The Pourhouse has made the list of top 15 regional craft beer venues in Australia.
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The Maitland craft beer bar just squeezed in to the rankings, as number 15 on the list behind Newcastle’s The Grain Store, which was ranked number one.
The list was decided by a panel of 22 judges for Beer & Brewer magazine.
The criteria was based on the variety and choice of beers, service, staff knowledge and atmosphere of the venue.
It was the first time The Pourhouse had been recognised in the top 15, but the achievement has just made owner Aaron Rigg hungrier.
“We just slipped in, now where can we go next year?” he said.
The pub is about to celebrate its third birthday, and Mr Rigg said the honour was a testament to the hard work of Troy Taylor and Craig Melville, who opened the bar in 2013.
“It’s a lot of effort to take a risk and fire up something like that in Maitland,” he said.
It’s a lot of effort to take a risk and fire up something like that in Maitland. It’s great recognition for the original owners.
- Aaron Rigg
“It’s great recognition for the original owners.”
“It’s great to be able to carry that on.”
Since then, Mr Rigg said the pub had come to have its own regulars, some craft beer aficionados and some who had been converted from more traditional beers.
But even the regulars get something different each time they visit.
The bar has 10 rotating taps, which all feature different styles of beer.
Once one keg is dry, they replace it with a different brand.
“We keep the styles consistent to appeal to the full market,” he said.
No matter what’s on tap, Mr Rigg said they always tried to support local producers and micro-breweries.
There has been a trend towards craft beer in the past few years, exemplified by the success of Maitland’s own Bitter and Twisted festival.
But Mr Rigg said the pub’s success was about more than just a trend or the flavour of their beers.
“Even if we had the best beer, if we didn’t have the service people would never come back.”
And at the end of the day, Mr Rigg said it’s not hard to enjoy the job.
“Most people are pretty happy when you’re serving them a beer,” he said with a laugh.
“The job satisfaction is quite high.”
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
