The reigning king of the urban brewery scene, Brisbane, is set to cement its position with news the Queensland capital will be welcoming a new beer space later this year. Felons Brewing Co. is the latest addition to the much-anticipated dining development of the historic Howard Smith Wharves precinct (set to join a sibling to Sydney’s Apollo as well as Toko Brisbane).

Paying homage to the four felons who stumbled across the Brisbane River in 1828, the new brewery comes courtesy of a crew of former Little Creatures alumni. “We fell in love with the story of four felons who were the first—after local Aboriginal Australians—to discover Brisbane River,” explains general manager Ash Cranston. “It seemed to reflect our core values of adventure, freedom and fearlessness, and it made sense to name ourselves after a story linked to the foundation of Brisbane, and the river where our home is.”

As for what exactly happened, in 1823 Thomas Pamphlett, John Finnegan, Richard Parsons and John Thompson set off by boat on a wood-sourcing escapade from Sydney to Illawarra. After strong winds blew them off course they became wrecked on Moreton Island and began an arduous journey on foot back to the mainland (during which time they became a group of three). In time they discovered the mouth of a large river, a find they shared with John Oxley when he later arrived to establish a new penal colony, which he dubbed the Brisbane River.

Set to open in October of this year, Felons Brewing Co. will be architecturally striking, in-keeping with the rest of the sleek revamp of the former maritime port. The contemporary venue will serve a selection of locally-brewed beer to cater to all tastes; include a handful of collaborations. In December the brewery courtyard will also open to the public, serving up plenty of pizza to line the stomach.

“We’re creating a social hub where beer is the hero,” says Cranston of the group’s plans. “The whole family from kids to grandparents are invited to experience the sights, smells and tastes of a working brewery, whether it’s a casual visit, or through our ever-evolving program of events. Felons will be the type of brewery the people of Brisbane can proudly call their own. We wanted to make something special for Brisbane, and then take it to the rest of Queensland and Australia.”

Head Brewer at Felons Tom Champion recently relocated his family to Brisbane, after stints installing brewery equipment at Little Creatures in Geelong and Hong Kong. Like Cranston, Champion believes it’s important to become a community enterprise. “We want to be a part of the Brisbane and greater Queensland brewing community and support its continued growth,” he says. “We’re focusing on brewing natural and balanced beers of no fuss, and we won’t compromise when it comes to quality and consistency. I’m really conscious of keeping our environmental footprint as low as possible—during my many years in brewing I’ve learned the little things count as much as the big initiatives.”

Felons Brewing Co.
5 Boundary Street, Brisbane City
felonsbrewingco.com.au