BEHIND BARS: Tippler's Tap, Newstead

"Behind Bars" puts the spotlight on the owners and brewers behind Brisbane's craft beers and bars...

With a very successful Queensland Beer Week just gone, and several new venues soon to open, Brisbane's craft beer scene is showing no signs of slowing down. One of these new venues - Tipler's Tap - is a dedicated craft beer bar located in the inner-city suburb of Newstead. Carl Rhodes is the manager, and very kindly answered a few questions about what the insatiable craft beer crowd can expect to see (and drink) when Tippler's Tap opens next month.

Can you tell us about the people behind Tippler's Tap and how the idea to open the bar came about?

Brian Kennedy and Emily Russell are the people behind Tippler's Tap. Brian hales from Chicago and Emily from Lismore but Brisbane has been their home for sometime now. Their shared passion for craft beer and dreams of opening a craft beer bar are finally a reality with the doors of Tippler's Tap expected to open in August. They have watched with excitement as the Brisbane craft beer scene has evolved over the last couple of years and they feel now is the right time for them to open their bar.

The idea to actually open a bar came about quite organically, it seemed only natural that a couple with such a strong love for good beer and the community that surrounds it would want to embark on such an adventure.

It seems the Newstead/Teneriffe area is becoming quite the foodie/craft beer destination, with Bitter Suite and Sourced Grocer nearby, and the Green Beacon Brewing Company soon to open. Was there a particular reason you chose Newstead for the location of the bar?

Newstead appealed to us for a number of reasons; its central locality definitely played a big part, we didnʼt want to be too far from where people head for a good time, but at the same time we didn't want to be right in the thick of it all. Brian and Emily spent a few years living in the area and often thought about how great it would be if a good beer bar were to open nearby, those thoughts along with being quite comfortable in the area pretty much lead to the decision. There is also a lot of development going on around Newstead, both commercial and residential, that also plays a big part.

What kind of beers and number of taps can people expect to see?

Tippler's will be home to 11 taps, 1 of which will be a hand pump which is rather exciting. The plan is to keep the selection of beers constantly changing while covering a wide range of styles both local and imported. As enthusiastic drinkers of good beer we'll always be on the search for new and exciting brews that push the boundaries of what good beer is. The huge growth of the Australian craft brewing scene is definitely something that we'll embrace. There'll be no crap beer here at Tippler's.

Will you also be serving food?

We will be serving food, we'll have a range of dishes that focus on premium quality produce prepared in a simple, rustic fashion. The idea is that all food we serve will compliment our range of beers. Good food and good booze is a very good thing.

What would you say is the mission statement for Tippler's Tap?

We want Tippler's to be a place where all walks of life come to enjoy tasty beer and food in a relaxed and comfortable environment. We'll always be searching for new brews to keep the palates of our drinkers entertained and we'll work with brewers to host educational evenings and the like. We look forward to being a solid part of the craft beer community. There'll be no dress code and all are welcome.

Tippler's Tap is due to open in August, at 22 Masters St, Newstead.

You can find them on the web here, and on Facebook here.