Plenty of local brewers play with sour beers, but none have committed as whole-heartedly as Boatrocker’s Matt and Andrea Houghton, who opened their brewery in Braeside at the start of 2013.
In 2015 they added this 100-patron Barrel Room after an investment from the Made By HAND group, aka Little Creatures founders, Nic Trimboli, Howard Cearns, David Martin and Adrian Fini.
It’s located across the road from the original brewery and contains 300 former wine, bourbon and whisky barrels, totalling about 100,000 litres of beer. Resting the product on oak serves to soften rough edges and adds notes such as vanilla and molasses.
Fifteen beer taps are on hand for sampling all the obscure styles stored in the room. There’s Miss Pinky, a mid-strength raspberry ale that’s tart, fruity and slightly sour; a rustic saison; and a stout known as Ramjet.
Thankfully, Boatrocker isn’t only for beer nerds. The taps also pour approachable styles such as Pilsner, IPA and pale ale, which pretty much anyone can enjoy.
On food there’s charcuterie and a selection of classic pizzas.
