First brewery co-op to open in Sydney

Inspired by Seattle’s cooperative brewery, Flying Bike, Australian homebrewers thought: “what a great idea” and decided they could do likewise. Sometime in January 2019, the Hopsters brewery and bar will open in Enmore, which is part of Sydney.

The ten initial co-op members wrote the Hopsters constitution. They, and every other person who has joined since (over 300), have a stake in the business. Every person who joins gets a share, and no one person can hold more than 20 percent of the total stock. All those involved also get one vote, regardless of share count, in Hopsters’ operations. They also have access to brewing equipment, educational events and discounts on Hopsters’ beers.

Not every decision is up for a vote, though. Instead, the members trust headbrewer Charlotte McKay and a unique selection process. Reportedly, members who are homebrewers submit a beer to a committee and the winning beer recipe goes to batch.

The construction, management and operation of the eventual bar will be overseen by an on-trade professional. Specifics of the bar are still to be announced, but Hopsters will have 12 taps, eight taps for their own beers and four for guest beers. Hopsters will also serve wines and spirits