Matilda Bay Bar & Brewery

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Posted 2013-03-10 by Olga R. ⇒ follow

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If you find yourself riding through the quiet back streets of Port Melbourne it will most likely be for a trip to Bunnings or to pick up a package at the Australia Post parcel centre. You will most likely ride down Williamstown Road and miss a turn into Bertie Street, and even if you did, you might just think nothing of the unassuming (and deceivingly small) entrance marked "Matilda Bay Bar and Brewery".

If you did, it would be a crying shame.

[SECTION]The Bar and Brewery[/SECTION]

To those fortunate enough to stop and venture in, the above-mentioned little entrance leads up some steps, down a hall and into a veritable cave of wonders.

The hall opens up into an L-shaped bar with a seating area surrounded by metal fencing, beyond which lies the brewery.

A jungle of metal intertwined with mysterious beer-making mechanisms and intricate piping sits immobile in the high-ceilinged space, where visitors can go for a tour to witness first-hand the slightly alchemic process of milling-mashing-lautering-boiling-whirpooling-cooling-fermenting-maturing that turns raw materials into brew.

A neat row of sneakers placed just beyond the fence allows unaware open-shoed visitors not to miss out on the tour of the brewery.

The style of interior decor is appropriately industrial, with its stripped back raw materials, factory-functional objects and permanently unfinished look, giving the place that utilitarian appeal that is on such high demand for New York lofts right now.

The Brewery boasts six passionate full-time brewers, and as anyone who is in a niche business knows, passion and expertise give rise to a very sector-based type of humour.

[SECTION]The Brews[/SECTION]

Matilda Bay's signature brew names follow the general theme of the place: inviting and humorous. Here is a quick overview of what's on offer:

1. Fat Yak

Admittedly named "after a hairy Mongolian cow thing", Fat Yak is a North American style pale ale with notes of melon and passionfruit.

2. Beez Neez

Once a popular expression denoting excellence, Beez Neez is Matilda Bay's very own honey infused wheat beer.

3. Redback Beer

Named after a notorious native arachnid, Redback beer is a child of the eighties. It is a German style wheat beer with a fruity-clove aroma.

4. Bohemian Pilsner

What's a brewery without its very own pilsner? This Czec-style pilsner follows the craft that originated in mid-ninteenth century former Bohemia.

5. Helga

Anyone who has witnessed first-hand the annual Oktoberfest in Munich has come across a large, braided, beer-swinging waitress named Helga. Much like her German namesake, this Munich style dry lager beer is described as "malty, full bodied and well rounded."

6. I.G.P.

...or Itchy Green Pants. Long story, apparently, involving long hours on the job and green working gear. Matilda Bay's own version of Australian cloudy ale.

7. Dirty Granny

The liquid version of a ripe Granny smith apple - I can vouch for that! - this cider hits you with its harmonious interplay of sweet and acid notes. Made from native apples, it has no sugar added and it is ideally paired with soft cheeses.

8. Small Batch Brews

Last but not least, a trip down to this place allows you to taste the best fruits of a brewer's never-ending effort to come up with a bigger, badder, better brew.