Carl Hallion’s obsession with brewing dates back to when he was 18. Living in Adelaide, Carl and his friends would often get together and make beers using Coopers Brewery’s DIY brew-in-a-bag kits. He’s still brewing these days – just on a much, much larger scale. Last week Carl opened Parched, a craft-beer brewery tucked off of Montague Road in West End. It’s the logical end point for Carl’s love affair with lagers, affection for ales and infatuation with IPAs, which blossomed after travels across North America exposed him to what was possible in the realm of microbrewing. After stepping away from a career as a mining engineer, Carl decided to act on his dreams of opening a thirst-quenching tipple temple of his own – a small bar or brewery that served great beer and great food to great people. A location-scouting process that began in 2019 yielded some enticing prospects, but eventually Carl and his team settled on the Montague Road site. The tenancy, which occupies the back half of a warehouse, was considerably larger than Carl’s initial vision, but its high ceilings, ample floor space and convenient location made it too good a space to pass up.

The entry to the brewery and taproom can be spied from Rogers Street – an inconspicuous access point that belies the expansive interior within. Parched features two levels (three, if you count the downstairs grain storage and kegging space accessed by an elevator near the entrance) that boast a sturdy materiality of concrete, brick, steel and ceramic tiles. With assistance from the team at Base Architecture, Carl has mapped out a footprint that maximises the available space (which is rich in height) while retaining an approachable aesthetic for all comers. Along one wall sits Parched’s kitchen and compact brewhouse – the latter a gleaming three-vessel, ten-hectolitre set up equipped with eight fermenters and two bright tanks designed and constructed by Brewtique. The system can efficiently produce 2000 litres a day and a total yearly output estimated to approach 200,000 litres, which is enough beer to quench the thirsts of many. The beer itself is dispensed from a 16-tap bar, which pops courtesy of some green subway tiling. Parched’s capacity sits around 200 guests across a collection of picnic tables on brewery’s main floor and mezzanine level, though that number could increase with the addition of a new deck, slated for construction in 2022.

As head brewer, Carl is responsible for curating Parched’s selection of eight launch beers, favouring drops that boast a broad appeal and sessionable repeatability. Perhaps more importantly, Parched is serving cold ones that have a story behind them. These recipes, first concocted on Carl’s own pilot brewing system, are influenced by personal experiences and history. Parched’s Brave New World hazy IPA, Creaming Soda vanilla-milkshake IPA, Mi Amigo Pagara Mexican lager, Smiling Eyes Irish red ale, Sunset Sour wild pomegranate kettle sour, The Pilot mid-strength session IPA, The Old Enemy old English IPA and the Tewy’s Misery Australian pale ale are accompanied with a paragraph giving insight into the recipe’s inspiration and flavour profile. The core range’s evolution will be driven by customer response, with limited-edition beers likely to feature across Parched’s 16 taps. Non-beer drinkers are catered for too, with a range of boutique Australian wines available by the glass and bottle. The brewery’s focus on approachability has been translated to the menu, the foundations of which have been crafted by Gillian Hirst – former executive chef of Il Centro (and the inventor of its famous sand-crab lasagne) – and tweaked and executed by head chef Breanna Dent. Expect fare boasting pub-style roots with some elevated twists, including cheese kransky rolls, smoked-brisket pizzas, baby back ribs coated in sticky house Korean barbecue sauce, nasi-miso-crusted Japanese eggplant and beer-battered red emperor. Parched’s kitchen has also linked up with Lick! Ice-Cream to craft a selection of beer-infused ice-cream and sorbet, featuring the brewery’s hazy IPA and wild pomegranate sour.

Parched is open to the public – head to the Stumble Guide for opening hours and contact details.