Before he was slinging beers as one of the co-founders of Brisbane’s newest craft-beer brewery, Cheyne Meehan was operating cranes by day and dabbling in home brewing at night. During a stint working on a 15-storey tower in Newstead back in 2015, Cheyne figured he would pop into nearby Newstead Brewing Co. to see if he could get some pointers from the head brewer. That person turned out to be Jarrett Bravo – then senior brewer at the Doggett Street brewpub – who was more than happy to share some notes on Cheyne’s home-brew output. The two struck up a fast friendship, and when the crane came down Cheyne utilised his RDOs to do some work experience at the brewery in order to further his knowledge base and expand upon his passion. Fast forward a few years and the duo found themselves discussing branching out on their own to create a laid-back suburban brewery – one that was welcoming to folks from all walks of life and boasted a beer selection that was similarly diverse. With plenty of enthusiasm puffing their sails, the two scoured the city to find a suitable location. Cheyne and Jarrett’s search drew them to Stafford – an area that was notoriously difficult to obtain approvals for brewing operations. When the two stumbled across their dream location by happenstance (a vacant warehouse space on Wolverhampton Street – just across the road from The Soul Pantry and a stone’s throw from the Kedron Brook bikeway), the two were determined to break the suburb’s dry spell and deliver a craft-beer brewery to call its own. The approval process spanned from July 2019 to June 2020, but finally the duo were given the go-ahead to proceed. By this point they had built the conceptual foundations for Happy Valley Brewing Company – an operation that paid tribute to the suburb’s early history (back when the area was called Happy Valley) while simultaneously promising the beatific contentment experienced when sipping on a fresh cold one.

An eight-week fit-out period began in early June, which saw the team overhaul the warehouse shell from floor to ceiling before its opening in August. The most intensive works involved implementing brand-new plumbing and gas connections for the building, making it suitable for the gleaming Tiantai 500-litre brew system (alongside 11 vessels and five fermenting tanks), which lines the eastern wall. Sitting opposite is the cold room and bar, which boasts room for 11 kegs connected to 11 taps. Drinkers can wander in off the street and perch in direct view of the brewing gear or, if they are part of a larger group, can take advantage of the private mezzanine space at the venue’s rear. A splash of Happy Valley’s signature vivid green has been applied to the walls alongside a mural declaring the brewery as ‘Your Happy Place‘. When it comes to beer itself, Jarrett and Cheyne are keeping things free, loose and experimental – eschewing a static range of core beers in favour of a constantly changing selection of brews. The reasoning is twofold – the Happy Valley crew hope to gently push drinkers outside of their comfort zones, introducing them to beers that might be unfamiliar at first, but could turn into their new favourite. Secondly, Jarrett is especially eager to utilise various combinations of hops and malts from Australia and abroad, so while Happy Valley’s taps will always feature recognisable beer types (pale ales, IPAs, red ales, stouts, German-style wheat beers and mid-strength brews are common fixtures), the ingredients to create each drop will vary month to month. Jarrett will also be expanding his own skillset, currently tinkering with recipes for gluten-free beers and even a boozy cola. As for nosh, snacks are available at the bar and food trucks pop up with regularity, ensuring stomachs are lined and ready for another schooner.

Happy Valley Brewing Company is now open to the public. For operating hours and contact details, click over to the Stumble Guide.