| Your correspondent’s day job enables me to visit the birdcage at the thoroughbred races at Flemington in Melbourne once a year. For those who may be unaware, this is the annual look-at-me fest that occurs in a roped off section of the track full of sponsors marquees. There is little focus on the actual horse racing unfortunately and while the beer is free, it is bland. The birdcage is something to do once and, if you like to actually watch a race, I’d recommend you popout and watch from the rails. |
 Home straight |
 The perfect pinnacle |
Frivolity dealt with, we now come to the nub of this story. Two of the botf correspondents are regular visitors to Melbourne but rarely at the same time. The planets were in alignment with bladdamasta also at the races so after failing to pick a single winner we teamed up and headed to North Fitzroy. Like sweating gold sovereigns the botf correspondents extract the most out of every Melbourne visit by wedging in as many new venues and new beers as possible. First on the list this evening was the Fitzroy Pinnacle on St. Georges Road. This eclectic pub started life as Fitzroy’s land office, where locals would climb to the top floor and point out which plot of land they wanted. Now it stocks a small but fine range of Aussie craft beers, has a front bar like your Gran’s loungeroom and a homey, small beergarden. Standouts from the visit were the 2 Brothers Grizz Amber Ale and the Challenger English IPA by Mash Brewing. Definitely a worthy venue. |
| Next stop was The Gertrude in Fitzroy. On this correspondents last visit the venue was hosting ‘Dark Beer’ month and the hope was that something similar would be going on. We were in luck. It was ‘Weird Beer’ this time round and never was a title more apt. In a session over the pubs famous steak we managed a Killer Python Kolsch by True South, The Good Son by Dainton and, to top it off, a Blueberry Hefeweizen by Prickly Moses. The Hefe at first look could have gone either way, cringingly sweet or scowlingly acerbic. However, the scribes agreed and gave it 3 of a possible 5 stars. In our particular pantheon that is relatively high praise. I do believe we than proceeded to the well disguised Workers Club on Brunswick St but by then the weirdness had descended. |
 Weird indeed |
back of the ferry
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