The hub was the brainchild of the Hop Temple owners and will showcase the region’s boutique brews and spirits with a tasting area, cellar door, distillery tours and teaching spaces.
Ballarat has put itself firmly on the road trip map in the last few years, thanks to a new generation of winemakers, beer lovers, superstar chefs and art fans that are beefing up the city’s offering beyond the old gold country.
Already earning a reputation for being the craft beer capital of Victoria – thanks to a flourishing brewing scene boasting some of the best handcrafted beer, cider, gin and whisky in the state – it’s about to level up with a brand new hub for distilling and brewing heading its way.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.
Announced today by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula, Ballarat have scored a $450,000 investment from the Labor Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund to create a new distilling and brewing hub – which will be a tourism drawcard for the region while creating more jobs.
The hub was the brainchild of the Hop Temple owners and will showcase the region’s boutique brews and spirits with a tasting area, cellar door, distillery tours and teaching spaces.
The project will support 14 jobs during construction and 32 jobs when complete, further bolstering the local economy.
Working closely with Federation University in Ballarat, it will also deliver a range of single to multi-day courses for spirit enthusiasts and up-skilling opportunities for local hospitality staff.
The hub will complement the Australian Craft Beer Centre of Excellence, which opened in April last year, ensuring Ballarat remains firmly on the foodie map for tourists and locals alike. The Australian Craft Beer Centre of Excellence was created with the core value of celebrating the artisan craft of brewing, sustainable agriculture and a taste that is uniquely Ballarat.
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In 2019, Ballarat attracted 3.4 million domestic and international holidaymakers who stayed at least one night, contributing $613 million to the local economy.
The Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund is helping to entice more visitors to Victoria’s regions, driving private investment and accelerating the recovery of the tourism sector.
“This new brewery and distillery hub will add to the revitalisation of Armstrong Street, which is fast becoming a foodie destination in Ballarat, while creating more jobs,” says Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas.
“Boutique artisan distilleries make an important contribution to regional economies and local branding, with linkages to agri-tourism and food trails. This new hub will support local businesses and provide training and up-skilling opportunities for the local hospitality staff,” adds Hop Temple founder Brian Taylor.
We’ll keep you updated.
You can read the announcement here.
