Cory’s Top 20 – #8 Modus Operandi Brewing

Rank: #8

Location: Mona Vale, NSW (Sydney)

Favourite Beers: Former Tenant Red IPA, Sonic Prayer IPA, MMXX Russian Imperial Stout

Previous Blog Appearances: Former Tenant Red IPA

Next on the list is one of the heavy hitters of Sydney’s craft beer scene.  Cory’s Top 20 – #8 Modus Operandi Brewing.

I know there will be some who may be disappointed Modus doesn’t come in higher on the list.  But we’re officially into the top 10 now and there are nothing but top notch breweries left. The competition is both tight and completely arbitrary.

Modus make a number of really good beers.  The Sonic Prayer IPA is an excellent go-to IPA.  And their limited releases (the MMXX Russian Imperial Stout is especially noteworthy) are both varied and delicious.  They’ve currently got a limited edition hazy range that is excellent as well.

But for me personally, Modus are elevated to this spot on the list primarily by one absolutely cracking beer: Former Tenant Red IPA.  I have previously made my full feelings on this particular beer known (feel free to re-visit via the link above).  So suffice it to say, I love red IPA’s, I’m very picky with my red IPA’s, and this is an absolutely brilliant red IPA.

As I mentioned at the top, Modus is one of the big names in Sydney craft beer.  The beauty of that is that their beer isn’t particularly difficult to track down.  Don’t get me wrong, I love combing the stacked shelves of an independent bottle-o trying to fossick out an obscure gem of a beer from an obscure brewery somewhere.  But there’s also something to be said for being able to walk into most bottle shops and know you’re going to be able to get your hands on something delicious.

I have not yet had the chance to make it up to Mona Vale to visit the brewery itself (rest assured it is very much on my to-do list).  And I suspect they’ll have a few more sneakily brilliant ales up there that might have affected this ranking.  But based on what I have had, Modus Operandi is still already very safely within my top 10 Australian breweries.