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MELBOURNE | Abbotsford’s Bodriggy Brewing Company have been brewing for several years, but their highly anticipated and long overdue taproom only arrived recently. When we recorded a Brunswick Beer Collective podcast episode at the brewery with co-owner Pete Walsh late last year, the space was still a long way from being complete. The brewery was operational at the back but the main room was full of construction equipment, dust, and dirt. What’s now the downstairs toilets was a recently excavated hole in the ground.
Walking into Bodriggy today, we could help but be excited for the team to see that all their plans and hard work had finally come to fruition. The large space, licensed for up to 424 people (and dog friendly), is impressive. It’s got a warehouse meets jungle tropics kind of feel about it, and still retains some of the building’s former auto repair shop feel too (some of the original furnishings have been used). It’s hard to explain, but you’ll know what we mean when you visit. There’s big, group-friendly tables, smaller stand-up tables and lots of booths to the side. The venue’s also licensed for live music – so expect live DJs and bands.
The large bar features 64 taps of both Bodriggy’s own beers plus beers from other breweries that they like. There’s something for everyone, from the solid, accessible core range beers like the Highbinder, a 4.80% ABV pale ale, to more experimental drops like the fruited sour “Space Milk” series. Space Milk releases to date have featured ingredients like almond, apricot, soursop, and cayenne pepper.
Bodriggy might be a brewpub, but it really does have something for everyone. Beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails, and an assortment of meat, vegetarian, and vegan dishes. There are five wines on tap, from local wineries like Brunswick East’s Noisy Ritual, and an assortment of cocktails like “That Pink Drink” – 666 lemon myrtle vodka, vassis, house grenadine, citrus, and egg white, and “El Coco” – coconut washed Buffalo Trace Bourbon, agave, and Latin American bitters.
Like the cocktails, the food menu takes its inspiration from Central and South America. Think Mexican food plus other dishes from across the region. Head chef Johnny Dominguez (ex The Rochester, Vue du Monde, Dinner by Heston) and his team are creating some delicious food that’s much more than an afterthought. Charcoal grilled chicken marinated with spices, oregano, lime juice, aji panca chilli, and garlic is fantastic, as is the 250 gram caulifower steak, with pickled onions, crispy caulifower forets & chimichurri. The tacos hit the spot too. In fact, there’s nothing we ate here that we didn’t like.
And if all of that wasn’t enough, a take away bottle shop and upstairs function room are both slated to open in the near future.
Bodriggy Brewing Company
245 Johnston Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9417 2293
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Sun – Thu: 11:30am to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 11:30am to 1:00am