Following that night, Sam had found a new hobby and passion, deciding to take up homebrewing for himself, it turned into backyard brewing. With a tiny 3-vessel nano system, Sam started brewing from a shipping container for personal enjoyment, and to share his new brews with friends and family.
Flamin Galah Brewing Co. was founded by us (Claire and Sam Hewson) in 2018 as we brewed out of a shipping container and drank with family & friends from our backyard bar. This is where we labelled our first kegs with an iconic hot pink band and logo and we began brewing new styles and experimenting with recipes.
In 2019, we got the keys to Scallop Street in Huskisson industrial estate, our first warehouse space to build the Flamin Galah microbrewery. We embraced the challenge of growing independently, beginning our journey with our first drafts of beer can labels, our first merchandise designs, our YouTube channel, and a warehouse we sold takeaways to call home. Opening our doors during the first wave of Covid-19 was not easy but we were more than excited to see what was ahead of us.
The progress that we made in the year that followed is a testament to our hard work and dedication. From January 2021 to May 2021, we poured our hearts into handcrafting every inch of our new space. As a former carpenter, Sam made sure everything was built by hand. Every fence, painted wall, planted tree, installed pipe, table, and door – each element was a labour of love built entirely by our hands.
And still we have continued to grow. In January of 2023, we decided to take another leap of faith that would take us into the heart of Sydney. Acquiring the keys to the old Broadway Hotel allowed us to save the historic location from demolition, and transform it into a new and thriving craft beer tap house.
The transformation of our Chippendale Tap House was another major renovation project that Sam and I were ready to undertake. Again, we poured our time and energy into hand building a venue that would embody the south coast essence of Flamin Galah in the middle of the city. With handmade concrete tables, elegant tiling, bright lighting, and the recreation of our distinctive pink concrete bar, Chippendale had turned into a vibrant sister location we were proud to open.
As we now juggle the delightful chaos of managing two venues, our story is far from over. With big plans on the horizon, the adventure continues. Follow our journey on Instagram, and keep up-to-date with us and our brewery as we grow another year. Cheers to the next chapter of the Flamin Galah Brewing Co's story! 🍻