Eli Moore had been going through a rough trot. The Cherry Gardens brewer and distiller had studied hard for years and earned a PhD in nanotechnology, but his pursuit to commercialise an invention he’d made left him disillusioned with a science career.
A trip to the USA in 2019 to visit his wife’s family, however, helped change his course.
“I was introduced to a local craft beer produced in the Adirondack area of upstate New York,” he explains of the spark for his brewery and distillery, ill-intentions.
“At first, I didn’t know if I liked the beer, but by the end it had opened my eyes to a whole world I never knew existed. The aggressive flavours, strength and complexity were like nothing I normally associated with beer.”
Eli returned home with fire in his belly. Armed with his robust research and science background – and a drive, industriousness and creativity passed down from his shoemaker parents – he took on the challenge of producing his own beer using the same techniques as professional breweries.
His new goal to open a brewery officially came to fruition soon after he and his wife purchased land in Cherry Gardens in 2022, and he set to work transforming a large shipping container with the equipment required to get his small batch beers on tap at pubs.
His fledgling business also received a “critical” boost thanks to a City of Onkaparinga business grant.
One of the founding principles of Eli’s business model is a commitment to be as sustainable as possible, and the $5,000 grant allowed him to commission a local installer to upgrade the brewery and distillery’s solar power capabilities to help meet the demands of Eli’s new brewery equipment.
“Receiving this small business grant played a critical role in the company’s ability to keep its sustainability mandate on a very tight budget,” he says.
“With the added power generation, we were able to increase production, and therefore revenue, with the aid of a larger brewing system. We’ve also managed to future-proof for increased demand as the company builds a name for itself and more sales opportunities arise.”
ill-intentions. generates more electricity than it can use – which means little-to-no electricity bills – but its commitment to sustainability (both economically and environmentally) has extended to almost every facet of the business.
Its use of rainwater means no water bills. Spent grains are fed to their chickens or the neighbour’s cows, while used hops and yeast are composted to rejuvenate the soil. Gin is produced using the waste products from the beer-making process. Eli has even rigged a system that circulates water from their pool through the brewhouse to simultaneously cool the beer before it goes into the fermenter, while also heating their pool! And there are plenty more circular economy initiatives already underway or in planning stages.
Eli says his successful grant application detailed not only how the money would benefit the business, but also – via his sustainability goals – the broader community.
“The grant writing process can be quite daunting, but if you have a passion for what you’re doing, then let that shine through in your application,” he says when asked what advice he’d give businesses considering applying for a City of Onkaparinga local business grant.
“Make sure you articulate what the grant money will be used for and how that will benefit you, your business and the local community.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to think about how the small things you plan to do have bigger benefits on the community, but there’s always a trickle-on effect when a business has the ability to grow or improve, even slightly.”
ill-intentions. has come a long way since Eli first began producing single kegs of beer that went on tap at The Little Pub on Hindley Street. You can now find their products on tap in select popular pubs around Adelaide including The Little Pub, NOLA and Woodshed in Royal Park. The company also recently had a successful long weekend showing at the annual Adelaide Beer & BBQ Fest.
Eli says the next steps include getting his products into more local venues’ taps; canning his products; stocking them at independent bottle shops; and, eventually, opening a small taproom at the Cherry Gardens brewery.
You can bet Eli’s spirit will shine through in whatever milestone the business reaches next.
MORE INFORMATION
The City of Onkaparinga’s Local Business grants opened on Monday 21 July and close on Sunday 31 August. To learn more or to book in for a free grant writing workshop, visit onkaparingacity.com/grants or call the council on 8384 0666.