Dune Beer Co. microbrewery open for business as Kate and Will Marwick pour Reece Whitby an Emu Point Lager

Albany siblings Kate and Will Marwick said they were “relieved” to open the doors to their Emu Point microbrewery this week after more than four years of hard work. The day after welcoming Dune Beer Co.’s first customers on Wednesday, Ms Marwick said it was a push to open in time for the Easter long weekend. “We’re trying to open with a limited menu and a small tap list, but trying to keep it casual, just for the first Easter weekend type thing, and then we’ll ramp it up a bit as we get going,” the venue manager said. “We can’t wait to invite tourists and locals in the door. “That’s probably the biggest relief, not having to answer everyone’s question of when we’re opening when they knock on the door.” Mr Marwick, the venue’s product manager, said he “takes a lot of pride” in contributing to the emerging Great Southern craft beer market. “There has been good beer produced down here before us, and it’s nice to just add to them,” he said. “The beer community here is really good, and we’ve had lots of offers of help from around the brewery scene, which is really nice.” The Marwicks were joined by newly appointed Minister for the Great Southern Reece Whitby on Thursday, who relived his young days as the son of a publican when he was ushered behind the bar to pour himself an Emu Point Lager. “I’m amazed that this has only been opened a day and a half, and already it’s so busy,” Mr Whitby said. “So obviously there’s a need and a desire for (an) establishment like this (that) serves the visitor, but it also serves the locals. “I think it’s so good to have a couple of local people from the region who know the region, love the region put everything on the line and invest in something like this. “Albany is emerging and its population is growing all the time so this is going to be sustained, I think, not just by local demand, but by increased visitation.” The Emu Point Lager is the only Dune Beer currently available on tap, but Mr Marwick hopes to have the Midds mid-strength ale and Pontoon Pale ale up-and-running after Anzac Day. “Our core range is kind of a nice, hopefully clean, refreshing, simple beer that people want to drink day to day,” he said. “Our ethos is kind of just mastering the basics, learning the rules, and then breaking them down the line.” The 250-capacity venue was partly funded by a $150,000 Regional Economic Development Grant awarded in 2020. It features a restaurant with a locally sourced menu, indoor and outdoor seating, a Menang Noongar storytelling play area, and a mezzanine floor that can be rented out for functions.