First Look: Brewdog Opens Its First Sydney Taproom, in a Historic South Eveleigh Locomotive Workshop

Scottish craft-brewing giant Brewdog has opened its first taproom in Sydney: a 40-tap venue in the historic South Eveleigh precinct. The bar is in a vast converted locomotive workshop that accommodates 720 inside and 190 in the outdoor beer garden. Lucky Kwong, Re– and a working blacksmith are its neighbours at the former industrial site.

The brewery, which attracted controversy for its recent “anti-sponsorship” advertising criticising the Qatar World Cup and its workplace culture, has partnered with Australian Venue Co (AVC) for the Sydney opening, as well as last week’s launch of its first Melbourne taproom.

“It’s an honour to take on a site that has heritage classification,” Evan Gargaro, AVC state manager, tells Broadsheet. “It’s a living museum, and we had to work around the original equipment from the locomotive workshop. It’s fascinating to walk in and see the machinery that was used in the 1900s to build Australia’s railway network.”

With 40 taps, the South Eveleigh venue has plenty of space for Brewdog’s beers, which are all brewed at its solar-powered brewery and taproom in Murarrie, Brisbane. There are classics such as the bright, citrusy Punk XPA; the hoppy, dry Juicy Pale; punchy grapefruit-heavy Elvis Juice; and the New England-style hazy IPA, Hazy Jane. There are also brews exclusive to Australia, such as the Brown Snake ginger beer, named for the Brisbane River.

The bar also has taps dedicated to rotating local beer – on opening there are brews by Grifter, Willie the Boatman and Batch, plus space for tinnies of locally brewed beers. “We want to celebrate the local area and feature the diverse nature of craft beers, represented through different styles and brew makers,” says Gargaro.

When rolling out an huge brand like Brewdog across the world, consistency is key – but making each location unique is just as important. Gargaro says when they were considering how to cater to the inner west, they had to consider plant-based diets.

“Half the menu is either vegetarian or vegan. We wanted to make it diverse and inviting to different demographics, while also offering staple pub food,” he says.

Any of the burgers – from the loaded Patriot Burger with beef, bacon, cheddar, pickles and onions, to the Cluck Norris with buttermilk fried chicken, avocado and Cajun mayo – can be made with a plant-based protein alternative. The pizza menu has meat options such as the ’nduja, pepperoni, mozzarella and chilli, and vegan toppings such as The Hero with wild mushrooms, pine nuts, smashed tomatoes and rosemary.

The space has been designed around the original workshop equipment and tools. There’s low and high seating in the main area, as well as couches, plus more seating at the back of the room at the back of the bar, towards the kitchen. But the sprawling beer garden, under leafy trees, is set to be a hot ticket come summer.

Brewdog
Bay 1 Locomotive Workshops, South Eveleigh
(02) 8865 8345

Hours:
Mon to Wed 11am–10pm
Thu to Sat 11am–midnight
Sun 11am–10pm

brewdog.com/au
@brewdogsoutheveleigh

Menu items may have changed since this story was first published.