King Island Brewhouse

A few weeks back, my wife and I were lucky enough to take an awesome trip down to the Bass Strait. We spent several nights on both Flinders Island and King Island. Both were every bit as amazing as I hoped they would be. And as an added bonus, King Island has itself a pretty damn good brewery. So for this week’s blog we head down to the northern reaches of Tasmania so I can relive a portion of an awesome trip with the King Island Brewhouse.

We landed on King Island on a Monday. But unfortunately the Brewhouse wasn’t open until Thursday. Lucky for me, King Island Brewhouse beer was readily available at most restaurants and bottle shops on the island. So by the time Thursday rolled around, I’d had the chance to sample their Pale Ale, their Dark Ale, and their Red Ale.

Before we get to the brewery itself, though, I just want to say that if you have the chance to get to King Island (or Flinders Island) don’t hesitate. Two of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. Rugged island beauty with some of the best seafood, cheese, and beef you can find anywhere.

But this blog is about Royals, beer, and breweries. So on to the King Island Brewhouse. The Brewhouse is located on a hill in the middle of the island. One major thing to know about King Island is that it gets very windy. And the brewery has clearly been designed with this in mind. It’s a sturdy metal structure, with great views across the countryside in all directions.

But that sturdy, utilitarian structure houses quite a cozy and welcoming tap room. They had comfy couches, stools looking out over the view, and most importantly a bar sporting a solid taplist. Towards the back is where all the brewing magic happens. And for bigger nights or when they have live music on, they set this area up for extra seating as well. I somehow neglected to get a photo of any of the internal space so you’re just gonna have to take my word for it.

We grabbed some beers and headed out to the deck to relax and enjoy. As with the building structure, the deck was clearly designed for the location. It was enclosed by walls with big windows letting you take in a bit of sun and the view while still being protected from the wind.

And for days when the wind is not quite as gale force, there is a great picnic area to soak up the sun. Apparently they do pretty damn good pizzas on Fridays. And I could definitely see coming out and having some beer and pizza out on these tables on a warm summer evening.

Anyway, I got myself a tasting paddle of everything except the ginger beer (ginger beer just isn’t my thing). It included all three of the beers I’d had so far on the island. Plus it included their mid-strength and the Berliner Weisse sour.

But the absolute pick of the lot was easily their ‘Ex-BEERimental Aussie Pale Ale. That one has a great hoppy kick and solid body without going overly resinous. It tastes just on the verge of being an IPA. Apparently it uses HPA hops (those guys are absolutely everywhere in the Aussie craft beer scene these days) and is a special brew for a Science Week event.

It’s just a great beer all around. And it was an easy choice to go back for a full schooner of it after I finished the rest of the paddle. Unfortunately, like the rest of their beer, you can’t get it shipped to NSW. And it’s not super easy to find off of King Island.

Which is a shame, but I very much understand the challenge on distribution. It’s the same kind of thing facing small breweries anywhere in the country. Except with the added challenge of being on an island. And for now they are concentrating on getting the beer and the venue right. And those are two giant ticks for me.

A lot of times, a holiday destination will have a little brewery. And you’re like ‘oh cool, they make beer here’. But often, the beer is average and the only remarkable thing about it is the location. That is NOT the case here. King Island Brewhouse and are nailing it. The fact that King Island is a ‘foodie’ destination, and all of the awesome restaurants on the island offer King Island Brewhouse beer speaks for itself. If you are able to make it down to King Island (and, again, I highly recommend it), make sure you make it out to King Island Brewhouse.