One of Canberra's most popular microbreweries, Zierholz, is hoping to be part of the new arts precinct planned for the Old Bus Depot Markets area in Kingston.
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Owner Christoph Zierholz has expressed interest in moving his brewery and restaurant from Fyshwick to Kingston as the ACT government plans the next stage of the arts and cultural precinct at Kingston.
Mr Zierholz said nothing would happen in the next 12 months but he was keen to develop a brewery and beer hall that would showcase beers from Canberra and the surrounding region.
"We're already close to Kingston and to be next to the Bus Depot Markets, it seems like it would be a really good fit," he said.
ArtsACT director David Whitney said a microbrewery was one of the options that was under consideration as the government looked at ways to develop the cultural and arts precinct.
But he said everything depended on a feasibility study, which was due to be lodged in September, before plans could move ahead.
"What there is is an expression of interest from Zierholz brewery and others saying 'look, if this were to develop the way that people are telling me it might be developed, I'd be very interested in coming down'," he said.
Mr Whitney said the Wig and Pen's proposed move to the concert venue Llewellyn Hall at the Australian National University was one example where a brewery could combine with the arts to create a vibrant cultural hot spot.
"We want this broader [Kingston] cultural precinct to have activities, studios where things are being made, and also reasons for people to stop and some of those reasons might be a microbrewery," he said. "There could be restaurants ... and other exhibitions.
"Families can ride their bikes down [to the Kingston Foreshore] and be part of the action and be spoilt for choice. It's the whole notion of art and culture and, as we know, culture is much more than paintings on a wall, it's about how we dress, what we eat, how we feel, all those things."
Mr Whitney said the arts precinct should have opportunities for Canberra's creative industries while also offering customer services such as food and beverages.
If the idea of a microbrewery is adopted and approved as part of the arts precinct, Mr Zierholz hopes to establish a bigger main brewery to produce his beers and a restaurant or beer hall to showcase the best of Canberra's brewers.
"The venue attached to the main brewery should still be a showcase of boutique beer so we thought 'let's just run three or four of our beers and... a regional showcase of beers'," he said.
"It's about getting the consumers to be aware of the products around the region and one week they'll come in and try our beer and another week they'll try one from BentSpoke, Kosciuszko or Wagga."