Matilda Bay Brewery was launched in 1983 with a mission to prove there was life beyond lager; to wake up drinkers to what great beer, brewed properly, could be. It would be fair to say it birthed the craft movement, brewing now classic beers like the unpronounceable Summer Weizen (quickly renamed Redback in 1987) and the dark lager Dogbolter, with its wildly ranging ABV.
After parting ways with Matilda Bay in the 90s, original founder Phil Sexton is back, on a mission to rebuild Matilda Bay, with a new brewery and pub in Victoria’s Yarra Valley on the site where Giant Steps Wine used to occupy. Head Brewer Harry Sexton, Phil’s son, and the brewing team are busy reinventing their greatest hits, and launching a couple of new ones too, taking advantage of the Yarra Valley’s pure spring water and pristine environment.