Catchment Brewing Co

Since opening their doors in November 2015, the Catchment Brewing crew have been growing into the eclectic, artistic and historic landscape that makes up West End.

West End is a patchwork of character and colour: a blend of cultures and a haven for non-mainstream lifestyles, long known as an area that celebrates diversity and creativity. There’s even diversity in beer there in more recent times, with three breweries (plus another brewery taproom) calling West End home.

As the site of one of Brisbane’s first breweries, it’s also an area drenched in history. Catchment wants to continue the legacy of the long defunct West End Brewery, which prided itself on being “The People’s Brewery”. A newspaper article from 1896 said that “a light, refreshing, and mildly stimulating beverage is the order of the day”, and Catchment’s approachable core range fits that description today. The Whynot Lager, Pale Select, Hoogley Session Ale - and yes, even the Vulture IPA - are all designed to be supremely drinkable, which makes them ideal for long sessions spent gazing out at West End as the afternoon sun fades. (There’s also sweet stout called Cow Tipper that isn’t core, but is brewed often to keep the regular customers happy.)

It’s worth taking a moment here to note how rare it is to find a brewery on the high street in the inner city, as opposed to tucked away in an industrial area. Rather than a “Build it and they will come” approach, Catchment has always been more in the mindset of, “I want to be where the people are.” Or to stop quoting movies and instead look to the brewery’s tagline: “By locals. For locals. Everywhere.” Catchment is right on Boundary Street, the deeply lined but lively face of West End, and the brewery offers a welcoming façade to the myriad people walking past; when you see people drinking in the front window or dining at picnic tables on the footpath, it’s hard not to pop in for a beer.

The high foot traffic and proximity to the CBD means this isn’t a Thursday-to-Sunday-evening brewpub. Catchment is open seven days a week for beers and food, making it a drawcard for all kinds of people: on a weekday lunchtime you might see the corporate crowd having a work lunch, then a couple of hours later the tradies are enjoying knock-off drinks; Saturday nights see groups of young friends with staying power, while Sunday afternoons are perfect for young parents and older couples looking for a slower session. The suit-and-ties, the high vis vests, the ripped jeans and the linen shirts… all find a place at Catchment.

With such a diverse bunch coming in, it makes sense that has a number of spaces in the venue. You can usually find a quiet nook or spot with some buzz, depending on what you’re after.

The front bar – or Boundary Bar, as it’s called – has the familiar feel of a thriving West End joint. That eclectic vibe is present, but a couple of fermenters behind the bar remind punters that Catchment is an operational brewery serving up freshly made beer. This is the area perfect for mingling and people-watching, and keeping one eye on the bar and kitchen as you ponder your next order.

If it’s the full brewery experience you’ve come for, pass through to the back to find Brewery Lane, the indoor-outdoor space that feels like a hidden laneway. This is the source of the beer, the centre of fun, and the heart of Catchment. Here you’ll find a row of stainless steel tanks glinting with the reflection of party lights, hanging plants soaking up the thrum of live music, and a street art style wall mural. Very West End. Very brewery.

Upstairs is Hidden Windows, the heritage-rich secondary bar that works as a function space. A pleasant sense of seclusion makes it right for all kinds of events, from gatherings of friends to corporate functions to wedding receptions. With one exposed brick wall, one wall covered with barrel lids, and terraced balconies looking out over the streetscape – yes, and some hidden windows – this room lets you enjoy your own private piece of West End, past and present.

For all these different options, the beer is still obviously the focus at Catchment and takes pride of place at the bar. At any given point there are four limited releases pouring from the taps alongside the easy drinking core range (though there’s also wine, spirits and cocktails for those after something other than a pint).

The food menu is all designed to be enjoyed alongside beer, too. There are some burgers and mains available, but if you’re sinking schooners with mates the share plates are the way to go. Order a few dishes for the table - something salty, something greasy, something spicy - and dig in. The menu changes up seasonally and is always diverse, so don’t be surprised if you see Japanese-, Mexican-, and Middle-Eastern-influenced plates all rubbing shoulders (with a few gluten free and vegan options in there). You may notice that beer has crept into a couple of the items on the menu.

