After a challenging year, Boekamp Bier co-founder Mark French is relaunching the brewery as The Albert Brewery and Taproom.

The brewery, which opened its doors in 2019, faced a difficult first year during COVID-19 which put pressure on the business and its partners.

French has now acquired the brewery in full and is undertaking a relaunch of the Moonah-based brewery brand.

He said it will continue to focus on brewing lagers using cold fermentation and natural conditioning, this time under the helm of JJ King, who is joining the team as the new head brewer.

King arrives at The Albert from senior roles at 4 Pines and Green Beacon, and will be brewing The Albert’s core range of pilsner, lager and dark lagers on its 30hL Ziemann brewkit.

Production at the brewery had been paused in recent months and will recommence in the coming weeks with a renewed focus on consistency, according to The Albert Brewery team.

As part of the relaunch, The Albert will triple its fermentation and lager-tank capacity and expand the taproom with an outdoor courtyard, food trucks and extended trading hours.

“We are really excited moving forward as our beers have been widely received as not only a fresh option for craft beer drinkers but also a Tasmanian owned genuine alternative to the mainstream lagers,” said French in a statement to Brews News.