@4PinesBeer Public House Newport – my last new venue for 2016

December’s been a big month for new beers and new venues. With illiards gallivanting across Europe and this correspondent fortuitously stumbling across breweries adjacent (well reasonably adjacent) to kids pick ups, we’ve racked an impressive 35 new venues (according to @untapped).
And whilst they’ve been scattered across Paris, Munich, Melbourne and the glorious inner west of Sydney, it was appropriate that the last venue of 2016 was at the northern outpost of Back of the Ferry’s land based spiritual home.

The 4 Pines empire has expanded to Newport. Their new venue – The Public House – is a cracker. Whilst everyone else in Sydney was seemingly at home girding their loins for New Year’s Eve, I snuck in an afternoon visit to an almost empty pub. Gees – it is big. As always, the fit out is classy. The photos of Northern Beaches ocean pools is a great local touch.

But what you notice more than anything are the barrels. They are everywhere. And they don’t serve an aesthetic purpose, they store and create beer.  And for untappd unique tragics (and I’m looking in a mirror when I write this) – some beers will only be available at this venue. So far there are three beers in the Keller Door Barreled range. King Dong, made with the native Australian Fruit -the Quandong, Vlad – a magnificent Russian Imperial Stout aged for 6 months in barrels and Jan Claude Van Lambic, which I haven’t tried.

These are great, challenging beers and well worth travelling for. The regular family of beers is available as well and there’s a big kitchen. Plenty of room and the usual 4 Pines service means it is a joyful beer experience – don’t let the distance deter you.

4 Pines Public House: 313 Barrenjoey Road, Newport NSW