In late 2021, the owners of Catchment Brewing added Darling & Co to their portfolio, so the Paddington bar now serves up the full range of Catchment beers alongside the bubbles and cocktails it’s always been known for. And in 2022, Mount Tamborine’s Fortitude Brewing joined the family too, so expect to see some Fortitude and Noisy Minor beers available at Catchment (and vice versa). You’ll find them on tap sometimes, and as part of the offering in the takeaway fridge - grab yourself a 4-pack of Catchment and a 4-pack of Fortitude on your way out the door, and you’re laughing.

It’s hard to escape beer at Catchment. But with the hundred-year-legacy of West End Brewery in the air, and fresh beer bubbling away in the tanks… why would you want to?

Mick Wust

Name
Catchment Brewing Co
Address

150 Boundary Street
West End
QLD 4101

Phone
(07) 3846 1701
Open Hours

Mon to Thurs: midday to 10pm

Fri & Sat: 11am to midnight

Sunday: 11am to 9pm

Tours

By appointment only


This is a directory listing. To find out more, head here

Catchment Brewing Co Regulars

Catchment Brewing Whynot Lager

Within the residential area of West End, there’s a road called Whynot Street. When you read the street sign, it takes all the restraint in the world not to pose the silly question: “Why not street?” It’s a question that’s as nonsensical as it is fun to ask. In the opinion of this writer, Whynot Lager makes a whole lot more sense. It’s a classic German style lager made with one malt and one hop, and bears all the simplicity and clarity you’d hope for. A clean stretch of citrus leads… Read more
Style
Lager
ABV
4.5%

Catchment Brewing Pale Select

The West End Brewery of the late 1800s brewed a beer called the Pale Select, and nicknamed it “The King of Beers”. With this in mind, Catchment set out to recreate a beer worthy of the regal moniker. Their Pale Select is a hazy gold, flashing in the light like a ruler’s sceptre and crowned with an aromatic head. While it differs from the beer of yesteryear by being an American pale ale with all American hops, it matches that easy-drinking ale by playing down its bitterness. Gentle flavours… Read more
Style
American Pale Ale
ABV
4.8%

Catchment Brewing Hoogley Session Ale

Hoogley may just seem like a funny word, but it’s actually the name of a convict ship, as well as a street in West End. And also a funny word. Hoogley Session Ale may seem like an Australian pale ale with its citrus and passionfruit notes, but it actually uses two classic American hop varieties, El Dorado and Citra. It may seem like a beer that packs a punch, with its fruity aromas bursting out of the glass and an equal blend hop and malt flavours filling the mouth, but it’s actually a low alcohol… Read more
Style
Session Ale
ABV
3.2%

Catchment Brewing Vulture IPA

For many of us, hearing the name “Vulture Street” is a throwback to one of Powderfinger’s best albums. It’s more energetic than their previous albums, and it’s easy to sing along and feel the fun they must’ve had while recording it. (While Rockin’ Rocks is fine, feel free to skip straight to track two, On My Mind. You’re welcome.) As well as inspiring the name of the album, Vulture Street also inspired the name of Catchment’s Vulture IPA. This beer’s a throwback to a time when… Read more
Style
American IPA
ABV
5.8%
Bitterness
48 IBU
Awards

Indies 2019 – Gold

Catchment Brewing Co Specials

Catchment Brewing Silly Saison & Oh Crumbs!

Published December 20, 2022
Catchment are keen to capture those traditional Christmas flavours and feelings with a couple of keg-only releases, available at Catchment in West End and Fortitude Brewing on Mount Tamborine. Silly Saison is a mid-strength saison with cherry and star anise. The brewer’s tasting notes describe it thus: “Dark cherries provide a complex fruity undertone that develops as the beer warms in the glass. The high carbonation coupled with the spicy character presented by the yeast combine to provide an… Read more
Style
Spiced Saison & Gingerbread Ale
ABV
3.4% & 6.0%

