If I was a Belgian who moved to Australia to open a brewery specialising in Belgian beer, I’d be waving the Belgian flag from the roof of the brewery and yelling at passersby: “Belgians make amazing beer!” It’s a good thing Annelies Nijskens and Jimmy Van Eetvelde are less obnoxious than I am.
Madocke Brewing is the only Belgian brewery in Australia that’s owned and run by Belgians. And when you see that they took Champion European-Style Ale at the 2022 Indies, then were crowned Champion Small Independent Brewery at the 2023 awards… you know they’re doing it well.
“We go back to traditional flavours Belgium has been brewing since the 12th century,” Annelies says. “[But] we also accommodate our new craft drinkers as well.”
Madocke’s home is in Ashmore, but Annelies and Jimmy’s brewing story starts on the other side of the world: back in a tiny little suburb somewhere hidden between Ghent and Antwerp. After fifteen years running a successful air conditioning business, the couple were ready for a change. They’d been planning to migrate to Australia at some point, and they’d been homebrewing for years in their garden shed.
One day it occurred to them to bring these two dreams together: they’d sell their business, spend a few years doing a professional brewing course, then move to Australia and open a brewery.
“We went back to school to become professional brewers for the best beer drinkers in the world!”
But when Annelies and Jimmy arrived in Australia in 2016, a visa hiccup saw them unable to open the commercial brewery they wanted at first. Their workaround solution? Building a nanobrewery for “research and development”, to see if Australia was ready for Belgian beer. The location? The two-car garage of their suburban Gold Coast home.
With a tiny brew kit and tasting area, they were severely limited in how much beer they could sell, but still managed to catch a nomination for Best New Queensland Brewery at the 2019 Beeries awards.
Finally, at the end of 2021, after years of conducting market research and tantalising their small base of fans, Annelies and Jimmy opened a two-storey brewery and venue where they could invite far more people to enjoy the taste of Belgium.
In traditional Belgian beers, the key ingredients are malt and yeast. Hops are used more as a preservative rather than as a dominant flavour. So, when Madocke make traditional Belgian styles, this is their approach.
“We are here to bring the true beer flavour back to the surface,” Annelies says. “Whilst Australian breweries typically use one type of yeast in their brewery, we’ve got at least 14 different yeast strains in our brewery. Almost every beer on tap has a different yeast strain, and really showcases what the yeast does to the flavour as well.”
From their creamy witbier with its citrusy notes, to their raspberry witbier Framboos and their trophy-winning blonde; from their dubbel to their tripel to their quad; from Reynard, their strong amber ale, to Nobel, their strong golden ale… there’s an incredible range at Madocke.
It’s worth noting that not all of their beers are traditional. They also make beers you wouldn’t find in a beer cafe in Brussels, including an Australian pale ale, a lager, a variety of session ales, and hybrid beers like their white IPA, Celebration, which takes a Belgian-style wheat beer and dry hops it with modern hops Citra and Cashmere for a tropical punch.
"A Belgian beer… but then Australianised,” is how they put it.
As well as the beer itself, Madocke’s venue is designed to allow a little bit of Belgium’s beer culture to blend with Aussie beer culture.
“In Belgium, beer is drunk more for a good conversation with our friends. To do it with a good meal, and just to enjoy the beer.
"It’s all about the atmosphere which is created around it.”
That atmosphere is almost tangible in their taproom, where dark concrete and timber sit thoughtfully beneath the warm golden glow of the hanging lights, and the music is kept low so people can talk.
“We do not try to be the loudest and greatest and best taproom. The music is not too loud; for us, it is important that you’re able to talk with your friends. We give them the best European experience.”
Part of being on a European kick is being able to order authentic Italian pizzas from the kitchen, courtesy of Double Zero, to go with your Belgian beers. But none of these Euro-vibes take away from the fact that you’re at a brewery in Australia: alongside the 14 taps of beer, the bar also offers up spirits, wines and soft drinks all focused on Queensland producers; the outdoor area lets you drink in the Gold Coast sunshine with your four-footed friend; and at busier times the seating extends into the brewery area itself so you can sit among the tanks.
Upstairs, there’s a function room with its own bar that seats up to 60 people, which can be booked out for private events. It’s also where Madocke host live comedy shows each week.
If you want to drink undisturbed at Madocke, you absolutely can. But one of the best parts of the Madocke experience is hearing the stories: the story of Jimmy and Annelies, the story of Madocke’s origins, the story of where the fox imagery comes from, and the story behind each and every beer.
“Where do the best stories get told? In a bar,” according to Annelies, who finds herself drawn to telling new customers all about Madocke. “That is what I love most about my job. Sitting at the table, table to table, and tell them what the beers are all about.”
Because, at the end of the day, you can make the trip over to Belgium to get an authentic insight into Belgian beers… or you can go drink fresh Belgian beer made on the Gold Coast, and chat with the Belgians who make it. After all, they’re itching to share it with you.
“That is what we are, what we know and what we do. It’s in our blood. It’s in our veins.”
Mick Wüst
