4 Pines Brew Pub is where it all began for the 4 Pines empire. Even though they are now owned by Asahi, Back of the Ferry still regards the OG venue as its spiritual home. The 4 Pines team haven’t done much wrong over the the last 15 years, but one thing they can’t get right is the venue under the BrewPub, which has undergone its fifth name change in seven years.
In November 2016, Back of the Ferry attended the first of 4 Pines Underground. That venue was short lived and 7 months all the livery was updated and the venue was renamed Keller Door. Back of the Ferry was very excited because originally the 12 taps were quite often uniques. Over the years that’s changed and at least three of the taps are Brookvale Union stuff.
Keller Door survived almost five years, but in March 2022 another revamp was done and Block’s Bar came into being. Again Back of the Ferry were there for opening night. In fact we had the first beer at the renamed venue. I enjoy having a beer on the outdoor seats particularly in winter when the sun is out. Last year the venue started to take on a Japanese vibe in conjunction with the launch of the 4 Pines Japanese Lager and it unofficially became Izakaya.
Without any noticeable fanfare or opening night, the venue is now officially called 4 Pines Bonsai and the Izakaya concept is now permanent. The executive Chef is Japanese and has created a contemporary Japanese menu. The venue design is meant to evoke “Shinjuku’s Golden Gai alleys, bars and towering skyline”. I’ll edit this article with #100’s review of the menu – but let’s see how this goes. As long as they keep putting on the occasional unique.
back of the ferry 