Catchment Brewing Peach Bellini Fruited Champagne Pilsner

Published December 11, 2022
For summer 2021/22, Catchment brewed a Piña Colada Sour to kick off their Cocktail Series. Now they’ve put out a Peach Bellini Fruited Champagne Pilsner in cans, once more ready for summer picnics and boozy brunches. If you don’t know, a Bellini is an Italian cocktail made of peach nectar and Prosecco, usually drunk from a champagne flute. This beer from Catchment takes pilsner malt, champagne yeast and peach purée to make a spritzy beer that drinks lighter than its 6 percent ABV would suggest… Read more
Style
Cocktail Sour
ABV
6.0%

Helios & Catchment Harpy Double West Coast IPA

Published August 3, 2022
“No viler monstrosity than they, no pest more atrocious did ever the wrath of god conjure up out of hell's swamp. Bird-bodied, girl-faced things they are… their hands are talons, their faces haggard with hunger insatiable.” – Virgil’s Aeneid Harpies are hybrid creatures from Greek mythology – part woman, part bird of prey – known for their ugliness. I’m not sure what Helios and Catchment are saying about their brewers when they named their collaboration beer after this hideous creature,… Read more
Style
Double West Coast IPA
ABV
7.5%
Bitterness
73 IBU

Catchment Brewing Bublé Brut IPA

Published December 6, 2019
What do you think of when you think Christmas? Bubbly? Baubles? Michael Bublé singing Christmas songs on your nanna’s favourite Christmas CD? Well, Catchment have got you covered with Bublé, a seasonal release Brut IPA brewed especially with the southern hemisphere Christmas - and all three of the aforementioned Christmassy things - in mind. In a can adorned with baubles and Christmas colours, this Brut IPA was fermented on champagne yeast and used a metric Santa-load of Nelson Sauvin for its… Read more
Style
Brut IPA
ABV
8.5%

Catchment Brewing & Chop Chop Chang Juno Yuzu Summer Ale

Published December 6, 2019
A lot of good things are named Juno, like the Ellen Page movie, the NASA mission to Jupiter, and now this beer. Drawing its name from the scientific name for yuzu, Citrus junos, Catchment’s Juno Yuzu Summer Ale was produced in collaboration with Chop Chop Chang’s, a pan-Asian restaurant serving up delicious plates across the street from Catchment’s West End home. The yuzu is a citrus fruit originating in China, introduced to both Japan and Korea during the Tang dynasty that has become a firm… Read more
Style
Yuzu Summer Ale
ABV
4.2%

Catchment Brewing Citrio Pale Ale

Published October 30, 2019
They've been wasting little time expanding their can lineup since debuting with the Pale Select and Whynot Lager, with Catchment Brewing adding Citrio to their offering as summer 2019 approaches. In doing so, they've created another approachable beer tailored to the warm local climate. Citrio is an American pale ale brewed with lemon myrtle leaf, an ingredient native to central and south-eastern Queensland. Not content with simply brewing with it, the beer's name comes from its scientific name, Backhousia… Read more
Style
Pale Ale with Lemon Myrtle
ABV
5.0%

Catchment Brewing Cow Tipper Milk Stout

Let’s get this straight from the outset: cow tipping is not a real thing. Sorry to burst your bubble, but better you hear it from me than get into an argument about it in a bar and find yourself humiliated by an alarmingly large number of articles on Google. It’s an urban legend designed to prank people by getting them to attempt it. Cows rarely even allow themselves to be approached for a pat (yet I have tried numerous times and will continue to try every time I see one). They won’t let you… Read more
Style
Milk Stout
ABV
5.6%

Catchment Brewing Cockfight Saison

Who here likes research? If you do, be a pal, and look into this for me: why do so many Aussie saisons sit around the 6 to 7 percent ABV mark, when the style was originally a low alcohol beer for farm workers? Of course, I could speculate, and I will. Perhaps Aussies already had a low alcohol style they were comfortable with (mid-strength lager), and so when Australian beer lovers started to discover French and Belgian beer styles, the standouts were the big, sticky beers - the more funk, the more… Read more
Style
Saison
ABV
4.5%