There’s nothing speakeasy about Boilermaker House in Melbourne. With inviting street frontage and on-street outdoor seating, it’s easy to locate the late night bar along Melbourne’s Lonsdale Street.
Greg Sanderson (EDV Melbourne) and Sven Almenning (Speakeasy Group) are the pair behind Boilermaker House with Jack Sotti (ex EDV Melbourne) as General Manager.
Inside the 200 person capacity venue with distressed walls, booth seating, table and counter seats, the wall of whisky lures you to perch at the bar. Over 700 whiskies grace an entire wall, the biggest collection in Australia, we’re told. They’re working up to 1100 to be the biggest in Southern Hemisphere.
Twelve revolving tap beers take centre stage at the bar with beer over 70 bottled beers and a focus on craft brews. The whiskies are displayed alphabetically on the shelves rather than by flavour profile which means single malts from Scotland sit alongside Japanese and Australian whisky. Taking the guesswork out of ordering, the double-sided menu groups beer by flavour and offers 6 Boilermakers, 20 whiskies by flavour profile, and 18 cocktails along with a wine list and late night food.
And if you’re not convinced yet, ask for The Anvil, an 80 page tome listing whisky flights, Malt Whisky, American Whiskey and The Glenlivet bottle service.
For the uninitiated, the Boilermaker pairs a beer and a whisky to deliver a drinking experience described as greater than the sum of its parts. Order a Boilermaker (from $23) such as the Islay Cure All with Caol Ila 12 yo and Feral Hop Hog and it comes served on a tree stump with a nibble. You’ll be given instructions to sip the whisky, then the beer and back to the whisky, then take a bite of the canapé.
Unlike its siblings, Boilermaker House has a more casual feel than EDV Melbourne or Eau de Vie in Sydney but with a similar level of attention. For Sydney-siders, there is a vibe akin to Shady Pines Saloon meet The Baxter Inn with a touch of Palmer & Co.
For late night imbibers, food from the Larder along with Share Plates of cheese, charcuterie and Ploughman’s platters ensure you don’t go hungry. In other words, Boilermaker House has you set for good times well into the late hours.
Boilermaker House
Address: 209/211 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: 0424 270 082
Website: www.facebook.com/BoilermakerHouseMelbourne
Hours: Mon-Fri 4pm-3am; Sat-Sun 3pm-3am
Photo supplied by Boilermaker House and used with permission.
