Rocky Ridge gave the beer lovers of Melbourne a boost midway through 2024 with the news they had acquired Thunder Road Brewery in Brunswick in order to establish an East Coast outpost.  While availability of their beers in the eastern states has been relatively limited, in their home state of Western Australia the brewery took little time forging a fine reputation after launching in 2017; today, they're well-established as one of WA's finest.  

They've picked up a stack of trophies over the years, have a tight core range, produce a phenomenal amount of limited releases, and are in no way afraid to experiment – nothing, it seems, is off limits.  More than that, however, is their approach to brewing, business, community and the planet. Born on co-founder Hamish Coates' family farm in Jindong, not far from Busselton in the South West, the brewery he launched with partner Mel Holland operates off grid, is always exploring ways in which to brew more sustainably, has been involved in multi-partner projects to develop new products, and is a shining example of how breweries can lead the way.  

Even the decision to buy Thunder Road was driven by a desire to stop sending beer across the Nullarbor and instead produce beer for customers in the east in the east.  We sat down with Hamish in the bluestone cottage attached to the Brunswick brewery the day before they signed the deal for a conversation covering all of the above and more. The chat was recorded before we'd set up our podcast studio so is audio-only.  

Links referenced in or relevant to the show:  

Froth Town 2024: https://www.froth.town/ 

Phat Brew Club: https://craftypint.com/brewery/731/phat-brew-club 

Ten Lessons From Ten Years: Bendigo On The Hop: https://craftypint.com/news/3558/ten-lessons-from-ten-years-bendigo-on-the-hop 

Rocky Ridge Buy Thunder Road: https://craftypint.com/news/3468/rocky-ridge-buy-thunder-road 

Brewing A More Sustainable Future: https://craftypint.com/news/3202/brewing-a-more-sustainable-future  

24 Hour Barley People: https://craftypint.com/news/2864/24-hour-barley-people

Rocky Ridge Brunswick Pre-Opening Drinks: https://craftycabal.com/member-events  

Meet The Brewer Oktoberfest Special: https://craftypint.com/event/13406/meet-the-brewer-oktoberfest-special-ft-king-river