Visit to Molly Rose Brewery in Collingwood
Did you know iconic Molly Rose Brewery in Collingwood has recently undergone a stylish expansion and has elevated its food offering to match its epic beers?
If you're looking for a brewery that ticks all the boxes such as amazing beers, elevated food, and superb atmosphere, then Molly Rose is the place for you. From the moment Molly Rose opened its small neighbourhood brewery and bar on Wellington street in Collingwood back in 2019 the Molly Rose team has enjoyed breaking the stereotypes of what a traditional ‘brewery bar’ is. We were invited along to experience the new Molly Rose after extensive renovations for its craft beer and food offerings.
Stylish and functional. Image Sarah Anderson.
When the opportunity to take over the adjoining two buildings presented itself to Nic Sandery, founder and brewer, he saw the potential for his full Molly Rose vision to come to life. With a love of bringing beer and food together, he set his sights on building not just a new brewery and bar but the full Molly Rose experience with a chef’s table restaurant, lounge, private dining room and one of the biggest beer gardens in the neighbourhood.
Image Sarah Anderson.
Baroness Hoppy Red Lager excites.
We were invited to sample the menu and check out the inspiring new restaurant and outdoor beer garden. Kudos to the team and to designers Mitchell and Eades.
This is simply the best food offering at a brewery in Melbourne that we know of. The kitchen is kicking goals to match the innovation in the brewery.
Our epic dinner included -
✨ Spring Roll - Sweet potato noodle, black fungus, miso hoisin, tamarind mayo
✨ Mushroom Crisp - Pink oyster mushrooms, almond cream & oregano (mushrooms are from Point Cook)
✨ Stuffed Chicken Wing - Baccala stuffed wing w/ house hot sauce, garlic chive & kewpie
✨ Cured trout w/ mandarin kosho, coconut & guanciale
✨ Kangaroo tartare w/ nduja, Asian herbs & rice paper crisps
✨ Southern Cross mushrooms w/ corn, spring onion & a wild rice crumble
✨Marinated Free Range Roast Chicken, gailan, crispy garlic, jaew.
✨ Drunken Fried Rice - Prawns, green beans, capsicum, bottarga w/ Thai basil & kaffir lime
✨ Steamed short grain rice.
✨ Ice Cream Sandwich- Banana ice cream, black rice bun, sour beer caramel w/ peanut praline
Honestly, without exaggerating, everything was a “must order”. Some of the dishes had a Thai heat nuance, given the skills and background of Chef Ittichai Ngamtrairai, which paired perfectly with the beers.
As soon as you imbibe the Mushroom Crisp you know you're enjoying elevated food rather than the usual brewery fare.
Cured Trout hits the high notes.
Kangaroo with a heat nuance.
Stuffed chicken wings that pair perfectly with the beers.
At the heart of the expansion is a stunning centrepiece bar which features alongside Molly Rose limited release and core range beers, a concise mostly Australian wine list, a crafted cocktails list and an extended beer list of Nic’s favourite breweries from his world travels.
Spring roll goals.
“Dining in Melbourne has changed a lot from paired wines to just paired drinks and there’s a greater interest for really unique beers,” Nic says, “We have this opportunity to do this really fun project with innovative pairings where people can enjoy the food that’s been made in front of them with the beer that’s been made right next to them.”
On a recent trip to Darwin to visit family, Nic reignited his love for the melting pot of cultures that is Darwin’s food scene, and the idea to pair his innovative drinks with this food was born. Whether you’re devouring aromatic, stuffed chicken wings, or Spring Rolls, there will always be a perfectly matched drink.
A tasting odyssey.
Roast Chicken packed with flavour.
Must order Mushrooms.
Image Sarah Anderson.
Inspired by Nic’s passion for complexity and balance in both classic styles and boundary-pushing beers, Ittichai Ngamtrairai (AKA Biggy) has joined the team to continue this exploration. With a background in Modern Italian, Biggy draws inspiration from his time at LuMi where he learnt the art of using Asian techniques to put a twist on traditional Italian cuisine. With experience working in some of Melbourne's finest fine dining restaurants, including Nomad, Matilda 159, Marameo and Sarti, Biggy is set to bring Melbourne his own take on Modern Australian cuisine. With layered flavours of sweet, sour and savoury from house fermented seasonings and preserves, the Molly Rose Menu will highlight locally sourced ingredients with a vibrant South East Asian street food flair.
“Biggy has the right mix of experience and creativity to use our combined experiences and create an incredible offering unlike anything else in the area,” Nic says, “Our food is unmistakably Modern Australian and will pair beautifully with Molly Rose beers that could also be described in the same way.”
The proximity of the brewery to the kitchen sees the lines between chef and brewer blurred with the result being an experience like no other, and the 20 seat Chef's Table (Opening Winter) will highlight this relationship, with each plate, each bite, designed to create the perfect Molly Rose pairing.
Drunken Fried Rice a texture and flavor sensation, once again perfect with the beers.
Dishes were paired with samples of stunning Molly Rose beers -
🍺 East of Kent, English Pale Ale
🍺 Baroness, Hoppy Red Lager
🍺 Tinker Sour Ale
🍺 Lager #3
🍺 Life Gives You Lemons
🍺 Scarf Weather American Style Amber
🍺 Skylight IPA
🍺 Kuro Japanese Dark Lager
Molly Rose ticks all the boxes if you’re looking to visit a brewery for beers, food and atmosphere! Plus kudos to the passionate and engaging staff.
Visited the space next to the restaurant for beers on tap and checked out the tanks.
Taking brewery offerings to the next level. Image Sarah Anderson.
“We were always going to be hospitality focused," Nic says. "Our goal is to always provide great service and an experience that exceeds expectations. The best way for us to introduce people to Molly Rose is to have them sit in our venue for a few hours of eating and drinking and then leave with a smile on their face.” And we left with a smile on our faces.
Molly Rose Address:
279 - 285 Wellington St, Collingwood. 3066 VIC
Highly recommended.