When a place is described as a hidden gem, a few key features quickly come to mind. Usually, such a location is fairly small and non-trivial to find but for those who do discover it a treasure trove of goodies awaits. Such a description is apt for Cutty Cellars Bankstown, tucked away on the basement level of a suburban shopping plaza and home to a plethora of high quality local and international craft beers.
The store is the third in the growing Cutty Cellars chain, which also includes locations in Ashfield and Crows Nest. Although it’s technically the smallest of the three, there’s still room for at least 200 distinct beers on the shelves, ranging from familiar macro lagers to rare barrel-aged releases and everything in between.
Most of the store’s stock is housed in glass doored, frameless fridges that allow for maximum viewing convenience. As such, there’s a lot of effort put in to the presentation by staff who go to great lengths to provide the best retail experience possible.
Of the refrigerated stock, the majority is Australian and, better yet if you're a fan of supporting local, sourced from New South Wales. Due to the limited space available, the locals are usually joined by just a few of the top offerings from most other Aussie breweries, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing rare or exciting to be found.
The selection of international beers is as multicultural as Bankstown itself, with fresh IPAs from the US and several varieties of German Weissbier joining the Aussies in the fridge. The rest of the international stock is found on the store's shelves, encompassing breweries from New Zealand and the UK alongside an impressive Belgian contingent of strong ales and saisons. Anything too big for the fridges is also found here, including large corked bottles from the likes of AleSmith and Stone.
All Cutty Cellars stores offer a Crafty Club membership that's valid across all three locations and offers substantial discounts on craft beers, both in store and online, and designed to encourage the adventurous taster to take full advantage of the stores' range.
Thanks to stores like Cutty Cellars, the craft beer scene is continuing to flourish out west, bringing new flavours and tastes to what was once a very difficult market. As locals begin to embrace the revolution, it’s seems almost certain Cutty Cellars Bankstown is not going to remain a "hidden" gem for long.Marie Claire Jarratt
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