MELBOURNE | Hop Nation Brewing Co. have been around since 2014, but their current brewery, a warehouse in a complex of industrial buildings in Footscray, has only been operating since mid 2016. The brewery was founded by friends and winemakers Sam Hambour from Adelaide and Duncan Gibson from New Zealand, who after several years of travelling around the world making wine and trying some of the best wines and beers in the world.
The bones of the brick warehouse, which dates back to the 1880s and was originally a whale fat candle and wax factory, have been retained. When you walk into the warehouse, you find yourself drawn to the artwork by local street artist Putos Paint, which fit in well with the brickwork. There’s a small bar with a few benches, drums and seats dotted around, while the brewery itself is located out the back. Speaking of, the brewhouse has an interesting history behind it – it was originally used by the New Zealand Dairy Association before being used by Matakana based Sawmill Brewery, then shipped over to Australia for Hop Nation.
With a name like Hop Nation, it should come as no surprise that hops are a focus of the brewery. The quality and origin of the ingredients used is important here, and there’s a dedication to using quality, natural ingredients, small batch brewing, no fining or pasteurisation and minimal filtration. The brewery has eight taps, with core range beers, limited release beers (collaborations, small batches) and rotating guest taps too. For non beer drinkers, a small but quality selection of wine and cider is also available. They also have a takeaway license, which means growler refills and cans from the fridge are another option for customers.
The Fiend, Hop Nation’s first beer, is one of the most popular and is an Australian IPA with a fresh hop aroma and a crisp palate. It’s a tasty, sessionable beer and a great one for people who are new to the craft beer world, or those who just like good beer. The Punch, a mango gose, is one of our favourites, with a nice saltiness and hints of mango and passion fruit – the perfect summer beer. For those looking for something a bit different, a seasonal beer, The Sturm, which is a Harvest Ale collaboration with Jamsheed Wines, is a delicious drop that takes the best characteristics of Jamsheed’s 2016 Riesling vintage mixed with hoppy, piney, Pilsner goodness.
Hop Nation don’t serve food at the moment, but have pies and sausage rolls during the day and food trucks in the late afternoon and evenings Fri-Sun. Eventually they plan to build a kitchen and offer food direct, but either way we love the space, and are happy to keep coming back for the great beer, friendly service and relaxed atmosphere.
Hop Nation Brewing Co.
Unit 6, 107-109 Whitehall Street
Footscray
Victoria 3011
Australia
Telephone: n/a
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Fri: 3:00pm to 10:00pm
Sat: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 6:00pm