Good Folk Brewing Company takes friendly approach to joining Newcastle's exploding craft beer scene

Usually the visit came after a 10-kilometre jog, which built up a thirst in the craft beer enthusiasts.

But in July 2019 Egan, a father-of-three and husband of Jodie, died after falling off his bike while crossing the light rail tracks in Newcastle East. He was 51.

Egan was a beloved Newcastle mountain bike rider and a charity fundraiser for the Westpac Helicopter Service, so shortly after his death his Running Dads mates, with the help of Hope Estate, brewed a tribute beer to their good mate.

Danny's Wedge Tropical Pale Ale was put on tap at The Blink Monk and quickly became one of its most popular beers.

So when The Blind Monk co-owners and brothers John and Phil Elsley were planning to open their own brewbar next door they decided Danny's Wedge had to be part of the Good Folk Brewing Company's core range.

Members of the Running Dads have also invested in Good Folk.

"It was launched as Good Folk to recognise that he [Egan] was quite involved in the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and other charities and so are Running Dads," John Elsley says while walking Weekender around the Beaumont Street venue.

"It's Good Folk for that reason and Danny's Wedge is the flagship beer we'd like to grow into our main beer."

Good Folk Brewing is the seventh venue in the Elsley brothers' Goodfolk Group hospitality portfolio, joining The Blind Monk, Newcastle's Grand Hotel and Bartholomew's (formerly Babylon), the Family Hotel and The Whistler in Maitland and Lismore's Sherwood Hotel.

John says owning a brewery was always the plan when he and Phil quit jobs in finance and as a patrol officer respectively, to purchase Lambton's Mark Hotel 10 years ago. Two years later they opened The Blink Monk and sold the Mark Hotel.

"We've been pushing for a brewery for eight years and obviously there's significant cost that comes with the brewery so we built up the other businesses first so we had somewhere to sell the beer," John says.

"We'll sell it across the seven venues we've got."

John says it's a "great head start" having seven venues to sell Good Folk beers, but they also plan to start canning in January and hope to sell through other venues.

Head brewer James Horne, formerly of Hope Estate and IronBark Hill, was tasked with developing Good Folk's core range which includes Danny's Wedge, a lager, an IPA, a mid-strength and a black ale.

There will also be seasonal releases including the intriguing Blood Orange Rosemary Sour, which is a collaboration between Horne and Bartholomew's executive chef Jeremy Fahy.

"Sessionable beers is what we want to be known for," John says. "Not necessarily big heavy alcoholic beers, but sessionable ones you can have more than one of. That doesn't say we won't brew them [heavy beers], but the focus is on sessionability.

"Our aim is to bridge the gap between mainstream and full craft. Approachable craft beers. We don't want to put a limitation on what we can do."

Getting Good Folk to its opening on Saturday wasn't easy. It's been a two-and-a-half-year project to obtain council development approval to convert the warehouse space, which once housed a bottle shop, but had been vacant for nearly a decade.

John isn't concerned about Good Folk potentially cannibalising The Blink Monk.

"I think they'll complement each other," he says. "Blink Monk is obviously a popular craft beer spot, but it'll just bring more craft beer drinkers to the street."

It's been an exciting five months for Newcastle for craft beer lovers. Islington's Method and Shout brewbars opened in June and October and The Thirsty Messiah at Broadmeadow, Grainfed at Lambton and Newcastle Brewing Co at Wickham are expected to tap their kegs in the new year.

"Newcastle is the spot to get into," John says. "Per capita, people are more craft beer friendly here than other parts of Australia."

Good Folk Brewing Company opens on Saturday. It's located at 78 Beaumont Street Hamilton and is open Monday to Saturday 11am to late and Sunday 11am to 10pm.