critisism, just a little tired of purchasing out of date beer at full price). If I am in the area again, will definitely drop in for another visit. 
[There is a kitchen shop next door across the carpark called the Wheel&Barrow that has a decent selection of Beer glasses including a modern double walled type that I have only seen on coffee glasses - worth a look if you like your beer glasses].

+ Vintage Cellars: 2721 Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach 4218
Small bottleshop, but usually has a shelf or two in the fridge of boutique beer. The staff I have met don't appear to have much interested in beer, but someone there must be ordering it in (and customers buying it...).

+ Pickled Pig - A Brew On Premise Brewery: 18 Industry Drive, Tweed Heads 2486
They also have a licence to sell beer without having to make it yourself. While they do not brew from grain (use liquid extract to my knowledge), I have enjoyed a few of their beers which are generally aimed at being clones of commercial beers. The owner Paul is always happy to provide samples to taste.

+ Kingscliff Bottle Shop - This is the bottle shop at the main shopping centre. The different shop assistants I have spoken to all appear to have an interest in beer, and they do stock some craft beers that you wont find elsewhere. Worth a visit if you a looking for something a little bit different, and the area is a nice one to visit.

+ German Club Carrara - I visited this venue during Octoberfest 2012 and found they had 3 or so beers on tap that I had not seen on tap before. I have been told it pays to check in advance what beers they have if you are making a special trip, as non Octoberfest times may not have the same beer range. The food was good, though I was hoping to try things like Bretzels (big pretzels), which they had, but they were brought in frozen & not made on the premises (were still enjoyable though). The club has been around for ages, and must have been out there all alone before development of the area occurred.

+ Burleigh Brewery - I quite enjoy their beers, and they have a little bar were you can try there permanent range, and a special release of two depending on when you visit. Pricing is quite attractive, and if you buy a glass, you get it filled for free which makes a cool souveneir. Despite the bar being quite small, they did have a live band playing next to the brewing equipment, and amazingly have turnouts of 200 - 300 hundred at times. Staff are friendly, and know almost everything about their range of beers. Ask them to remake Aunt Gertrudes Bickkie Beer (which I have heard was good).

+ First Choice Liquor (Tweed Heads). Much like Dan Murphys (there are probably a few DM's on the Gold Coast as well). If you don't have a large Woolies or Coles owned bottleshop nearby, is worth a look. They keep a few isles of beer, but I find it gets a little boring if you are a beer hunter looking for variety through changing stock. Otherwise, a very large selection to choose from, and sometimes you will find a few specials (though Coles are saying beer discounting is being tightened if you listen to their latest press releases). Staff usually will not know much about beer, though I am sure there are exceptions to this rule - just havent encountered any yet!

Well that is all I have got - I forgot to mention the brewery at Mount Tamborine (MT Brewery) which has a great atmosphere (as well as a cheesery, and a separate higher end restaurant in addition to the outdoor bistro. They have a beer sampler where you can try 6 200ml glasses of their beer. I beleive there is a new brewery that has opened (or is opening) in the area, and also there is a brewery that has closed down a few years ago (in case you google it and get disappointed when you arrive).

Of course you have the Stone & Wood Brewery & the Byron Bay Brewery (Buddha Bar) 50 minutes south of Tweed. Stone and Wood run a full brewery, Byron Bay brew through a Sydney contract, but perhaps do some small scale brewing for local visitors??? (as I know they have brewing equipment at the back of the restaurant).

There must be a few I have missed, so feel free to add. I have not included anything North of the Gold Coast, as this should have a separate thread.

Happy hunting!


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## sp0rk (17/2/13)

IF you want something a little closer to you Brew Matt, porters at the Coffs jetty are starting to stock some great beers
the bloke working (english guy) recommended a bottle of Orval last time i was there


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## pk.sax (17/2/13)

Have found a few nice ones at my local cellarbrations. 3 monts, mountain goat rare breed, duvels etc. some nice tasty ciders too. Always worth a look if there is one close by and they do the big chain style discounts so that's a plus.


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## WarmBeer (17/3/13)

Recording for posterity.

Just got back from a week in Byron Bay. Whilst the rest of the bottle-shops there treat LCPA as the height of "craft" (not that there's anything wrong with a well handled LCPA) this is the range I found at the bottle-shop at the back of the Great Northern Hotel:

- Trois Monts
- Saison Dupont
- St Bernadus Abt 12
- La Chouffe Blonde
- Mountain Goat 15 year anniversary Hightail
- Green Flash West Coast IPA
- Hop Wired IPA
- Heretic Evil Cousin
- Weihenstefan (5 varieties, including Korbinian)
- Schneider Weisse Aventinus
- Schofferhoffer
- Erdinger
- Timothy Taylor Land Lord
- Samuel Smith Organic Best Bitter / Oatmeal Stout
- St Peter's Golden Ale / Ruby Red Ale
- Nogne O Odin's Tipple Barley Wine
- Sunner Kolsch
- Chimay Blue
- Duvel
- Leffe Blonde
- Schlenkeria Rauchbier

Plus a host of well handled Aussie craft beers.

Needless to say, they got a lot of my custom over the week.

Edit: Phat Phingers


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## sponge (10/4/13)

I really wish I stopped in there when I was last up there.. Quite a nice range indeed.


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## Northside Novice (4/10/13)

Not sure if this is the current thread but 
The wine emporium has moved to the new gas works precinct near tipplers/beacon
Range is pretty much the same but they have lots of empty fridge space and still a mighty range of goodies !View attachment 65294


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## Northside Novice (4/10/13)

View attachment 65297


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## sp0rk (19/4/14)

sp0rk said:


> IF you want something a little closer to you Brew Matt, porters at the Coffs jetty are starting to stock some great beers
> the bloke working (english guy) recommended a bottle of Orval last time i was there


An update to this,
They had a LOT of Belgians I've never even heard of while I was there on Thursday night 
Looks like I won't be needing to order from beer cartel anymore, the guy who orders their beer will order whatever I want


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