It has been 40 years since The Lord Nelson started brewing its own beer, and this October long weekend Sydney’s historic pub is raising a glass to four decades of brewing in The Rocks.
From Saturday, 3 October to Monday, 5 October The Lord Nelson will celebrate the anniversary with a limited-edition English ale, free beers, a naming competition and the launch of a new Coin Bearers Club.
The story of The Lord’s brewery began in 1986, when the historic pub’s then custodians decided to build a microbrewery in the back of the bar and cellar, reputedly after sailors drank the pub dry. Inspired by traditional English ales, they began brewing natural beers with malt, hops, yeast and water, without added sugar.
Four decades later, that same brewing tradition continues onsite.
Today, The Lord’s ales are brewed through a process that begins in the mash tun in the hotel’s cellar, before fermentation takes place in the brewery at the rear of the bar. The beer is then matured, conditioned and sent through to the taps upstairs. The result is a pint brewed just metres from where it is poured.
The anniversary celebrations will kick off at 11am on Saturday with the unveiling of a limited-edition English ale created by head brewer Gus Krug.
There is just one thing missing: a name.
Beer lovers will be invited to come up with one in a special naming competition, giving punters the chance to put their own mark on the 40th anniversary brew.
There will also be plenty of opportunities to drink for free. From 11am to 2pm each day of the long weekend, every 40th beer poured will be on the house. When number 40 hits the bar, the bell rings, the beer is free and the count starts again.
For those wanting to keep the celebrations going, The Lord is launching the Coin Bearers Club, with just 200 commemorative coins available. Guests can secure one by purchasing a case of Three Sheets and Old Admiral from The Lord, or by attending Sydney Beer Week’s ‘5 Ingredients of Ale’ event.
The coins come with various perks throughout the anniversary year. Coin Bearers will also have their name and individual coin number added to an honour roll inside the pub.
The brewery may be turning 40, but The Lord Nelson itself has been part of Sydney’s story for much longer. Established in 1841, it remains Sydney’s oldest continually licensed hotel operating within its original fabric.
In 2024 the Laundy Group became the current custodians.
Forty years of brewing is another chapter in that long history, and one that is still being written, one fresh pint at a time.
