Sydney Brewery says its acquisition of the brewing assets and long-term lease of the White Bay Brewing site in Rozelle, Sydney, will give the brewery capacity to launch new product lines and expand its bar presence.
The White Bay Brewhouse and taproom will be rebranded as Sydney Brewery Rozelle from 1 October and operate within the 150-year-old former steel mill on the edge of Sydney Harbour, near to the new Sydney Fish Market.
The Rozelle brewery will add 25 per cent extra capacity for the company.
Sydney Brewery owner, Dr Jerry Schwartz, said the acquisition was a “no brainer” and fitted perfectly with its DNA and expansion strategy.
“The extra capacity provided by the Rozelle site will allow us to achieve our goal of expanding our range of beers and ciders, including the launch of low-carb and non-alcoholic beers. For the zero-alcohol beer, we have invested in a reverse osmosis machine, which will extract the alcohol from the brewed product.
“In a further diversification of our product, we will launch our canned water range, Can Do, offering plain, sparkling and flavoured waters in 330ml cans,” Schwartz said.
Earlier this year, Sydney Brewery acquired the Rocks Brewery and Brewhouse in Alexandria, which it rebranded as Sydney Brewery Alexandria. The company already runs a Brewhouse in Surry Hills and a large-scale brewing facility in the Hunter Valley.
Social Drinks Group heads south
In January, brewery industry veteran, Judd Michel, launched Social Drinks Group at the White Bay Brewery site, bringing together Melbourne’s Hawkers Beer and the brewery.
Michel told Food & Drink Business the group is going from “strength to strength” with both brands showing growth.
“We are now consolidating our production into our award-winning facility in Reservoir, allowing us to enhance efficiency, and scale.
“The group is in a strong financial position, enabling us to invest confidently in growth and accelerate our strategic plans,” Michel said.
The Reservoir site, home to Hawkers, has a seven million litre facility compared to White Bay’s two million capacity.
“With this momentum, we are well-positioned to expand our portfolio, increase market share, and continue delivering exceptional value to our customers and partners,” he said.
