Brewery Discovery: The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel

Brewery: The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel
City: Sydney
Country: Australia

This week i visited the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel!

Wait…. Brewery AND hotel? Yes!

Imagine, instead of your regular hotel, staying above an awesome historic brewpub!

And no, you can't tap beer in the hotel rooms…..unfortunately.

The Lord Nelson is the oldest continuously licensed hotel in Sydney, established way back in 1841.
Moreover, it is also home to Australia's oldest pub brewery, or brewpub! With such selling points, i had to go check out this awesome venue!

The Lord Nelson

As the cities longest, continuously, operating hotel and the nations oldest brewpub, the Lord Nelson really has some history behind it!

It has had some different names over the years prior to the Lord Nelson, and as such was already the site of an existing pub. The building hosted, starting in 1831: The Shipwright Arms, The Sailor's Return, Quarryman's Arms and finally, in 1841, the Lord Nelson Hotel! The name being a reference to the British Naval mastermind; Horatio Nelson, but thats another story!

The Nelson today still looks much the same as it did when it opened (thanks to some restoration work based on an old photograph). The brewery itself was added in 1986.

Time for a beer!

But enough history for now..

The Lord Nelson really gives that historic feel when you step inside. Thick stone walls, historic decorations and an overall great atmosphere really made this an enjoyable visit for me!

Oh yes, and the fact that it was a historic brewery-pub-hotel….. that probably also contributed to me enjoying my visit :P

The Lord Nelson Pub

As mentioned, the Lord Nelson brews a number of different beers on site. These are available, straight from the source, at 6 rotating taps with mainstay and seasonal brews! Bottles are also available.

The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel Brewery

Once again, in Australian fashion, all craft brews were relatively light in terms of ABV. The strongest brew the Admiral had on offer was an 6.1% old ale, aptly named the old Admiral. Im not saying there is anything wrong with light ABV brews, it is just something which i have noticed as a kind of trend here during my time in Sydney.

But I'm going off track, back to the Lord Nelson!

Fleet Wheat, an attempt at a Hefeweizen

First i tried the Fleet Wheat, sparking my immediate interest as i had not yet come across an Australian brewed Hefeweizen.

And, in all honesty, i still haven't come across a real Australian brewed Hefeweizen.

The brew was nice, refreshing, and tasty, but it did not bring forth the characteristics Hefeweizen taste which i was expecting. The name leads to disappointment, whilst in terms of taste, there is nothing wrong with the brew itself..

However, as i understood it, this was a new brew and as such might still be subject to some experimentation.

Victory Bitter Pale Ale!

The second brew, Victory Bitter Pale Ale, was a nice and refreshing pale ale. In terms of name accuracy, a definite "Victory" over Fleet Wheat!

Nelson's Blood, i hope not

Last, but definitely not least, i tried the Nelson's Blood Porter. And yes, in a smaller glass, i wasn't really in the mood for a whole pint of porter. Quite light, and refreshing, as far as porters go; with hints of chocolate and roasted malts, this was another enjoyable brew!

They even do take-away! 

From all breweries which i have visited in my short time here in Sydney, the Lord Nelson definitely had the most "character" and history behind it, something which i always appreciate.

If only in Sydney for a short while, i would recommend at least to visit the Lord Nelson!

This is my last blog about my discoveries in Sydney, Australia, for this trip!
Next stop Myanmar!

Cheers!

My Ratings: Lord Nelson Brews

Three Sheets (had this somewhere else), Pale Ale: 3.75/5
Fleet Wheat, Hefeweizen: 3.5/5
Victory Bitter, Pale Ale: 3.5/5
Nelson's Blood, Porter: 3.5/5

Brewery Discovery: Red Tape Brewing Company

Brewery: Red Tape Brewing Company (@ King Street Brewhouse)
City: Sydney
Country: Australia

A few days ago, once again after a long day of work, a friend and me decided to go for a drink. The target location this time: King Street Brewhouse, which hosts the Red Tape Brewing Company!

King Street Brewhouse

 Located on King Street Wharf, right on the edge of the cities central business district, this waterside brewpub (and restaurant) is a great place to get your brew on.  The microbrewery is located right next to the bar/restaurant area, and as such is visible from both the terrace and the interior.

A look inside the brewery!

In terms of beer range, the brewery offers 8 different brews at any one time (All brewed on location). All brews are tapped straight from the brewery, making the experience of drinking a nice craft beer even better. Unfortunately for me, when I visited, five of the eight tap points were out of order (no tasting paddle for me :( ).

The Bar

However, my disappointment was soon forgotten as I discovered that pints of craft beer would only cost me $6, you have to love this kind of Happy Hour (every weekday from 4-7pm)! The bar staff was also very friendly, and allowed us to taste a few beers before ordering a full pint.

Single Batch: Amber Ale

The first brew that I tasted was the Single Batch Amber Ale, which had a very strong and defined taste for the category. A seasonal bitter followed this, which was very light and refreshing (it was quite hot outside). We decided on the bitter and settled down for a few pints of the stuff.

Enjoying a Summer Ale Bitter!

The original plan was to go for just one or two drinks, but as such things often go, it’s very hard to stick to just one or two. Moreover, a number of friends joined, and as such one or two drinks turned into five or six. Another brew which I tasted at the brewhouse was Tooth’s pale ale, a revival of an old beer recipe which used to be enjoyed in Sydney quite some time ago.

Tooth's Pale Ale

As time progressed, and as one drink was followed by another, we all started to get quite hungry. Luckily for us however, it turned out that on Monday’s the Brewhouse offers a delicious steak dinner, together with a glass of beer, for about $15 (which is definitely not a bad deal in overpriced Sydney :P). After dinner somebody made the very wise suggestion to go home, and we all did.

Steak and Beer, need i say more?

Yesterday, we decided to go back for just one or two drinks which, I'm glad to say, actually worked this time. Luckily for me, they had one more tap working again so i had the opportunity to try another of Red Tape's brews. 

Trying a Perfect Storm Lager!

Great happy hour(s), friendly staff, nice brew's and an absolutely perfect location by the water! King Street Brewhouse and the Red Tape Brewing Company didn't disappoint! 

Like with my other brewery visit so far here in Sydney, if you have the chance, this is definitely a brewpub worth checking out!

Cheers!

My Ratings:

Single Batch: Amber Ale: 3.75/5

Seasonal: Bitter: 3.5/5 (refreshing, light bitter)

Tooth's Pale Ale: 3.5/5 (hoppy, fresh, pale ale)

Perfect Storm: 3.5/5 (Cloudy Lager, Zwickelish)