I’ve been following the progress of the Deeds Brewing taproom on Instagram and it went to the top of the list of breweries to visit when Melbourne finally reopened. As luck would have it two of my favourite wingmen (Members #78 and #105) were as free as birds on Saturday and we headed out to Glen Iris.
We were a tad nervous. Melbournians are embracing all that their city has to offer and Deeds Brewing has been booked out since reopening. They accept walk-ins, but hit capacity last weekend. It was with a huge sigh of relief that we were able to get three seats at the bar. That’s fine, because I really enjoy belly to the bar drinking.
Expectations were high. The photos of the fit out are impressive, but it is even better to see it for real. The bar is long and goes around a corner. There are three sections – upstairs, the barrel room and the bar room that blend into each other via stairs and walk throughs. The black metal circles that line the walls are reminiscent of the bottom of barrels and look fabulous alongside the real things.
There’s twenty-two taps. Deeds Brewing is quite prodigious in its output and variety and there were at least 16 different Deeds Brewing beers on tap. Two Bays Gluten Free Pale was also available. The flagship Juicy Train NEIPA, Double Time and Deeds Draught were available along with broad range of lagers, pilsners, NEIPAs and stouts. The tasting paddles serve generous 150ml pours, so you can get a real sense for each beer. The boys really enjoyed the Taproom #6 NZ Pilsner.
I tried the Naked Brunch – the 2021 version of the French Toast inspired Breakfast IPA Deeds Brewing made for GABS 2019. At 8.5% ABV, 150mls is as much as you need of this rich, complex beer. The Midwinter Stout was also a real winner. The other winner was the food. Great menu with nibbles to starters to something larger. #78 rated the Wagyu burger as one of the finest burgers he’d ever eaten. I’m not a fan of the skyscraper burger and this one was perfect. Pattie, cheese, bacon and bun. Simples.
Glen Iris is the home of the amusing named Harold Holt swim centre. It now has another reason to be famous. Deeds Brewing is one of the best taprooms I’ve ever visited. #78 and #105 concurred.
Deeds Brewing – 4 Paran Place, Glen Iris, Victoria
back of the ferry 