The Local Taphouse

Three! Hundred! Beers! That’s how many different kinds of brewski make an appearance at the Local Taphouse every year. No surprise then that founders and beer loyalists Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone are the same dudes who started the Great Australian Beer Spectapular – the largest brewing and tasting event ever attempted in Australia. They serve a weekly rotating selection of local and imported brews here – 20 on tap and 30 by the bottle – which represent the finest craft beer from around the world. Pull a pint of whatever your friendly beer-ista recommends, or take on a whole paddle of samples, ranked by their degree of drinking difficulty from cruisy to bruisy, for a mere $15. Even if you don’t dig suds, all is not lost. Far from being the sole domain of big beardy men, Monday sees the Local play host to one of Melbourne’s best stand-up comedy gigs (and attracts an artsy crowd to match), plus, there’s an indoor bocce pitch, and a restaurant favouring beer's best friend: carbs. Catering to the moderately hungry (try the toasted ciabatta with pastrami and melted cheese) to the absolutely starving (lamb pie, steak frites and chilli con carne), it’s a wallet friendly option, with most meals pulling in at around the $20 mark. Bunker down in the wood paneled saloon-style surrounds for a quiet ale, prop it by the open fireplace in the outdoor courtyard with some mates, or hang at the bar with the switched on bartenders for a serious nerd-out session.