After a long wait, the arrival of the newest member of the blooming Moreton Bay beer scene is imminent. Hip Hops Brewers, located in Brendale’s new precinct The Sheds, is finally set to bring a blend of food, drink and culture to the area.
Owner Shaun Reeves, the Hip Hops man himself, revealed how the delays have been many, causing the opening of Hip Hops to be pushed back several times.
“Freight and construction costs, trademarking processes, the licensing of multiple producers under one roof, and not to forget the weather," he says. "The rain at the start of last year put us about six months behind schedule due to the total refurbishment of the old truck workshop shed being held up with rain. Our brew kit had been under roof since January 7, 2022!”
Shaun has been a business advisor and accountant in the area for more than 30 years. With a background in business and sales, he said building a brewery in 2023 has had its challenges.
“In hindsight, we picked about the toughest period to work through with freight costs and logistics nightmarish, incredibly difficult construction conditions and now rapidly rising costs of living," he says. "We’re in it boots and all with a supportive group of investors and ready to bring something new to the market.”
But the brewery is finally built: a shed where the magic is set to happen.
“We have enough space and machinery to produce upwards of half a million litres a year,” he says.
The brew team includes experienced brewers from the area. Locals to the region may recognise Moreton Bay stalwart Adam Gibb from White Brick Brewing, which operated in North Lakes from 2017 to 2020.
“Adam is our founding brewer,” Shaun says. “He is bringing six White Brick brews to our taps that we’re calling ‘heritage brews’ by Hip Hops Brewers. They’ll include all the former favourites.”
Joining him is Jarrett Bravo, former senior brewer at Newstead Brewing and more recently head brewer of Happy Valley.
“Jarrett lives very close by and visited the shed on a day in February and really hasn’t left since. He’s been a huge help for Adam commissioning the brew kit and adds another dimension to the tap list with his love of hoppy beers and sours. We’ve already got some of them lined up for the opening tap list.”
The team has been working hard at the brew kit so they can open with a bang. Locals may have already seen a few Hip Hops beers on guest taps at other Moreton Bay locations.
“We’ve 21 taps to fill so there’ll be quite a few. We’ll have three White Brick heritage brews: Griffin Golden Ale, Redcliffe Red IPA, and, of course, Lakeside Lager. There are quite a few Hip Hops brews that many would have tried: our XPA, Session Ale, Dry Irish Stout and Chilli Coffee Dark Ale. We have a few hazy drops and a pretty strong WCIPA we’re calling KAPOW!
“The guys have also been brewing a rice syrup base for a series of ‘hard’ soft drinks. They’re also gluten free. We’ll also have a few guests taps rotating and the obligatory cider!”
Alongside the beers, punters will find wines from Ocean View Estates, iced tea from Pinnacle Brews, fermented sodas (Bin Juice) from Ibis Brewing company and mixers from Long Rays. Coming soon to the venue will be Guy Dalby of Copper and Cane: a local gin distiller with a big local following. Guy will also be looking to join them onsite with a range of spirits from his copper pot still. Keep an eye on the menu for some gin-inspired food, too.
Speaking of food, the venue has an onsite kitchen, and Shaun’s approach to the menu is Aussie beer tapas: food made from local produce and enjoyed by hand.
Shaun has set his key values as the bedrock of Hip Hops Brewers’ philosophy: craft, community and karma.
“Craft represents not only the beer, but also the artwork [mostly provided by Shaun himself], down to how we designed the furniture.”
The team has recycled much of the timber used in the construction from scrap and other venues. Eagle-eyed locals may even notice repurposed tables and lounges from Sutton’s Beach Pavilion in Redcliffe.
As a former business advisor, Shaun says they are mindful of building relationships in the community to provide a supportive and productive environment with the people and local businesses: “We are not here to take from the community, but to be a part of it.”
The final theme at Hip Hops Brewers is karma. The aim is to create a space in which locals can relax, create, and meet with other like-minded people. As well as offering regular live music and entertainment, Shaun wants to provide a space for local artists to work and display their art; in the coming months, the venue will showcase performances as part of Brisbane’s Anywhere Festival.
As for the name, Shaun has always been fond of word play.
“Hops are one of the few ingredients of beer. Hip is a term used to describe someone that’s ‘with it’ but was also used to describe someone who was leading edge with what they are up to," he says.
“We want to provide true-to-style beers to our customers, and attract many more that are not aware of the variety of styles and tastes on the market.”
Hip Hops Brewers is now open. You can find it at The Sheds at Brendale, 264 South Pine Road.
Matt Aitken is a part-time writer, full-time drinker. Usually found in the small craft beer establishments of Northern Brisbane and on Instagram.
