Land & Sea

Ask people why they moved to the Sunshine Coast, and more tham a few of them will say: “For the lifestyle.” Perhaps they were sick of working too much, or always feeling busy and in a rush, or not taking enough time to slow down and enjoy their life.

Land & Sea is a brewery all about the balanced life. You work hard, and you play hard. You get hot, and you cool down. You build up a sweat, and you wind down with a beer. (And if you occasionally play and relax more than you work, that’s alright: Noosa is a famous holiday destination, after all.)

No one appreciates the balanced philosophy of Land & Sea more than head brewer Shane Fairweather. As someone who made the move from Canada via New Zealand to brew in Noosa (and brought the perfect surname with him), he definitely recognises how special the Queensland sunshine and Sunny Coast lifestyle are.

“I got into surfing pretty quick,” he says. “Just embraced the ethos the brewery speaks. Someone’s gotta do it, and I’m the one to put in the hard yards.”

Shane’s been head brewer at Land & Sea since before it opened at the start of 2018, so he’s the one to credit for the easygoing core range and varied limited releases.

“All the [core range] beers were designed to be perfect after a hard day’s work or fun in the sun. They’re all very approachable, sessionable styles.”

That describes the crisp Japanese Rice Lager and the helles-style Lager; the Socializer mid-strength Aussie pale and the almost copper-coloured First Point Pale; the Juicebox IPA, an East Coast style hazy that’s almost too drinkable for its own good, and the seasonal fruited sour that keeps the ABV low and the refreshment high.

The tinnies themselves carry the essence of Land & Sea as well. On the front there’s the rustic yet refined logo: a linocut image of the Noosa headland as seen from Double Island. On the side you’ll find instructions for how to make a fishing hook, or a recipe for campfire damper or beer batter.

Then there’s also the yellow-and-red cans of Noosa Beer, Land & Sea’s sister brand. The classic branding evokes 1970s draught beer in an Aussie pub, and harks back to simpler times.

Of course, there’s also the option of drinking Land & Sea (or Noosa Beer) at the source, and it’s a damn fine option. In the taproom, polished concrete and stainless steel hint at the industrial, while hardwood panelling, hanging plants and abundant natural light give an organic feel. A full third of the venue is outdoor patio space, but to be honest, the whole venue feels open and airy; when the bifold doors are open, there’s an indoor-outdoor vibe to the place.

And no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you: those are indeed classic Honda motorbikes on the gangway above the bar. Purely because they’re awesome.

When it comes to food, there’s a short but solid menu. You can get crackin’ pub grub – a burger, parmi, schnitty or fish and chips – or you can change it up with Italian BBQ pork ribs or Asian duck salad. And there’s onion rings. As I always say: you see onion rings, you get onion rings. (A dangerous motto, perhaps, but a correct one.)

Did I mention how big the place it? In Noosa, where space is at a premium, there’s something special about a brewery that can fit 180 people. Bring the crew. Bring the family. Bring the dog. There’s room for everyone.

Sometimes you want to have an 80-person function with a private bar. And sometimes you just want to meet friends on a Sunday arvo somewhere where you’re guaranteed to find a table. Land & Sea is good for both.

“We’re a place for all people,” says Shane. “We’re not geared towards the beer geeks, or just lager drinkers. There’s a piece of everything for everyone.”

When you’re in the taproom, you can’t help but notice racks of wooden barrels lining the wall. Give them a knock: they’re full of whisky, slowly maturing for years in the patient oak. That’s because a year after installing the brewery, the crew installed a distillery as well. Noosa Gin has a label like an Australiana tea towel and botanicals like Valencia oranges, sugar cane, green mango and hibiscus bringing a Queensland feel, with the same brand also including a strawberry gin made with local strawberries, barrel-aged gin, and vodka. Meanwhile, the aforementioned single malt whisky will be released under the Noosa Heads Distillery label… in its own time.

Having a distillery and brewery under the same roof gives the team a chance to play, with some of the creations including barrel-aged gose and injecting Juicebox IPA with Noosa Gin to make Gin & Juice. It also means the Saturday tours are more than just brewery tours: they’re brewery and distillery tours. The 90 minute experience includes a tailored exploration of both sides of the production, along with four beers and three spirits to taste. A good time for everybody.

To keep the good times going long term, living a balanced life includes seeing yourself as part of an ecosystem. At Land & Sea, they don’t just want to take, take, take. They think about the environment they live and work in with each decision they make.

With 80 solar panels on the roof, the brewery’s electricity usage is largely supported by the Queensland sun. Rather than dumping their brewing waste, it all goes out to a local farmer: spent grain, hops, yeast and all. And Land & Sea only use small batch Australian malt from Voyager Craft Malt, which means supporting an independent and local producer that happens to be one of the most sustainable craft malthouses in the world.

“We want to be super approachable and honest to our local area – looking after our regulars and this beautiful place we call home, which is the Sunshine Coast and Noosa Heads,“ Shane says.

