It’s a late summer afternoon in Brisbane. The sun is shining, a vibrant blue sky stretches almost impossibly high over the river. The humidity is as high as the music volume, and the newly reclaimed Howard Smith Wharves precinct is pumping. Under the veil of the city’s historic Story Bridge, people pour into the 3.4ha riverfront site faster than an in-demand microbrewery can pour a pint – literally. When Felons Brewery Co opened at the beginning of the summer in November, an eager public drained a month’s supply of its limited-edition ale in just three days. “We’ve had to install another six tanks in the brewery,” David Finlayson, culinary director at Howard Smith Wharves, says. And craft beer lovers continue to drink between 12,000 to 16,000 litres of beer each week. “That is astronomical by any sort of standards, and it hasn’t really eased off either. We’re still surprised by how the locals have taken to it. It just goes to show that Brisbane is crying out for change.”

Read more in the April 2019 edition of Mabuhay Magazine