The Rise and Rise of Craft Beer – Get some skin in the game at Hopsters…but be quick!

Here’s why you should:

Whilst the popularity of beer drinking in Australia has been declining for a number of years, the craft beer market is flourishing!

Changing consumer tastes, and the shift from quantity to quality have seen the craft beer movement flourish and is experiencing explosive exponential growth!

Craft beer evolved from beer lovers who tinkered with their home brew kits in their backyards, dabbling with different flavours and methods and innovating through spice additives, switching strains of hops, forte alcohol, and creating personal takes on international flavours.

Currently worth $160 million, the Australian craft beer market is being driven by passionate more sophisticated beer drinkers and consumers who are demanding a more boutique, unique, and premium product. IBIS World has forecast that the industry will grow by 5% over the next five years, whereas the traditional beer market will grow by only 1.7%. Key to this growth is a well-defined and educated consumer.

Here’s how you can own a piece of it:

A once crazy dream to own a brewery is now becoming a reality for a mixed group of beer loving Sydney siders that have decided to share the beer and bragging rights with everyone by building Hopsters; Australia’s first and only cooperative brewery!

“We wanted to build a brewery where everyone felt so comfortable and as though they owned the place!” Says Co-founder and director Marco Vargas. “Our mission and goals are to foster a community to connect, learn, create and have fun through beer.”

Hopsters is now taking community memberships and are also offering their first 250 Early Harvest members the opportunity to purchase additional shares at the par value and immortalizing their names on to the walls of the brewery. This is one of many joining benefits on offer – for a full list see http://Hopsters.com.au/membership.

The co-operative spirit is based on the following principles:

Collaboration – Hopsters will be a birthplace for great beer. Our members will have an integral part in designing and voting on what we brew. The beer will not simply be the Brewery’s beers, but will truly be a reflection of our members and belong to them.

Education – We believe that beer education will foster a deeper appreciation for beer. We will promote beer education through a range of on-site activities that will develop according to the wishes of our members and size of the brewery.

Community – Hopsters plans to be a viable member in the local community. We look forward to building relationships with craft brewers, other co-ops and local businesses.

Membership of Hopsters, the first ever Australian co-op brewery, is now open to the public, just in time for Christmas. Community Memberships start at $250 which includes 5 shares in the co-operative, up to Foundation members where you get part of the brewery named after you and 2,000 shares. Distribution of profits will be amongst the members of the co-operative with dividends payable as and when profit and cashflow allows it and subject to board approval.

“The Hopsters vision is a brewery owned by its members where everyone has a stake and a voice. A laid back atmosphere where you can taste a great and varied range of quality craft beer brewed from within. Hopsters is something for beer lovers of all tastes and backgrounds and aims to unite and educate people with diverse interests in fine quality craft beer.

This unique co-operative model has garnered tremendous success overseas in America and the U.K. Not to be out done, these self made Aussie craft beer lovers are making the co-op brewery dream a reality.

Visit and grab your share: Hopsters.com.au/membership

Follow us: www.facebook.com/HopstersAU

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Media Contact:info@hopsters.com.au

About Hopsters Co-operative Brewery Limited

Hopsters is the first brewery in Australia established under the Co-operative Principles. It is a place to meet like-minded craft beer lovers who share a similar commitment to sustainability, community, innovation, and education. Members may nominate to sit on the managing Board, comprise important committees and task forces. Best of all, we have plans for members to directly participate in the beers that carry the Hopsters name by voting on styles, submitting recipes (hello, homebrewers!), and judging our continuing series of homebrew competitions. All this, plus, as a distributing co-op, subject to sufficient profitable financial performance and cash flow, profits payable based on your shares holding.

Founding Directors include: Marco Vargas, Michael O’Shea, Ross Howden, Rob Lancuba and Mitchell Hobbs