The Newstead production brewery in Milton peaking up above the flood water.

Many breweries across Brisbane have been forced to close after the city recorded its wettest three-day period over the weekend.

One brewery that has experienced significant damage is Newstead Brewing Co. CEO John Phinney told Brews News that its production brewery in Milton had flooded and will look to prepare recovery efforts once it is safe to do so.

“Right now our thoughts are with our friends and neighbours here in Brisbane,” he said.

“We have water all through our production brewery in Milton, but as it recedes we will get in, clean up, and make more beer. That’s a much easier job than what faces those who have lost everything.

“That said, the sun is back out in Brisbane, and we’ll all be back and better than ever before you know it.”

The original brewpub in Newstead was largely unaffected however, water has now come up to the doorstep. Phinney advised that once the Government declares it is safe to open, the venue will re-open for customers.

“In the meantime, I’ve advised our staff that the best thing we can do is pitch in to help however possible in their local communities. We’ll see everyone on the other side!”

Felons Brewing Co., which is situated on the Howard Smith Wharves, announced in a Facebook post that after extensive efforts, the brewery was able to be saved. The post also commended the team for aiding in rescuing a man from the river.

“These last 24 hours have been wild. A massive thank you to our Brisbane community for your positive messages & support. We’re happy to announce that the brewery is saved,” the post read.

⁠”We’re taking a moment to celebrate our courageous & passionate team members who successfully rescued a man from the river after he became stuck under the debris – forming a human chain to reach him and pull him to safety. We’re absolutely in awe of our team coming together to achieve an act of bravery like this.⁠”

The brewery also announced it would reopen today and encouraged customers to visit the brewery.

“The brewery will be back open today. We’re welcoming the local community down to join us for a much needed beer, if it is safe to do so.”

Elsewhere, the XXXX brewery in Milton, which faced significant damage during the 2011 floods, has also been impacted by the floods. In a Facebook post, the brewery stated that the situation was being assessed and would provide further updates once it can.

“The safety of our team and our partners is our number one priority. We are working as quickly as we can to assess the situation, being mindful of further adverse weather and will provide more updates as soon as possible.”

Other breweries in the surrounding area have also been forced to close due to the weather event. Milton Common closed yesterday and informed customers today that it would remain closed until further notice.

Parched Brewery in West End has also advised customers it will close until Wednesday, with hopes that the downstairs area of the brewery will be mopped up before then.

Sea Legs Brewing, Valley Hops Brewing, Green Beacon Brewing and Range Brewing are other inner-city breweries that have been closed since yesterday however, Easy Times Brewingand Revel Brewing remain open for customers.

In the northern suburbs, both Hub Brewing and Brendale Brewing closed over the weekend, while Happy Valley remains open.

Further south, Helios Brewing in Yeerongpilly explained in a Facebook post made this morning that the brewery is “close to going under” and posted a photo of the scene provided by a patron.

Neighbouring brewery Slipstream Brewing has also closed but hasn’t advised yet if it has experienced any damage. Ballistic Beer Co. also closed its Salisbury and West End venues until further notice. Bacchus Brewing in Capalaba remains open.

While the flooding has caused breweries to close across the city, it has also disrupted supply chains. In an email to its subscribers, Stone & Wood Brewing advised that due to the rain and flooding, it is unable to dispatch any beer to South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers.

“The rain and flooding experienced in Byron Bay and the broader Northern Rivers region has been amongst the worst, severely impacting access to our Murwillumbah brewery and finished goods warehouse, along with the operations of our 3PL logistics partners and Customer Service team,” the email read.

“At this point in time, we are unable to directly dispatch beer in South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers. We are hopeful the floodwaters will subside by mid-week to allow delivery in these regions to re-commence and will advise once confirmed.”

Last night, the Australian Government announced the Disaster Recovery Allowance for people who have lost income due to the floods. Currently, it is a one off payment of $1,000 for eligible adults and $400 for each eligible child under the age of 16.

While the payment is currently available to people in the Gympie and North Burnett areas, the Prime Minister advised this would be extended to other areas including Brisbane City, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Logan and many more local government areas.

The weather system has currently subsided in Brisbane and is now heading south towards the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales, leaving the potential for other breweries in those areas to be impacted as well.

*The information in this article is accurate as of Monday, 28th February 2022.