Westside Ale Works

What Westside Ale Works does

Westside Ale Works is an independent craft brewery founded in November 2016 by Casey Wagner and currently owned by Jonathan Treloar, who acquired the business in late 2024. The company operates from a single warehouse taproom at 36 Alfred Street, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, pouring 20 taps — 16 dedicated to its own core range, seasonal experiments and limited releases, plus 4 rotating guest taps — alongside homemade pizza, shuffleboard, and darts. Core canned beers include Best Coast (West Coast IPA, 6.8% ABV, 58.3 IBU), Cali Commoner (Steam Ale, 4.5% ABV), and Rye Not Kolsch (5% ABV). Head Brewer Leo Salancon leads production with a winemaking and distillation background and applies water profile manipulation as a flavour-shaping technique; the brewery added an in-house canning line and barrel-aging program when it relocated to its current larger warehouse in 2019.

The business runs a multi-channel revenue model. Direct-to-consumer streams include taproom beer and food sales (walk-ins and bookable tables), takeaway pizza and growlers, and an e-commerce online shop shipping canned beer and merchandise with auto-applied volume discounts of 10-20%. B2B wholesale distributes kegs and cans to bars, restaurants, bottle shops, sports clubs and event venues across Australia under flexible volumes and no lock-in contracts. Event hire monetises three spaces — the main taproom (up to 70), Hop Loft mezzanine (up to 30), and outdoor area (up to 50) — with catering and AV options, supplemented by ticketed events such as Trivia Nights and NFL Watch Parties. A Westside Rewards loyalty program (1 point per $1 spent) underpins repeat visitation.

Westside Ale Works is privately held with no institutional, venture, or corporate backing disclosed. Revenue is not publicly reported. The company holds a Victoria Liquor Licence (No. 32807929) and markets primarily through Instagram, email newsletters, Eventbrite, Google/local SEO, and its rewards program. Following the late-2024 ownership change, the business completed a full rebrand and taproom renovation in 2025, modernising the venue while preserving its independent, American West Coast hop-forward identity.

Name

Westside Ale Works

Legal name

Westside Ale Works

Website

https://westsidealeworks.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Westside Ale Works is an independent craft brewery and taproom in South Melbourne, Australia, founded 2016, pouring 20 taps of hop-forward beer with homemade pizza, wholesale distribution to venues, and private event hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery

NAICS

Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFALAA

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries (Taprooms/Tasting Rooms)

SECONDARYTHAFALAB

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries (Taprooms/Tasting Rooms)

SECONDARYTHAFAEAG

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Bars, Pubs & Nightlife Venues

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Taproom beer
• Beer wholesale
• Event venue hire
• Craft beer distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

South Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Taproom Beer Sales: On-premise beer sales across 20 taps including 16 proprietary beers and 4 rotating guest taps. Walk-ins welcome with table reservations available.
2. Food Service: Rustic pizza made with homemade dough using their own beer, plus snacks and kids meals. Pizza sold in taproom and for takeaway.
3. Direct-to-Consumer Online Shop: Canned beer and merchandise sold online with home delivery. Volume discounts applied automatically at checkout (10-20% off based on quantity).
4. Wholesale Beer Distribution: Keg and can sales to bars, restaurants, bottle shops, sports clubs and event venues. No lock-in contracts with flexible volumes. Core range plus rotating seasonal releases.
5. Event Hire and Functions: Private function hire of taproom (up to 70), Hop Loft (up to 30), and outdoor area (up to 50). Includes catering, AV equipment, and brewery tour option.
6. Rewards Program: Loyalty program earning 1 point per $1 spent. Points redeemable for free pints, discounts, merch and exclusive experiences. $5 off first order for new members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Westside Ale Works operates an independent craft brewery and warehouse taproom in South Melbourne pouring 20 taps (16 proprietary, 4 rotating guest beers) of US West Coast hop-forward beer. Its core packaged range comprises Best Coast West Coast IPA, Cali Commoner Steam Ale, and Rye Not Kolsch, sold through a direct-to-consumer online shop with home delivery, a wholesale channel to Australian venues, and an on-site taproom serving rustic pizza alongside takeaway and private function hire.

