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The Local Taphouse

Michael Harden
Michael Harden

Modern Australian$$

WHEN you think "specialist beer pub", the Melbourne models that spring readily to mind are either the Ye Olde English Pubbe decor and homesick backpacker variety or the smell-of-an-oily rag joint with dilapidated couches and beer cultist bartenders ready to bail you up for hours with their head-spinning knowledge of obscure breweries.

But as the world of beer increasingly reveals itself as a far-reaching and fascinating place, there is plenty of room for beer-specialist joints that don't need to flog the same old cliche and snobbery horses.

One of these places is the excellent The Local Taphouse in East St Kilda.

It quickly becomes apparent what floats The Local's boat. The sleek, metallic sweep of 20 beer taps behind the bar offers the first clue, with a second quickly following in the form of a stack of beer menus that includes a Daily Tap List, complete with prices and tasting notes — the Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen from the world's oldest brewery in Germany has "hints of banana and clove with low bitterness", 5.4 per cent alcohol and is $7.50 for 300 millilitres or $11.30 for 500 millilitres. There's also a list of bottled beers that runs close to 100 varieties from around the globe.

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What is both great and amazing about the list is there's very little in the way of big-name breweries, so you are encouraged to get out of your hoppy comfort zone and boldly stride into unknown territory.

It's a good space to do a bit of striding. It is dimly lit and cosy but without feeling claustrophobic or cheesy. There are couches and lamps, a concrete floor, shelves of books and a fireplace. Upstairs, there's another bar and a pretty swish outdoor terrace.

The other thing that works really well at The Local Taphouse is the attitude. You can order a beer here without being subjected to a lecture on the intricacies of its origins but, if you do want that sort of info, the staff is happy to oblige and is charming about it.

They remain equally cheerful even if you blaspheme and order a glass of wine. The Taphouse is certainly a place where you can go to be fanatical about beer. But it is just as easy to simply pop by for a few brews. It is the sort of joint that gives the term "specialist beer pub" a good name.

Cheers: A beer specialist mercifully free of gimmickry and cliche.

Jeers: The chilly and uncomfortable iron tractor seat stools should be given an early retirement.

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