Beechworth, Victoria Redux

6/11/2023

The home of Australia’s favourite outlaw Ned Kelly, we were looking forward to soaking up the historic magic that is, Beechworth! On this adventure an intriguing bar caught my attention, and I couldn’t resist a peak; the exposed internal red brick and timber slatted ceiling created a rustic charm ambiance, and I was even more delighted to discover the bar was in fact a soda bar, specialising in Billson’s cordials and serving classic spiders, milkshakes, and sodas. I had the Elderflower soda and was hooked! George Billson developed cordial receipts with a local pharmacist in the 1870s yet sold the factory in 1914. The new owners who purchased the factory in 2018 have reinstated the brand and Billson’s has made a comeback with a Brewery, and the Soda Bar, which opened in Camp Street in 2022, and we are grateful they did. It was lovely to enjoy a drink at a venue, without it having to be either coffee or beer (although Shovel opted for the coffee). Such a fun place! Speaking of beer we couldn’t resist a visit to Bridge Road Brewers in the main street of Beechworth, brewers of our favourite beer, the Robust Porter. This was the first beer Shovel and I drank together in 2018 and whilst living in Mount Isa we would get a slab of it delivered and enjoy one together on Saturday evenings.