Hopsters Cooperative Brewery

What Hopsters Cooperative Brewery does

Hopsters Cooperative Brewery is an Australian member-owned craft brewery established in 2016 and located in Enmore, inner-western Sydney. It operates as a cooperative under a one-member-one-vote governance model, with members paying a $250 lifetime joining fee to acquire a co-operative share that entitles them to participation in governance, a members-only discount on beer purchases, voting rights at Annual General Meetings, and a say in the company's direction. The cooperative is run by a nine-person volunteer board plus an Operations Manager, with approximately seven operational staff. Hopsters brands itself as Australia's first cooperative brewery.

The company's product portfolio centers on packaged craft beer sold in cases of 16 cans and four-packs, with a core range that includes a Pale Ale, Griffo XPA, and West Coast IPA, supplemented by a "Cool Kids" limited-release series. As of the available data, brewing is conducted off-site under contract at other facilities, with retail distribution handled from a 13-tap taproom at 198 Enmore Road, Enmore, where customers can also obtain keg fills. Revenue is generated through a multi-stream model: beer case/4-pack sales, lifetime membership shares, taproom pour and merchandise sales, keg fills, venue hire, ticketed events, and a "Hopsters At Home" subscription box that ships curated cases to members. Case pricing ranges from approximately $80 to $135 per 16-can case, with member pricing offering a discount relative to the public retail rate.

Strategic positioning is built on three pillars: cooperative member ownership, a single inner-west Sydney venue, and local tourism partnerships. The business has stated a five-year plan to establish an on-site brewing facility at the Enmore location, which would verticalize production and expand gross margin capture. The model is differentiated from privately-owned craft breweries by the legal structure itself; members are joint equity holders, and exit is governed by cooperative rules rather than share-market liquidity. The customer base combines local walk-in taproom trade, a growing membership roster (at least 346 members at the time of reporting), distribution through select retail stockists, and event-driven venue sales.

Name

Hopsters Cooperative Brewery

Legal name

Hopsters Co-operative Brewery Limited

Website

https://hopsters.coop

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hopsters Cooperative Brewery is an Australian member-owned craft brewery and taproom in Enmore, Sydney, selling core and limited-release packaged beers plus on-premise pours to members and the public through a cooperative share-and-subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Cooperative brewery
• Taproom operations
• Beer wholesale distribution
• Member-owned brewery

Headquarters

HQ city

Enmore

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales (Cases and Packs): One-time purchase of canned beer in cases (16x375ml) and 4-packs sold through e-commerce and taproom. Core range includes Pale Ale and Griffo XPA at $80/case, with premium Cool Kids releases at $135/case.
2. Cooperative Membership: Lifetime membership sold for $250, providing shares in the brewery, member discounts, voting rights, event access, and potential future dividends.
3. Taproom Sales: On-site sales of craft beer on tap (13 taps), schooners, pints, with happy hour promotions and food partnerships. Also offers 10% discount for Enmore Theatre ticket holders.
4. Keg Fills: Wholesale keg fills for external venues at $75-$150 per fill.
5. Events and Merchandise: Ticketed events (e.g., Dark Beer Tasting at $30), merchandise (t-shirts, singlets at $40-$45), Grainfather hire, and Hopsters At Home subscription box delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hopsters Co-operative Brewery produces and sells craft beer through its Sydney taproom, e-commerce storefront, and wholesale keg distribution. The cooperative sells core range beers (Pale Ale, Griffo XPA, West Coast IPA) and limited-release "Cool Kids" specialty beers, alongside a members-only monthly subscription box, branded merchandise, homebrewing equipment hire, and ticketed tasting events. Lifetime membership ($250) confers share ownership, voting rights, and member benefits.

Product overview

Hopsters Cooperative Brewery operates as a democratically run, member-owned cooperative brewery in Sydney, Australia. The product portfolio centers on craft beer production with core offerings including Pale Ale, Griffo XPA, and West Coast IPA available in case and 4-pack formats. Limited release specialty beers are sold under the 'Cool Kids' series including various IPAs and stouts. The cooperative offers a subscription service (Hopsters At Home) delivering curated beer selections to members. Membership ($250 lifetime) provides voting rights, discounts, and access to exclusive events like tastings and brew days. The business operates a taproom venue with 13 beer taps plus food service partnerships, and sells branded merchandise. Additional revenue streams include keg fills for wholesale and Grainfather equipment hire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hopsters Pale Ale

Quantifiable outcome

• 10% member discount on taproom and online purchases

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Inner West Ale TrailcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHopsters is a proud member of the Inner West Ale Trail, a craft beer tourism initiative covering the Inner West Sydney region. This partnership positions Hopsters as a destination venue for craft beer enthusiasts and tourists exploring local breweries.
• Enmore TheatreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership offering 10% discount on beer, wine and bubbles for Enmore Theatre ticket holders at the Hopsters taproom. Hopsters members with theatre tickets receive 15% discount.
• Epic Pizza and Local RestaurantsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood delivery partnerships with local Enmore Road restaurants (Epic Pizza, Faheem Fast Food, Bangkok Bowl, The Sultan's Table) providing exclusive meal deals delivered to Hopsters taproom tables.
• Craft Beer Crew (Matt Brown)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatt Brown of Craft Beer Crew hosts events at Hopsters, including Dark Beer Tastings featuring bottle shares of imperial stouts, barleywines, and barrel-aged beers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Young Henrys: Inner West Sydney craft brewery with a taproom in Newtown, comparable craft beer portfolio, and similar community-focused brand positioning. Most direct geographic and product peer to Hopsters.
• The Grifter Brewing Co. Sydney craft brewery with on-site taproom, core range IPAs/pales, and limited releases in cans. Similar scale and DTC craft beer community model.
• Akasha Brewing: Inner West Sydney craft brewery with taproom and core/limited release beer portfolio. Same geography (Inner West Ale Trail) and similar craft beer community positioning.
• Modus Brewing: Sydney craft brewery operating a taproom with core and rotating limited releases in cans and kegs. Comparable DTC model, Inner West taproom presence, and craft beer community focus.
• Willie the Boatman: St Peters (Inner West) craft brewery with a strong taproom presence and core/limited release canned beer portfolio. Directly comparable Inner West location and craft model.
• Batch Brewing Co: Small-batch Sydney craft brewery in Marrickville (Inner West) producing core and limited release beers with an on-site taproom. Closely comparable in scale, location, and DTC/community orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Coopers Brewery: Major Australian family-owned brewery with broad national distribution of core ales/stouts. Adjacent competitor in the broader beer category; not a craft peer but competes for the same consumer occasions and shelf space.
• 4 Pines Brewing Company: Established Australian craft brewery with multiple taproom venues including Manly and Brookvale. Broader portfolio and distribution scale, but same craft beer taproom/DTC model.
• Stone & Wood Brewing Co. Established Australian craft brewery with multiple production sites and taprooms across NSW/QLD. Much larger scale but competes in the same craft beer category with similar product formats.
• Pirate Life Brewing: Australian craft brewery founded in Perth, now multi-site, producing core IPAs and limited releases in cans. Comparable product mix and DTC positioning at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hopstersau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hopstersau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hopsters Cooperative Brewery