Range Brewing has grown from a London pub conversation between two high school friends into a multi-venue Brisbane hospitality group defined by a "forever rotating" tap list and sourdough pizza. The company’s Newstead warehouse is the production hub for sixteen taps that turn over weekly. This model means visitors rarely encounter the same lineup twice. Since opening in 2018, the brand has expanded to include neighborhood bars in Paddington and Camp Hill, a dedicated event space, and a pizza delivery service that ships across the city.
Range Brewing. Photo: Range Brewing.
From Toowoomba plans to a Bethnal Green pint
Founders Matt McIver and Gerard Martin met in high school in Toowoomba and originally planned to build their brewery there. However, they eventually decided the local market was not yet ready for the specific beer styles and scale they had in mind. The project moved to London, where the pair lived in Bethnal Green and developed the concept over drinks in local pubs.
McIver and Martin returned to Brisbane with a plan for small-batch beer that was always fresh and always changing. When they opened in Newstead in May 2018, the space was deliberately sparse, influenced by research trips to brewpubs in East London. Unlike nearby competitors like Green Beacon or Newstead Brewing Co., Range opted for straight-sided Scandinavian glassware that McIver had seen used for beer overseas.
Mitch Pickford, formerly of Catchment Brewing, joined as head brewer for the launch. The brewery launched without a fixed core range and instead offered a changing set of ales from mid-strength pilsners and hoppy pales to sours and stouts. Sourdough pizza was also part of the opening model, designed to encourage guests to stay for multiple rounds.
The Range group beyond Newstead
What began as a single warehouse has evolved into a hospitality group with several distinct venues across Brisbane.
Range Brewing in Newstead remains the production home. The taproom has sixteen rotating taps of beer, wine, and cocktails that change weekly. The food menu focuses on a hybrid pizza style that combines Neapolitan technique with New York boldness. The dough is long-fermented and baked in electric deck ovens. These same pizzas are available for delivery through the Range Pizza brand.
The Bethnal, a contemporary event and wedding venue, sits adjacent to the Newstead brewery. It opened in May 2023 and is named after the London neighborhood where the founders lived while planning the business. The space has oak barrels that hold wild-fermented and barrel-aged beer, and the bar pours house wines made in collaboration with LATTA Vino from Victoria.
Patio by Range opened in Paddington in June 2023. Located on Baroona Road, the bar features a dozen taps and an Australiana-inspired interior. It was followed by Rays by Range in Camp Hill, which opened in October 2024. Rays seats approximately 85 people and serves Roman-style pizzas along with location-exclusive mains like panko chicken schnitzel and a dill crème fraîche fish sando.
The company briefly operated a taproom in Melbourne's Abbotsford neighborhood. Beer was shipped from Brisbane twice a week to maintain the rotating tap model, but the venue closed on 15 June 2024 as the team shifted focus back to their Queensland operations.
Dreams hazy IPA. Photo: Range Brewing.
Brewing philosophy and recognition
The brewery’s ethos is defined by continuous exploration, with the team brewing something new every week to test different hops and techniques. This rotation model has gained industry recognition. At the 2020 Independent Beer Awards, Range’s Fahrenheit IPA was named Champion Australian Independent Beer and Champion IPA. Fahrenheit is a juicy IPA hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Cashmere.
While the taproom list is always moving, the company maintains The Forever Range, a selection of beers that return more frequently in cans. Dreams, a 6.4% hazy IPA featuring hand-selected hops from the U.S. and New Zealand, is a staple of this lineup. Other regulars include Sunshine XPA and Disco DDH pale ale, though the tap list at the brewery remains too fluid to treat any single beer as a permanent fixture.
The rapid turnover of releases has created a culture of release-day queues and fast sell-outs. Birthday beers have sold out online in as little as three minutes, and physical lines outside the Newstead taproom are common. Visitors are generally encouraged to try the fresh hazy IPAs but also to look for barrel-aged stouts when they appear.
Visitor feedback
Range Brewing has a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Tripadvisor. Recent feedback highlights the variety of the beer selection and the quality of the sourdough pizza. Some visitors have noted that pricing for a 330ml pour is higher than the cost of a standard schooner at many other Brisbane venues, though the staff are frequently praised for their warmth and knowledge.
The Newstead taproom is characterized by an industrial warehouse aesthetic with clean Scandinavian lines and communal seating. The brewing equipment is in full view of the bar, and tasting paddles and takeaway cans are available on-site.
Practical information
Range Brewing Newstead: 4 Byres Street, Newstead QLD 4006. Phone (07) 3310 4456. Hours are 4pm to late Tuesday through Thursday, and noon to late Friday through Sunday. Table bookings are available via the company website. Street parking is available nearby but can be limited during peak hours.
Patio by Range: 146 Baroona Road, Paddington QLD 4064. Phone (07) 3063 4501.
Rays by Range: 4 Newman Avenue, Camp Hill QLD 4152.
The Bethnal: Event and wedding inquiries are handled through the Range Brewing website.
Beer is shipped Australia-wide from the company's online store, including to Victoria following the closure of the Melbourne taproom.
References
Broadsheet. (2024). Brisbane's phenomenally popular Range Brewing brings its hazy beers to a new taproom in Abbotsford. https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/food-and-drink/article/brisbanes-phenomenally-popular-range-brewing-brings-its-hazy-beers-new-taproom-abbotsford
Frostick, J. (2023a). Patio by Range. The Weekend Edition. https://www.indailyqld.com.au/theweekendedition-brisbane/directory/patio-by-range
Frostick, J. (2024b). Range Brewing opens Rays, a new neighbourhood bar serving suds, spritzes and schnitties. The Weekend Edition. https://www.indailyqld.com.au/theweekendedition-brisbane/food-drink/2024/10/17/rays-by-range-camp-hill
"Just In: Abbotsford's Range Brewing is Shutting Down in June." (2024, November 15). Broadsheet. https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/abbotsford/bars/range-brewing
Kirkegaard, M. (2018, May 14). Range Brewing opens in Newstead. Broadsheet. https://www.broadsheet.com.au/brisbane/food-and-drink/article/first-look-range-brewing-opens-newstead
Range Brewing. (2026a). About. https://www.rangebrewing.com/pages/about
Range Brewing. (2026b). Range Brewing Newstead taproom. https://www.rangebrewing.com/pages/taproom-brisbane
Range Brewing. (2026c). Dreams - Hazy IPA. https://www.rangebrewing.com/products/dreams-hazy-ipa
Range Brewing. (2026d). Range Brewing. Tripadvisor. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g255068-d14132225-Reviews-Range_Brewing-Brisbane_Brisbane_Region_Queensland.html
The City Lane. (2024). Range Brewing, Newstead. https://thecitylane.com/range-brewing-newstead/
Ward, S. (2023, May 11). Range Brewing has added a pizzeria and barrel room to its growing Newstead base. Concrete Playground. https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/food-drink/range-brewing-newstead-pizzeria-barrel-room
Ziebell, W. (2020). Range win big at 2020's Indies. The Crafty Pint. https://craftypint.com/news/2534/range-win-big-at-2020s-indies