“The whole place is so incredible and we’re just so happy to be here working and living in this part of the world.”

When a brewery has a great venue in such a gorgeous part of the world, it’s hard to decide if the beer is better drunk fresh at the brewery with an acoustic guitar playing in the background and the buzz of happy locals… or whether a serene ocean tinnie is the way to go.

But hey, in the name of living a balanced life, why not do both?

Mick Wüst

Name
Land & Sea
Address

19 Venture Drive
Noosaville
QLD 4566

Phone
(07) 5455 6128
Open Hours

11am to late

Tours

11am to 12.30pm
Or at a pre-booked time to suit


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

Land & Sea Regulars

Land & Sea The Socializer

I’m an outgoing introvert, which means I like people and I’m good for a chat, but socialising drains my energy so I’m often just as happy to be the quiet observer. I feel like Socializer is an outgoing introvert too. This mid-strength pours a pale straw and is lovely and bright; it looks just like a lager, has a soft bitterness and a dry finish, so it wins over those people who are after a straightforward easy drinker. Nothing too in-your-face here. But it’s not without personality - there’s… Read more
Style
Mid-Strength
ABV
3.5%
Bitterness
12 IBU

Land & Sea Japanese Rice Lager

This beer first came into being as a collab. In 2019, Land & Sea approached the crew from Thomas Surfboards about brewing a beer together. The Thomas crew said rice lagers from Japan were their jam, so the brewers designed a crisp rice lager. Land & Sea ran the beer for a year, and it was such a hit with the punters that they made the call to welcome it into the core range as the Japanese Rice Lager. A slight whiff of honey brings a smile to your face, then gets out of the way when you’re… Read more
Style
Japanese Rice Lager
ABV
4.4%
Bitterness
18 IBU

Land & Sea First Point Pale Ale

First Point is a surfing spot in Noosa that’s perfect for longboards, and those in the know will spend hours riding the waves there. Its namesake, First Point Pale, is aptly named; those in the know will sit on this beer for hours. You’d probably call First Point an American-style pale, but it’s made with all Australian barley and all Australian hops. The first thing you notice when this beer is poured into a glass is the colour. It’s not quite the rich orangey-red of the tinnie, but it’s… Read more
Style
American Pale Ale
ABV
4.5%
Bitterness
30 IBU

Land & Sea Lager

Once upon a time, Land & Sea had a kölsch in their core range. It was a great beer, but it confused and intimidated people who weren’t familiar with the style. So the brew team kept the malt and hop bill, but swapped out the ale yeast for lager yeast and made this beer. When you just see a beer simply called ‘Lager’, you don’t always know what you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s underwhelming. Sometimes it meets your expectations. And sometimes it exceeds them. This helles-style… Read more
Style
Helles Style Lager
ABV
4.8%
Bitterness
22 IBU

Land & Sea Juice Box IPA

When it came to designing a core range IPA, Land & Sea held to their philosophy of approachable beers and made Juice Box - an East Coast IPA with friendly fruit flavours, no astringency and very low bitterness. It’s a tropical fruit platter served up with a glass of orange mango juice, with fan favourites Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops oozing out wherever they can. On the grain bill side, malted oats and triticale (a wheat-rye hybrid) give Juice Box the proteins that bring the haze and soft… Read more
Style
East Coast IPA
ABV
6.5%
Bitterness
35 IBU

Land & Sea Mango Sour

Sometimes you’re just after a three percent summer smasher with a bit o’ mango, a bit o’ sour, and a whole lotta refreshment. And that’s what you get here. It’s not that complicated. It’s mango-ey, it’s sour, and even on those two fronts it’s pretty laid back. If you want a nine percent sludgy smoothie slushy sour, look elsewhere. But if you’re after some translucent gold and Queensland mango tang (tango!*) to drink in the sunshine, you’re in the right place. Mick Wüst *Wait… Read more
Style
Mango Sour
ABV
3.0%
Bitterness
22 IBU

Noosa Beer

Noosa Beer is a beer for when you’re playing lawn bowls or watching the cricket on telly. Singlet, ruggers and pluggers optional. This easy drinking lager has a life of its own with branding and a website full of old photos and a retro newspaper aesthetic. The brewery’s idea is to call to mind 1970s Australia and its ‘Simpler times, simpler taste.’ (Though the mascot - a koala holding a beer and wearing slip-ons - looks like he’d be mates with Sid the Seagull from the Slip Slop Slap ads… Read more
Style
Aussie Lager
ABV
4.6%

Noosa Ginger Beer

Zesty and zingy and perfect for the dinghy, this ginger beer sits under the Noosa Beer brand. It’s light and spritzy and low on spice, for those who like their ginger beers to go down as easy as a winter sunset. Every batch is made with both fresh grated ginger and ginger juice from Buderim just down the road, with a bit of local lemon myrtle leaf and lemongrass for extra layers of flavour. And in case that’s not citrusy enough for you, they’ll even serve it up with a wedge of lime at Land… Read more
Style
Ginger Beer
ABV
4.0%