Converting the non-believers (a.k.a non-beer drinkers)
HER NAME
YVONNE
MAKES SIPS AT
SLOW LANE BREWING
Yvonne and Alex are the makers of holy water. Just kidding (kinda) - but they do get a sick kick out of converting non-beer drinkers when they try Slow Lane.
Slow Lane doesn’t really have a “core range” - per se. Their limited release beers are inspired by old-world European styles that aren’t commonly found in Australia, and we assure you - they’ll have sold out by the time you crack open the can, take a sip and realise you fucked up because you should’ve ordered more. So, hot tip from us: Don’t order one. Order many. We learned the hard way.
Although brewed in the thick of Sydney, in Botany, Slow Lane beers will jolt your reality and somewhat transform you to another place. Ok - scrap that marketing bullshit - they’re just tasty AF. You trust us, right?
“Seeing people genuinely enjoy our beers is what keeps us going. Especially when we’re able to introduce them to a beer style that they’re unfamiliar with. I love it when people who normally stick to wine and spirits, try one of our beers and end up liking it.”
SIP’ER: What is your key role within Slow Lane? Is there anyone else that leads it with you?
Yvonne: We are a husband and wife team and we do most things ourselves. Alex is the brewer and looks after all the day to day operations of the brewery, and I look after marketing, social media and events. It’s important for us that the direction of the brewery and the brand is something we come up with together – whether it’s short term direction like what colour the next can design will be, or long term direction like where do we see the brewery in 5 years’ time.
SIP’ER: How did you start?
Yvonne: The idea of owning and running a brewery probably started in 2015. Alex left his corporate job and started working at craft breweries in the San Francisco Bay Area - where we were living at the time. We had this idea that we would eventually move back home to Sydney and start our own brewery.
SIP’ER: What inspires you to keep going?
Yvonne: Seeing people genuinely enjoy our beers is what keeps us going. Especially when we’re able to introduce them to a beer style that they’re unfamiliar with. I love it when people who normally stick to wine and spirits, try one of our beers and end up liking it. It’s really rewarding when we hear people talk about or write about our brewery and our beers.
SIP’ER: What is your favourite beer you produce? Why is it your favourite?
Yvonne: Probably the Botany Weisse which is our Berliner Weisse. It’s made in the traditional manner and takes over 5 months to produce, which is a pretty long time in the beer world. It really highlights what we’re all about - using traditional methods to produce slow fermented beer. At the same time, the end product, the Botany Weisse, is super approachable and easy drinking. A beer that’s often enjoyed by people who don’t normally drink beer. Which is another favourite thing for me – introducing beer to non-beer drinkers and converting them!
SIP’ER: What sets Slow Lane apart from others?
Yvonne: We make a whole lot of different beers, not sticking to a core range per se. We make a lot of old world European styles which are less commonly found in Australia. We also release beers every 2-3 weeks which are a combination of regularly available beers, seasonals and one-off releases.
SIP’ER: What’s the best way to consume Slow Lane?
Yvonne: Ideally in a glass because we are fancy! No, the real (technical) reason is that our beers contain live yeast so it is best to store the can upright, pour gently into a glass and leave the yeast sediments in the can.
SIP’ER: If you had to match one of your beers with your personality, which would it be?
Yvonne: I’d like to think the Hop Barn, our Mixed Fermentation Farmhouse IPA. It’s experimental and multifaceted - an amalgamation of several styles!
SIP’ER: What do you want people to take away from the experience after drinking Slow Lane?
Yvonne: That it was an enjoyable and insightful beer experience. Perhaps they had been introduced to a new beer style, or learned something about where and how the style originated.