One thing I think the club really needs to remember — because it was such a unique time — is what we did during Covid. Melbourne went through six lockdowns between March 2020 and October 2021 (sorry if that reminder just triggered a few flashbacks). It was a tough period for everyone, but it was also a pretty remarkable time for the club.
The first lockdown began on Tuesday the 31st of March 2020. Our IPA Comp was due to be held at The Dan O’Connell Hotel in Carlton on the Saturday before this, but with the constant media coverage and growing uncertainty, the tough call was made to cancel the comp just a couple of days out. This was a huge disappointment for a lot of people: the organising committee, who had put more than four months of planning into the event; the judges and stewards, who were looking forward to comp day; the entrants, who’d spent hours brewing their beers; and the sponsors, who had supported the comp and were keen to see it all come together.
A special mention has to go to Michael H, who was the event organiser that year. He put more work than anyone into the competition, only for it to be canned at the very last minute.
The IPA Comp wasn’t the only thing impacted though. In 2020, the calendar — and pretty much all our plans — were thrown out the window from the end of March. But we didn’t just pack up shop. Instead, we went virtual and fired up Zoom.
Club meetings became a virtual affair which, let’s face it, isn’t quite the same as catching up IRL at a brewery or pub and sharing homebrew. That said, we still managed to line up some great content and presentations. One standout was a talk on brewing British ales from the former head brewer of Fuller’s Brewery, dialling in from his home in London. I’m pretty sure Dave W organised this one, and it’s probably my number one Mashers memory from that whole period.
We also kicked off Friday drinks, where anyone who felt like it could jump on a Zoom call and talk brewing and life while enjoying a beer. While meeting in person is obviously preferable, I actually found these catch-ups pretty great, especially at a time when social interaction was a rare commodity.
I also seem to remember a bit of homebrew sharing going on somehow. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think some Mashers even used their 5 km travel allowance to drop beers on other people’s doorsteps. I can’t quite remember how it was all coordinated though.
As lockdowns started to lift, the club still had to work around hospitality restrictions. We could meet up again, but we had to think about space, numbers, and those god-awful (but necessary) masks.
A lot of the club’s friends and supporters — breweries, pubs, and bars — really did it tough during this period. There was some government assistance, but it was still an incredibly hard time for these businesses, their owners, and their staff. Club members did a great job sharing deals and initiatives through socials (Facebook being the main channel at the time), helping us support the venues that normally support us. Thankfully, it usually wasn’t too hard to get beers and a parma delivered, and over time many of these businesses really leaned into that model.
Covid also gave the hobby a bit of a boost. With people stuck at home so much, a lot of folks picked up creative pastimes. Sourdough is probably what most people remember, but brewing had its moment too. As a result, club membership saw a bit of an uptick during this period.
Anyway, that’s my memory of how the club navigated Covid. If you’ve got other memories, photos, or want to add to (or correct) anything above, please drop a comment below — or feel free to send the committee your own write-up.