By JESSE GRAHAM
HEALESVILLE’S White Rabbit Brewery has hopped out of town, with the business closing shop on the weekend before its relocation to Geelong.
The brewery closed its doors over the weekend, after serving up beers to locals and visitors alike for six years.
White Rabbit Healesville Cellar Door manager Elton Pinkster spoke to the Mail last month about the closure, and said his favourite moments came from the people he worked alongside at the brewery.
“Every day, opening the door and being surrounded by amazing, motivated and tenacious people all makes for many favourite moments,” Mr Pinkster said.
“But the one memory that really stands out for me was the day I was handed the keys to the White Rabbit Brewery – I think every man dreams of having the keys to a brewery.”
During its stint in the town, Mr Pinkster said the brewery had made “hundreds” of different types of beers to complement its iconic dark ale, light ale and Belgium-style pale ale.
The names of these beers range from The Yeti and Jack the Ripper, through to the Sweet Chai ‘O Mine, the Blueberry White and the Punch in the Face, and Mr Pinkster said the brewery had put out millions of litres of beer, with plenty of the small-batch varieties for visitors to try.
The brewery even came up with a special pale ale for the Save the Healesville Hospital Action Group (SHHAG) fund-raiser last year, which it provided free-of-charge on the night.
The news in November from White Rabbit’s head company Lion that the brewery would be closing, was met with dismay from many members of the community, who cited the business as a landmark for the town.
Closer into the city – particularly in bars – the word “Healesville” had been synonymous with the beer, and in town, the venue was known for its Friday night music and for huge crowds of visitors on sunny weekends.
But Mr Pinkster said, with the growth of the brand came the need to move on to bigger pastures, and White Rabbit would be located at Lion’s main brewery in Geelong, which also housed its Little Creatures beers.
“In order for the White Rabbit brand to grow and develop, the relocation needs to take place,” he said.
“This little building is filled with people that have put so much of themselves into ensuring that the beer is the very best beer it can be – all of us want the very best for the future of the White Rabbit brand and are extremely excited about settling into White Rabbit’s new home in Geelong.”
Until the last day, Mr Pinkster said it was business as usual at the brewery, with new batches being made up for cellar door sales and the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular in Melbourne.
Though, he said, he had yet to lock in his next venture, Mr Pinkster added he wanted his next project to be in the Yarra Valley.
What were your favourite memories of the White Rabbit brewery? Write a letter to the editor to editor@mailnewsgroup.com.au or to 244 Maroondah Highway, Healesville.
