Batch Brewing Co – almost a reason to move back to Marrickville

Many, many moons ago this correspondent lived in Marrickville. It was in fact where Mr and Mrs Bladdamasta bought their first humble abode. We were just off Sydenham Road and just off the flight path. We could ring Qantas and tell ’em that QF128 needed its tyres changed. I’ve got to say that we loved it at the time. We were a Skippy couple surrounded by Greek and Vietnamese neighbours and Marrickville and Illawarra Roads would always provide a culinary adventure. These days I don’t get to visit the Glorious Inner West very much, but my daughter’s playing netball at Sydney Uni on Saturdays and she’s a very willing wingman for post-game excursions.

I’m not sure how I first heard about Batch Brewing Co – but when I saw the address I knew that I had to find an excuse to get there. Thank goodness for the 10.45am netball game. Batch Brewing can be found at 44 Sydenham Road, Marrickville – a couple of blocks from Victoria Road towards Sydenham train station. It’s in the light industrial heartland of Marrickville – but on the weekends, you can generally find a park. Gees – back in the old days, I wouldn’t have needed a park. It would have been a stagger home with the only danger, the negotiation of Victoria Road. Batch Brewing is in a Black Garagey style building with a shiny roller door with their funky logo prominent. I arrived a little after midday and there already a clientele sitting around having a sip. The building is a brewery first and foremost with polished cement floors and brewing stuff lying around everywhere. That said, there’s bar-style tables, vintage couches and chairs available to sit at and taste. It did make me wonder how Vinnies and the Salvos can keep supplying small bars with their decades old furniture. As the first plane roared overhead, I felt all nostalgic like.

Batch Brewing has 6 taps on the go and a bar fridge with pre-filled growlers and “bombers”, which may or may not have what’s in the taps. You can have a jar of whatever is on tap for either $5 and $8 depending on the variety. I’m surprised at the jump in price from $5 to $8 given the relatively low gap in alcohol content. Don’t get me wrong – the India Black Ale was a belting beer, but it’d had want to be for $8 a jar. Pleasingly, Batch Brewing Co will fill up non-Batch-branded growlers. Jose had a sniff of my growlers. “Have you washed these?” “Yeah” “I’ll still give ’em a rinse”. My wingman smiled collusively with Jose. The WheatTea was really enjoyable. The concoction sounded faddish, but the Chai addition to a wheat beer really worked. I thought that the Chai might be as out of place as a Manly Fan at AAMI Park, but it was a winner. Very sessionable and I succumbed and added a bomber (640ml bottle) to my growlers of American Pale Ale and Wardell Nut Brown. Man, if only this place had been here when I’d lived in Marrickville,

There’s no obvious food on offer at Batch Brewing Co, so I took my wingman up to Marrickville Road for a feed. Whilst some shops, cafes and bars have moved into the industrial area, the main drag between Victoria and Petersham Roads remains relatively unchanged. There’s the odd trendy café, but the fabric shops, Vietnamese butchers, discount shops and bakeries all looked pretty familiar. I couldn’t go past the Rose Sunrise Bakery advertising $3 Pork Rolls and $5 spicy Vietnamese hamburgers. Aaah – prices from the ’90s. Bloody fine feed and the spicy burger was spicy. Next time – I’ll pick up the food and then head down to Batch Brewing Co. Netball Season has a while to run yet, and those growlers will need re-filling.