Warrnambool-based Middle Island Brewing Co is making a name for itself in the beer industry winning three medals at a competition on the Gold Coast.
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The family-owned brewery received gold for their Get Shuck'd Oyster Stout, silver for their Howling Hefe and bronze for their Southern Ocean Ale at the Australian Independent Beer Awards.
They were among 190 Australian breweries to enter about 1400 beers in the industry-based awards.
Brewery director Briony Howells said Middle Island used more than 600 unshucked oysters - 'shell and all' - for the stout to create a sea salt chocolate flavour.
"It's like a soy sauce flavour you'll get pretty much straight away," she said.
Ms Howells said the stout, brewed in February to drink during winter, also won gold at the Melbourne International Brewers Awards and bronze at the Australian International Brewers Awards in 2023.
The Hefe is a Bavarian-style wheat beer with a hazy appearance and aromas of ripe fruit and spice with an Australian twist which "adds citrus and passionfruit to the banana and clove of the hefeweizen".
The Southern Ocean Ale is a "pale but punchy number with tropical notes".
It comes after the brewery won a bronze medal in the mid-strength class, for its The Guardian beer, at the Australian International Brewers Awards in 2022 and a silver medal at the Melbourne International Brewers Awards in 2021.
Ms Howells said it was amazing to see the Southern Ocean ale on tap at Warrnambool venues Whalers Hotel and the Warrnambool RSL alongside the "big breweries".
Middle Island is a collaboration between the Howells, Simon Adams and Sam Munro's families, which registered as a business in June, 2021.
"We're gypsy brewers because we don't have have an actual onsite brewery so we're currently brewing out of Bells Beach Brewing in Torquay," Ms Howells said.
She said the company previously brewed their beers at Prickly Moses in Barongarook but were currently using Timboon Railway Shed Distillery for storage.
"We're at the point where we're trying to get grants and get our own equipment so we'll eventually be brewing out of Timboon Distillery," she said.
"It's quite tricky to get any venue in Warrnambool."
Ms Howells said Middle Island was stocked at 50 places between Portland and Ararat to Geelong and "all along the coast".
She said the brewery was working on an apple cider, hoping to set up a stall for Warrnambool's summer markets and a pop up bar over the new year.
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Lillian Altman
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
