Once upon a time, Stafford and its surrounding suburbs were a relative dry patch as far as craft-beer breweries were concerned. That has changed in recent years, with Happy Valley Brewing Co opening in Stafford in 2020, Enoggera’s Ploughman following suit in 2021 and Archer Brewing looking to debut in Newmarket in a few month’s time. Flat Lizard Brewing is the latest brewery to join the inner-north fold, softly opening last month in the same industrial pocket as Happy Valley. While this part of town has seemingly become active overnight, Flat Lizard’s arrival has been several years in the making. The brewery’s ownership group, led by Brisbane-based members Dan Kendrick and Brett Campbell have gradually put pieces in place on their dream brewery, managing to snag a sensational site (a spacious warehouse on Harvton Street, previously home to Platypus Graphics) in a pocket prime for hops-driven endeavour. “There’s so few good industrial locations located this close to The City that have enough of a buffer to residential pockets – this just ticked all of the boxes,” says Dan. “It also fortunately falls in between our houses – it’s about as convenient as it gets. We often say that this is the local brewery that no one would build for us.” The Flat Lizard team is leaning into the industrial nature of its warehouse home, exposing a few added bits of character throughout a fit-out process that saw the construction of a new bar and seating area, and continues with the current build of a mezzanine level and an on-site kitchen. “We’re targeting the family-friendly atmosphere,” adds Brett. “We want people to bring their kids and bring their dogs. We’re, in a lot of ways, catering for a lot of people that are just entering the craft beer world with beers that are not at a high alcohol level. We’re trying to have something that’s attractive to families that can have a couple and still drive home.”

If you’re a fan of Australian brewing history, you’ll get a kick out of Flat Lizard’s brewing setup. The 12-hectolitre brewhouse was the original system for Sydney powerhouse Young Henrys and was then purchased by The Grifter Brewing Co before the Flat Lizard team bought it and brought it north. For the past year the apparatus has been put through its paces as a contract brewing hub, whipping an estimated 25,000 litres of beer for the likes of nomadic outfits like 27 South Brewing. With its taproom now open, attention is now being paid to nailing down Flat Lizard’s core range of beers, which so far counts a Japanese lager, pale ale and a tropical mid-strength brew. Flat Lizard’s 12 taps encompass a broad range of beers to try, with guest beers and seasonal brews also featuring. Right now you can down a few jars of a hoppy red ale, a crowd-pleasing fruity IPA, a refreshing cider or a saison from 27 South. Those partial to a funkier froth can expect some experimental limited-edition beers to pop in and out of the selection, too. “I think over time we’ll get a bit more crazy,” says Brett. “We have a great set up to do that with our pilot brew kit and our smaller fermenters, pumping out two or three kegs to experiment with new brews during the year.” The brewery has also linked up with a Gympie-based barley farmer to set up a pilot malting system at Flat Lizard, with a portion of the pale malts made in house expected to be used in forthcoming batches of beer. An artisan licence allows for the sale of local wines and spirits from around Queensland, including Witches Falls, Sirromet and Ballandean Estate. Food trucks pop in regularly, with the likes of Benz on Miller, Brat Haus and Flamin Grillas Low & Slow serving up eats on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until the on-site kitchen is completed.

Flat Lizard Brewing is now open to the public. Click on over to the Stumble Guide for operating hours and other important details.