Brewery Review: Blackwater Trading Co (Moffat Beach Brewing)

Having lived in Brisbane most of my life, I know that there are two types of Brisbaneintes, Northsiders and Southsiders. Which side you choose can be a complex choice involving a lot of variables but one factor that plays strongly is which beaches you prefer, the Sunshine Coast or the Gold Coast.

Whilst the Sunshine Coast is known for its beautiful beaches, its laid back vibe and its abundant, clean white sand, the Gold Coast is known for bikies, crime and needles. (Just kidding)

I’m guessing by this intro you realise the side of the fence I sit on. My favourite beach would have to be Moffat Beach. It’s not only one of the closest beaches to Brisbane, it also is amazingly beautiful and never too busy. Because of this I was pretty excited to hear that not only was Moffat Beach getting its own craft beer bar, it was a Brewpub!

We headed up there on Boxing Day and decided to try it out for lunch. I was excited to hear that they had just recently got their brew licence and had their first beer on tap, a Pale Ale. This is a great choice for a starting brew and a beer that has mass popularity on its side (not to mention being a great summer beer).

Unfortunately the beer wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. The beer had some pretty serious off flavours which I suspect may have been water related. I had a quick chat to one of the staff who I suspect may have been an owner. She asked me how I liked the beer and I mentioned that there were a few issues with it (in the nicest possible way I could). I asked them if they filter their water which she assured me they do. She did however mention that it hadn’t conditioned enough and that I might taste apples which was a major concern. Whilst I didn’t get any Acetaldehyde (which is the apple taste), the fact that she expected this in their beer and thought the beer needed conditioning to get rid of this (particularly in a Pale Ale) was a little concerning. I suspect the issue related to chlorine in the water which hadn’t been filtered out but without a good understanding of their system couldn’t say what it was. In any event, this is their first beer and I’m sure they will get better and better as time goes on.

We proceeded to have lunch and I ordered the fish and wedges and my wife, the Moffat Burger. Whilst my wife wasn’t overly fussed on the burger I loved my meal and really enjoyed a great, fresh piece of fish.

The vibe at this place is pretty cool and the classic rock music selection together with the beach vibe makes for a great place for lunch. I had a quick look at their bottle selection and was thoroughly impressed. This is the kind of bottle selection that would be impressive in a city centre, never mind on a beach!

So overall I highly recommend checking out Blackwater Trading Co. Maybe have a taster of their beer before settling on a schooner but if it isn’t to your taste, there are plenty of other great selections there.

And to all you Southsiders (shudders), please feel free to leave your abuse below. Just kidding, I still love you 🙂