Catchment Brewing Co
West End
Catchment Brewing Co is the West End bar with the mostest – in a stunning character-filled art deco building, with its own beers brewed onsite, a top wine list, and superb gastro pub style food.
Behind Catchment Brewing Co are 2 savvy West End couples who, together with their families are longtime friends and between them they’ve created a convivial old-world meets cutting edge contemporary venue full of interesting indoor-outdoor nooks and crannies that anyone will feel at home in.
The cool downstairs bar has a giant industrial pane glass feature window that opens via remote control to let the outdoors in and on the mezzanine out back is a funky deck that wraps around a line-up of shiny brewing tanks in which up to 1000l of beer a week are brewed. From the deck (and also from the downstairs bar) stairs lead up to the rustic brick-walled upper bar/dining room with two tiny soutght after balconies overlooking the street.
There's also a laneway garden out back that makes a great retreat and is a sought after spot for functions, as are some of the other ambient spaces. Ask Catchment Brewing Co for options.
No matter where you sit, the entire menu is available, with beer and wine at the fore, along with a decent selection of interesting boutique spirits and the delicious casual yet quietly sophisticated bar food.
Three signature house-brewed beers are on offer - Bright Ale, Pale Select and The 500 IPA, and special resleases can be viewed here.
There's also a fine selection of local, national and international craft beers and ciders, categorized by 'Easy Drinking', 'Special and Different', 'Big, Dark & Handsome' and 'Ciders & Others'.
Wine is taken as seriously as beer at Catchment Brewing Co, with an extensive curated list that has been sourced locally and globally. Sparkling wines and champagne come from Italy and France, Whites from Ballendean, Qld, SA, WA, NZ, Greece, Sapin and France with Rose from McLaren Vale and France. Reds are also sourced from the SA, WA, Vic and NZ, as well as Greece and Spain and Dessert and Fortified Wines from Vic, SA and Portugal.
And spirit drinkers will find plenty to like here with an extensive array of Whiskeys (Scottish, Japanese, Australian, Irish/Blends, Rye and Bourbon), an impressive selection of Rum and Gin as well as Vodka, Tequila & Mezcal and Cognac. There are alos Apperitifs, Digestifs and Liqueurs, including Lillet Blanc, Absinthe, and Sagatiba Cachaca.
While it may be tempting to drop in just for a drink Catchment Brewing Co is also a foodie destination. Beer permeates a section of the menu, making for a perfect marriage between drinks and eats.
Expect to find plates of beer-infused deliciousness such as Dark Beer Crepes with Moreton Bay bug, made with Aurora Barleywine; 500 IPA Braised Pork belly; Grilled Swordfish with sour beer reduction and asparagus spears or Zucchini fritters with ‘beeriyaki’ sauce, made with Pale Select Particular Ale. Even the hand-cut fries come with Bright Ale aioli (with a vegan aioli also available).
Other dishes are also a great match with beer, with options such as Bone Marrow Croquettes with pea purée & parsnip chips, Lamb Cutlets with dehydrated sage and Nutella powder and a Vegan Risotto with coconut cream and seasonal vegetables.
There’s also a Salad of the Week (such as Israeli cous cous with charred vegetables), Burger of the Week (the likes of Coffee Crusted Beef Cheeks and roasted tomato) or Pasta.
Meanwhile popular Bar Snacks include Truffle Parmesan Popcorn, Beer Bread or Pork Crackle and for something more substantial, Cheese, Meat (or both) Platters.
And for dessert, Housemade Churros with Beer Ice-cream are the order of the day. Just ask the friendly staff what flavour of the week is.
Nice to know – You won’t hear Jay-Z or L’il Wayne at Catchment Brewing Co, but there’s every chance you’ll hear Hendricks, The Stones or Dylan.
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Still thirsty for more suggestions on where to eat and drink in Brisbane, head to our comprehensive Eat & Drink section HERE! Happy grazing!