A Melbourne bar, owned and operated by a collective of young, entrepreneurial university graduates, has developed a world-first technology which allows beer lovers – from self-proclaimed experts to casual connoisseurs alike – to sample boutique beers from around the world, all without breaking the bank.

Biero has developed Beervault™ technology to extract beer out of bottles into an in-built reservoir which maintains the freshness of beer for around three days – a far cry from the one hour after opening that beer houses have struggled with in the past.

Biero developed the world first Beervault™ technology in conjunction with respected Melbourne based industrial designers, JonesChijoff.

The Beervault™ provides a way for the bar to dispense boutique beer into sampling glasses. By using carbon dioxide to take the beer from the bottle and push the beer through the Beervault™, the beer is deprived of any opportunity to come into contact with oxygen and prevents the beer’s flavour from degrading. Using carbon dioxide also promotes a healthy head on the beer. What this means for the average drinker is that they can now access the sort of boutique beers they’ve always wanted to buy in a sample form.

The beer in the Beervaults™ will be changed fortnightly to ensure a constantly evolving menu of leading international boutique beers and innovative local microbrewers are made accessible.

Biero is located in a heritage listed building on Little Lonsdale Street and the interior design was headed by Timothy Lee of T(a)2 Architects.

The client’s brief was to refurbish the tired interiors of the existing place while putting an emphasis on their Beervaults as a means to introduce to the beer drinking lovers the wonder of their one of a kind invention. The aim is to create a place of relaxation for the people to spend their time enjoying the variety of beers that is available on the premise.

T(a)2’s challenge was to create a interior that is unique, comfortable and classy on a very tight budget while working closely with the graphic designers Fyooz Studio to ensure the interior is reflected clearly with their new branding for Biero.

The strategy was to strip back the exisitng off-white walls to expose the existing bricks to give the place a rustic warm finish. Full mirrored walls are installed to make the place look bigger and the existing chandeliers are retained to create a contrasting mix of opulence and drama. The bar counter is constructed from recycled timber and sawn timber pine blocks are used to create the jenga block effect for texture and contrast.

A display is inserted into the bar counter to showcase the variety of beers that is available in the premise. The ten Beervaults are the main focus for the bar and is placed prominently at the back of the bar counter with backlights to showcase the special brews to the customers.

Since taking over the existing place and rebranding it as Biero the business has had a marked increase in patronage and is growing strongly. Beer lovers and diners alike are lingering over their meals and beers to enjoy the ambience of the place and the owners are delighted with the renovation results.