Our very own, talented up-and-coming brewer, Rowan Haling, has been crowned ‘Best New Queensland Craft Brewer’ at the 2021 Royal Queensland Food & Wine Show Beer Awards, after competing against three other shortlisted entries from across the state.

The beer awards are one of six nationally-recognised Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show competitions aimed at unearthing Australia’s finest products. This award recognises an individual based in Queensland who has been brewing for three years or less for their contributions to their brewery.

As a brewer at here at Burleigh Brewing, the 25-year old received the accolade and will now promote his talent through a 12-month commercial contract with Treasury Brisbane.

The contract enables us to sell our beer across Treasury Brisbane’s wide array of restaurants and bars including LiveWire 24/7 Sports Bar, Fat Noodle, Mei Wei Dumplings, and Will & Flow.

The prize is part of an inaugural partnership between the beer awards and Treasury Brisbane, which sponsored two new categories this year comprising ‘Best New Queensland Craft Brewer Award’ – open to brewers who must be brewing for three years or less – and ‘Best Queensland Beer of Show.’

Mr Haling, who has been with Burleigh Brewing Co for over four years and was promoted to brewer a year ago, said he was thrilled to win the ‘Best New Queensland Craft Brewer Award’ to drive new audiences to enjoy his brewery’s beers.

“Although we’re well established on the Gold Coast, this is a great opportunity to get a foot in the door in a new destination like Treasury, especially when Queensland has such a competitive craft beer industry,” Mr Haling said.

“This award has been a great learning experience so far – to enter, we had to create a new beer recipe that could be sold in Treasury’s new overwater bar, Will & Flow.

“I took the approach that there’s a beer for every occasion and given that the venue is right on the water and is a great spot for wine, cocktail, or beer drinkers, I decided to create a brut IPA.”

“It was a dry, crisp, and citrus IPA recipe, with a high level of carbonation to almost resemble a champagne, which I think would suit the venue. I really enjoyed the challenge and look forward to getting more creative in the future!”

RQFWS Beer Advisory Group member and judge Steve Henderson said the trophy win was very deserving.

“Rowan is an up-and-coming brewer who has made the transition from hospitality / front-of-house to working on a brewery production floor,” Mr Henderson said.

“He is highly motivated with a bright future and I took forward to enjoying his beer at Treasury Brisbane’s restaurants and bars.

Treasury Brisbane COO Kelvin Dodt congratulated Rowan and said he was proud to help promote and support Queensland’s craft brewing industry, which is made up of more than 100 craft brewers and distillers across the state.

“As one of the city’s most lively and vibrant dining and entertainment destinations, we recognise the importance of promoting local products to help deliver authentic Queensland experiences to our guests,” Mr Dodt said.

“We’re delighted to start working with Rowan to help grow his professional profile and provide further access to craft beer fans by showcasing their products at our venues.

“In the coming months, we look forward to hosting events including a ‘Meet the Brewer’ type function, which will provide even more opportunities for Rowan to gain valuable exposure in the market.

“At the end of next year, we will begin a staged opening of our transformational $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development, expected to attract an additional 1.39 million visitors to the state each year.

“In total, Queen’s Wharf Brisbane will feature 50 diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars so now is a great time for us to be partnering with and supporting high quality and bespoke products produced right here in Queensland.”

Burleigh Brewing congratulate him on this amazing achievement!