Product overview

Westside Ale Works is an independent craft brewery offering a portfolio of beer products and venue services. The core offering consists of three canned beers in the core range: Best Coast (West Coast IPA), Cali Commoner (Steam Ale), and Rye Not Kolsch (Kölsch). These are sold through an online shop with tiered discounts and available for wholesale to venues. The company operates a warehouse taproom with 20 taps, four rotating guest taps, and homemade pizza. Additional revenue streams include function/event hire across three distinct spaces (Taproom, Hop Loft, outdoor area) and a loyalty rewards program. The offering is a single-brand craft brewery operation with products sold direct-to-consumer online and on-site, plus B2B wholesale distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Best Coast West Coast IPA Flagship West Coast IPA brewed with Chinook, Amarillo, Centennial, and Nelson Sauvin hops, featuring piney and citrusy flavours at 6.8% ABV and 58.3 IBU. Sold direct-to-consumer online, in the taproom, and wholesale to venues.
• Cali Commoner Steam Ale Steam Ale-style core range beer with a crisp, smooth profile and lightly fruity notes from Australian hops, at 4.5% ABV and 18.3 IBU. Sold direct-to-consumer online, in the taproom, and wholesale to venues.
• Rye Not Kolsch Kölsch-style core range beer brewed with rye for a crisp, dry, spicy character, at 5% ABV and 14.5 IBU. Sold direct-to-consumer online, in the taproom, and wholesale to venues.
• Taproom Experience Warehouse-style taproom at 36 Alfred Street, South Melbourne, pouring 20 taps (16 proprietary core range and seasonal experiments, 4 rotating guest beers) with homemade rustic pizza, shuffleboard and darts. Open Wednesday to Sunday with walk-ins and table reservations.
• Functions and Event Hire Private event hire service offering three tailored spaces (Main Taproom up to 70 indoors plus 50 outdoors, Hop Loft mezzanine up to 30, and outdoor area up to 50) with catering, AV equipment, brewery tour options, and dedicated bar service for corporate events, birthdays, weddings, trivia nights, and other functions of 10-70 guests.
• Wholesale Beer Distribution B2B wholesale supply of kegs and cans to Australian bars, restaurants, bottle shops, sports clubs and event venues, with no lock-in contracts, flexible volumes, and a direct supplier relationship without middlemen. Core range plus rotating seasonal releases, supported by weekly trade email updates.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hop Nation Brewing Co: Footscray-based Melbourne craft brewery operating a warehouse taproom with hop-forward beers and own canning line. Directly comparable operating model and product positioning to Westside Ale Works.
• Stomping Ground Brewing Co: Independent Melbourne craft brewery with a flagship Collingwood taproom and strong rotating tap program. Closely comparable as a similarly-sized Melbourne independent craft brewery emphasising freshness and taproom-led distribution.
• Boatrocker Brewery: Melbourne craft brewery with a sizeable brewery taproom (Brewers Hall) in Braeside featuring rotating taps and food. Comparable as a Melbourne independent brewery with diversified D2C and event revenue.
• Tallboy & Moose: Preston-based Melbourne craft brewery with taproom and kitchen, focused on bold and experimental styles. Comparable scale and D2C taproom-plus-wholesale model.
• Moon Dog Craft Brewery: Inner-Melbourne craft brewery known for experimental, hop-forward and barrel-aged releases with own taproom. Comparable style emphasis (bold, hop-forward) and warehouse-taproom format.

Broad incumbents

• BrewDog: Global craft brewery chain with multiple taproom/hotel formats and broad wholesale distribution. Comparable craft-taproom-plus-wholesale model but operates at far greater scale and with corporate backing.
• Little Creatures: Established Australian craft brewery brand owned by Lion, operating a major Geelong taproom venue. Comparable craft positioning but corporate-owned and at substantially larger scale.
• Pirate Life Brewing: Larger Australian craft brewery with multi-site production and taprooms across states. Comparable hop-forward product positioning but broader geographic and capital scale than Westside.

Regional players

• Sailors Grave Brewing: Regional Victorian craft brewery with taproom and experimental/ barrel-aged releases. Comparable independent craft ethos and barrel-aging program, but located outside metropolitan Melbourne.
• Akasha Brewing: Sydney-based craft brewery with own taproom and hop-forward style. Comparable independent craft brewery and taproom-plus-wholesale model, but operates in a different Australian state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/westsidealeworks
• Xx.com/WestsideAle
• Facebookfacebook.com/WestsideAleWorks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westside-ale-works

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Westside Ale Works