ANYBODY that's ever gotten serious about making beer with mates has likely dreamed of opening a brewery.
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While for most people it's an idea that evaporates by the time the contents of the keg are drained, for Mayfield Mullets soccer buddies Dylan Meade, Jim Coulton, Jake Gardiner and Michael Fitzgerald that dream became a reality.
A year ago Shout Brewing was born in Mayfield West's Steel River industrial estate when they delivered a keg of their Mullet Pale Ale to the Commonwealth Hotel in Cooks Hill.
Since then the operation has expanded to tastings and sales at the brewery itself, plus the beers can be found in pubs across Newcastle including the Happy Wombat, Bennett Hotel, Stag and Hunter Hotel, Clarendon Hotel and the Grain Store.
When COVID-19 eased demand for kegs, Shout's colourfully eye-catching cans for their Mullet Pale Ale and Cloudy With A Chance of NEIPA also began popping up in bottle shops around town.
"It's almost a hobby gone crazy in a way," Meade says.
Co-owners Meade, Coulton and Fitzgerald have been mates for 20 years after meeting at the University of Newcastle, while Gardiner is Coulton's brother-in-law.
After years of home brewing together and separately the foursome decided to get serious after Scottish company BrewDog chose to open their Australian brewery in Brisbane over Newcastle.
"We were keen to see more breweries in Newcastle, so we thought why not start one ourselves?" Meade says.
Meade (town planner), Coulton (engineer) and Fitzgerald (statistician) all juggle full-time jobs outside of Shout Brewing, while Gardiner recently finished training to be a teacher.
"None of us have given up our day jobs to run the brewery, so it's nice that there's four of us to share the load," Coulton says.
"I don't see any of us anytime soon giving it away and doing a brewer's course. That would be nice, but I don't think you go into craft beer for the money. There's a lot of poor craft brewers out there."
Besides having four business partners to share the financial risk and work load, it also allows for greater diversification in their beer range. The three brewers - Meade, Coulton and Gardiner - each have different tastes and skills.
Gardiner recently collaborated with Merewether's Frothers Espresso on a coffee ale and Coulton has a strong interest in NEIPA and sour beers. His recent light sour featured Australian rye berries grown in his Mayfield backyard.
"I'm a big NEIPA fan and because of that I seek them out and it's on trend I guess, but I didn't think there was much in the local Newcastle market," Coulton says.
Shout Brewing is located at 13 Channel Road, Mayfield West and open for tastings and sales on Friday 2pm-5:30pm and Saturday 2-5pm.