Cypher's new Indigenous beer set to debut at the National Multicultural Festival

Gunghalin-based Canberra brewers Cypher Brewing Co are brewing a new and exclusive beer, especially for the National Multicultural Festival.

Featuring native ingredients sourced in conjunction with the local Ngunnawal people, the brew is called Yuma. It promises a ginger beer-style beverage that will be available at the six-tap minibar Cypher will be running at the festival.

The National Multicultural Festival, now in its 29th year, takes place over three days from 7 to 9 February. It is a hub for creatives and communities to gather and share their cultures through food and drink.

Cypher’s head brewer, Matthew Thiele, is brewing this deep-dish brew to represent his Indigenous heritage at the event.

“Being Indigenous myself, I had many ideas on how I could bring my culture to the public and what my spin would be. I see inspiration everywhere,” says Matthew.

To support the undertaking, Matthew has engaged the local Ngunnawal community.

“We’ve teamed up with the local Ngunnawal people to get native herbs and spices for the brew. We’ve got lemon myrtle and strawberry gum. We also branched out to some native ingredients from around Australia, like desert lime. It would have been a little hard to make a brew solely from ingredients from the Ngunnawal region,” Matthew explains.

In addition to the festival weekend, Cypher will also be hosting a foraging group tour on 2 February for their Cypher Collective members and brewery community of subscribers.

“Richie Allen is our knowledge holder for the Ngunnawal, specialising in plants, herbs and medicines, and he will be a guide for us. He’s a wealth of knowledge,” Matthew explains.

Matthew and Jeff Shipley, owners of Cypher Brewing Co, have been enthusiastic attendees of the National Multicultural Festival for many years. They are so inspired by the event’s community nature that they want to bring similar vibes and events to their brewpub in Gungahlin.

“We live in one of the most culturally diverse suburbs in Canberra, and we’d love to build on the community spirit that Canberra has at the multicultural festival,” says Jeff.

“We are currently lining up monthly multicultural events at Cypher that will be starting around March. We will have live music, food and a special beer brewed for the day, and we’ll be working with embassies in Canberra to get them involved to showcase their cultures.”

The brewpub is close to the light rail line in Gungahlin, so Jeff feels it is perfectly positioned to attract people from around Canberra to enjoy these events.

“People will be able to hop off the rail and join us without worrying about needing to drive. We’d love for more Canberrans to experience the diversity and community we have here in Gungahlin,” says Jeff.

With events planned throughout the year, Matthew jokes that the secret to managing their busy schedule is living at the pub. Although said in jest, Jeff recognises the hard work and credits his small team of 10 employees for making it all happen.

“Our team is red hot and can jump in anywhere; we can all cover each other’s roles, and it’s how we can do so much here,” says Jeff.

On a recent visit to the pub, I experienced what a small team can achieve. Having recently opened their doors to trade seven days a week, Jeff himself was handling the bar this Monday night and treated every customer like family.

Generous with the tastings and guidance to find your perfect drop, Jeff was a master at what can often be the all-too-elusive art of hospitality.

To find out more about the upcoming events at Cypher Brewing Co, or to become a Cypher Collective member to get free pours, discounted food and exclusive invites to events like the forage, head to Cypher Brewing.