Melbourne craft beer: Alphington brewery La Sirene adds a bar and taproom

Twelve years after establishing its Alphington brewery, La Sirene has added a bar to the space and turned the typical taproom on its head.

Co-owner Costa Nikias describes Bar La Sirene as more like a compilation of his favourite bars, with chablis, Spanish delicacies and Victorian wines joining the house beers.

"It's really a hybrid model. Taprooms tend to be one size fits all. This is the opposite of a beer hall," he says.

Food straddles the line between booze-soaking and refined, with fries and organic spelt pizzas joined by Iberico jamon, beluga caviar and a cabinet of cheeses.

Nikias is keen to promote beer's potential for food pairing, especially the wild fermented and barrel-aged examples that are La Sirene's specialty.

"Have some baby octopus and our Paradoxe naturally soured wild ale – it's a great match," he says.

Fourteen taps pour Citray Sour, Farmhouse Red and more, while a vintage rack houses wild ales dating to 2014. Beer is even used in cocktails, such as the Zested Margarita, which gets lift from La Sirene's lemon-lime sour ale.

Almost all the wines are Victorian, except for chablis and piccolos of Lanson champagne.

Finding the 50-seat bar in an industrial park is half the challenge. Tucked in a corner of the ex-artillery factory where La Sirene brews, it's a destination for diehard fans. But that's exactly how Nikias likes it.

Open Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm, Sun noon-5pm, 2 Wingrove Street, Alphington, 0452 339 210, lasirene.com.au/bar-la-sirene