# Decent Bottle Shop Near Byron Bay



## WarmBeer (5/3/09)

I'm off to Byron Bay for a week's holidays with the family, so I'm going to have to go a week without homebrew 

Does anybody know of any bottle shops in or around Byron that have a good selection of commercial beers?

I know the pubs around there have some of the local brews (Stone & Wood, Northern Rivers) on tap, but it's considered bad form by SWMBO to spend the family holidays in the pub drinking beer without the munchkins.

So, I'm stuck with buying take-aways.

All help appreciated. Cheers,

Brett


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## Muggus (5/3/09)

WarmBeer said:


> I'm off to Byron Bay for a week's holidays with the family, so I'm going to have to go a week without homebrew


You don't have an bottled just for these sort of occasions?


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## geoffi (5/3/09)

Ah, the bottlo in the Bay...where I first purchased intoxicating beverages at the age of 16 for our Mullumbimby High School end-of-year-10 bash. Don't recall exactly what it was, but I'm sure it was something vile. I think all the girls were drinking 'Summer Wine'...now that's a revolting thought.

No fancy schmancy 'boutique brews' in those days. 'Imported' meant XXXX. I'm sure the scene is vastly improved.


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## joshuahardie (6/3/09)

I was there this time last year, 
Cant remember the name of it, but there was a drive thru bottle-o there a street or 2 back from the beach that had a good range.

I found Northern Rivers there if it makes any difference.


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## MarkBastard (6/3/09)

You can take the kids along to that big main open pub can't you?


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## ian ulrick (6/3/09)

Trial and error really. There is nothing like a Dan Murphy's around here  . Browse them all as they are walking distance from each other in the main precinct. One under the Beach Hotel, back of The Great Northern Hotel, middle of Lawson St and near Woolies. Goodluck <_< .

Cheers Baldrick.


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## Peteoz77 (6/3/09)

http://www.byronbaybrewery.com.au/premale.html


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## ian ulrick (6/3/09)

Peteoz77 said:


> http://www.byronbaybrewery.com.au/premale.html




Not brewed in Byron.


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## ian ulrick (6/3/09)

http://www.byronbay.org/?p=395


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## tcraig20 (6/3/09)

There is a bottle shop in River street Ballina whose name always escapes me. They tend seem to be the best in the region, although its still fairly poor fair. If you are up for the drive, take the coast road down through Lennox Head - a bit more scenic than the highway.


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## rclemmett (6/3/09)

Norther Rivers Brewery sell over the counter.


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## rclemmett (6/3/09)

Baldrick said:


> http://www.byronbay.org/?p=395



I was at a beer festival a couple of years ago, at Amatos liquor in leichhardt, and there was a couple of girls there representing Byron Bay Premium Ale. They assured me that there was no sugar in the beer............................... So not only are there no fermentables, but it is a lager as well.............. Defies logic.

If QB is up and being a pedant

defy

• verb (defies, defied) 1 openly resist or refuse to obey. 2 challenge to do or prove something.


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## WarmBeer (7/3/09)

Thanks guys,

Plane leaves in two hours, and I'm feeling thirsty already 

Byron, here we come.


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## WarmBeer (24/3/09)

An update post holiday, for any future travellers to Byron.

The Stone and Wood draught ale is fantastic. Life doesn't get much better than sitting out on the front deck of the Beach Hotel, looking out over the surf rolling in from the Pacific, sipping a cloudy, tasty, refreshing schooner of this stuff.

It looks kind of like a Coopers, being unfiltered and unpasteurised, but a bit hit of Galaxy hops up yer nose. Not much bitterness, but still nicely balanced, if a little bit towards the sweet end of the spectrum.

The wife had her first sip, looked over at me with one of those serious "I have something important to tell you" looks, and much to my surprise asks "So, do you think you can make me this beer?". I now have an implied sanction to buy and experiment with Galaxy hops, yay!!!

You can get it on tap at most of the pubs in Byron, not yet available in bottles (soon!). It's also apparently coming to the Local in St. Kilda soon, so I'll be doing some reminiscing soon.


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## WarmBeer (24/3/09)

Also, found the Northern Rivers beers in the bottle-o in Shirley St. They had the Pale Ale, and the Stout.

The PA is nice and bitter, with a lot of hop flavour, as a PA should be. Leaves a big chunk of yeast in the bottom of the glass, just like my own homebrew.

Went for a road trip down to Alstonvile, and checked out the brewery, and had a sampling of their wares. Damn hard to find, being right in the back corner of the industrial estate 2 kms out of town. Had a nice chat to one of the owners, and a bit of a look inside.

Funniest thing was to see their bottling setup, with exactly the same Super-Automatica bench capper as I've got at home. Thinking of bottling hundreds of litres of beer with a bench capper makes you realise microbrewing for a living would be hard work.

Anyway, ended up taking a couple of six packs of assorted beers back with me. Their dark ale, they call it "Migration" is a real winner.

Unfortunately, I heard the brewery is up for sale  Anybody got a rich uncle wants to donate some money to buy it for me? Didn't think so...


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## Bribie G (24/3/09)

It's great that the local pubs are supporting the local brewery. Usually when holidaying in Northern NSW the only different beer available that we don't have in Bris is Reschs Draught ho hum. Even up here the Sunshine coast pubs and bottlos seem to ignore the Sunshine Coast Brewery little battler.


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## MarkBastard (24/3/09)

WarmBeer said:


> Unfortunately, I heard the brewery is up for sale  Anybody got a rich uncle wants to donate some money to buy it for me? Didn't think so...



Hmm that's weird, I was there only a few weeks ago and the guy there (Canadian fella) said there's a bit of an ambitious 'secret' coming up involving a relocation. I wonder what happened???


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## winkle (24/3/09)

Last time I spoke to Dave (last year) the cunning plan was to up-grade the brewery and sell off the small existing plant. Wouldn't be surprised if that involved a move.


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## tcraig20 (24/3/09)

Mark^Bastard said:


> Hmm that's weird, I was there only a few weeks ago and the guy there (Canadian fella) said there's a bit of an ambitious 'secret' coming up involving a relocation. I wonder what happened???



Their website says that its for sale due to "personal reasons". Who knows. 

http://www.nrbrewing.com.au/

Wow, Id be tempted if I were a rich man. But then if I was a rich man I'd probably be on a beach somewhere...

Edit: Glad to hear you had a good time Warmbeer,


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## MarkBastard (24/3/09)

JamesCraig said:


> Their website says that its for sale due to "personal reasons". Who knows.
> 
> http://www.nrbrewing.com.au/
> 
> ...



Damn he seemed kinda excited about moving / very tight lipped.

I wonder if there's something else going on... Maybe he's gunna start something new in partnership with the Alstonville pub or something like that? But I don't know why he'd sell the brand if that were the case.

Guess the beer is gunna be pretty rare soon. Will those migration dark ales keep for long???


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