In 2022, Molly Rose Brewing Founder Nic Sandery opened the brewery for half an hour on Christmas Day to pour free pots of beer. It’s a tradition he’s adhered to every year since, and this year will be no different.
Reflecting on the memories that inspired the tradition, Sandery told Beer & Brewer: “I grew up in a great country town on the Murray River called Loxton. We had one pub that was owned by the community and run by a board with all profits being donated back to local causes. One of the pub’s traditions was to open on Christmas day at 10am with a line of free beers snaking around the front bar.
“Locals would come in for a quick pot and carry on to their next Chrissy event. I decided that this was the type of community spirit I wanted Molly Rose to stand for so we thought we would give it a try.”
Sandery had always felt that it would be a fitting tradition for Molly Rose Brewery, and coming out of Covid in 2022, decided it would be a great way to celebrate with the community.
“I wasn’t sure if anyone would come at all, but I rocked up in my Christmas shirt – my mother in law likes a well attired Christmas lunch – and had some pot glasses ready. It was a huge success with 20-30 people popping past. I ended up with home-baked goods, Christmas cards and a whole lot of smiles. People loved that they could drop in for a sneaky morning beer to ease them through what can be a slightly stressful day.
“In 2023 we ran it again it was an even bigger hit. We had double the amount of people, with a national news reporter come to record us and interview me while I was trying to pour 50 pots in 15 minutes. I love how every person has a story about how the quick pot stop has fit into their Christmas day and made it better. Everyone loves a free beer and free beer on Christmas is a supremely jolly occasion,” he stated.
From 11am until 11:30am on Wednesday, 25 December, Sandery will once again invite the Collingwood community to enjoy a free pot of beer at the brewery and thank them for their support throughout the year.
