Mr Banks launched in 2016 with some seriously eye catching cans. Those cans may have gone, I imagine they were incredibly expensive, but the brewery remains & has gone from strength to strength. The brewery began as a husband & wife operation, with Chris Farmer taking care of the brewing side of things, while his wife Penny handled the financials.
Chris & Penny started the brewery when Chris’ life was at a crossroads. He could either take over this father’s family business, that Chris himself had been running for the past decade, or he could branch out on his own and do something else. He followed his passion for homebrewing & chose the latter option. And Mr Banks was born.
Brewery Type
Physical
Region
South Eastern Suburbs
Tasting Room
12 Hi-Tech Place, Seaford
There are not enough breweries with Mighty Ducks references in their names. Mr Banks does, albeit in a slightly roundabout way. Banks is the name the dog, a chocolate labrador, owned by Chris & Penny. Banks, the dog, is named after Adam Banks; star player of The Mighty Ducks. Mr Banks, the brewery is named after Banks, the dog, who is name after Banks, the fictional ice hockey player.
Such was their success that they outgrew their first brewery, with a small cellar door, within their first year. Towards the end of 2017, they opened their new facility & bar at the current site in Seaford. It’s based in a high ceilinged warehouse at the end of an industrial cul-de-sac. They’ve installed a nice outdoor space into their carpark which has plenty of seating. Opposite this area there’s a basketball hoop setup on the wall as well as some other games to keep the kids (both big & little) entertained!
The brewery has a real family vibe about it, with a number of kids & dogs enjoying their afternoon at the brewery. Inside continues the sort of relaxed vibe with a number of couches scattered about in front of the main bar area, which is in front of all the stainless. They do a good mix of snacky foods, with Mexican inspired stuff (tacos, nachos etc.) served from a half length shipping container by the roller door and worth the trip on their own!
I tossed up for quite a while which of their Hazy’s I was going to review – it’s what they’re known for after all. I ended up sticking with the 90’s reference theme, stumping for Wheeze the Juice (Encino Man) over the early 00’s referenced I Like to Break a Mental Sweat Too (Dodgeball).
The latest batch of Wheeze the Juice is tasting far better than the last one I had, which was a typical Australian NEIPA. Gone is the astringency and bitterness & in it’s place is pure juice! You could honestly be confused if you were drinking orange juice or beer; it’s that juicy! If fruit juice NEIPA’s are your thing, make sure you try this one before it gets too old!
Remember it’s always Beer O’Clock somewhere in the world!
