BEER will soon be flowing at the popular Mount Gambier Railway Lands precinct with Kylie Ind set to launch her Woolstore Brewery early next year, bringing a vibrant new attraction to the heart of the city.
With development approval granted by Mount Gambier City Council last week, the heritage-listed Woolstore building will soon become home to a new craft beer.
Residents who venture out for a stroll along The Rail will soon be able to pop into the refurbished building and enjoy an ice cold “frothie.”
Ms Ind – Woolstore Brewery owner and head brewer – is excited to share her passion with the region, which started in a small microbrewery on the west coast three years ago.
“A couple of years ago we saw this beautiful old building and knew that it had to be made gorgeous again,” Ms Ind said.
“We were actually sitting in a microbrewery over in Western Australia and suddenly looked at each other and realised what this building was meant to be.
“So we came home, we purchased it and that’s where it’s gone from there.”
An avid beer-drinker, but not a brewer at the time, Ms Ind quickly started honing her skills in the craft.
“I have done a certificate course at TAFE in brewing and also brewed at a couple of different breweries around the place,” she said.
“I have also been brewing on my own 50-litre pilot to work on my recipes, which is not much, but it’s enough to share with family and friends and get them to give me feedback.”
And from the feedback, Ms Ind said it is so far, so good.
However, she said beer lovers can expect something different in her product.
“They are not your average beer – it’s not something you are going to buy on tap in a mainstream pub,” Ms Ind said.
“However, they are really enjoyable ales that you can share and compare with your mates and I think in our range we have something for everyone.”
Ms Ind said the brewery would progress in two stages, with the doors expected to swing open for the first time in late January.
“The first stage will be our brewery itself, where people will be able to see the brewery, try the beer and have a little bit of snack food,” she said.
“Stage two we will open up the other building, put a tap room in, which will be more in line with a cafe, but only doing light meals and allowing people to come in and enjoy a beer.
“This space (The Rail) is so beautiful and it is so under-utilised because there is not somewhere to stop to catch up with friends, so the idea is to have somewhere that becomes a community hub for people.”
From there, Ms Ind hoped the business would progress into something larger, with beer being distributed across the region and beyond.
“I would like to see that we are selling beers to customers here, distributing to our local pubs and restaurants and sharing our region’s story with people who come and visit,” Ms Ind said.
“I was lucky enough to do the envision venture dorm project through UniSA, which really helped me get that vision together and explain what I wanted to do.
“The more I have looked into it, the more I have talked to people, the more I can see that it will work.”
