Overview
Melbourne's craft brewing scene has been getting hotter by the day, between the big-name venue launches and all those planned beer projects set to drop in the coming months. And now, South Australia is bringing some heat to the game, with the news Adelaide-based brewery Pirate Life is gearing up to launch its first Victorian outpost next year.
The renowned label has revealed it's setting up shop in a former mechanics garage in South Melbourne, with founders Michael Cameron, Jack Cameron and Jared Proudfoot hoping to open the doors by mid-2023.
Pirate Life founders: Michael, Jared and Jack
We don't know much about the space just yet, but that it'll be rocking a fitout courtesy of a fellow South Australian crew and long-time collaborator — award-winning architecture and design firm Studio Gram. Word is, it'll boast a healthy dose of grunge, with plenty of murals, foliage and bold accents nodding to the site's industrial past.
Founded in 2014 and now with four breweries under its belt, Pirate Life unsurprisingly has some very grand, very beery plans for its new Melbourne site. That'll involve the full core range of brews showcased on tap alongside a tidy rotation of special releases, from fruity sours to nitro-charged goodies. Fresh kegs are set to be shipped in directly from Pirate Life's Port Adelaide brewery.
Pirate Life SA
The venue's proximity to South Melbourne Market will help guide the food offering and, while there's no menu as yet, Jack explains: "we love cooking over fire, so anticipate charred goodness."
In between the regular programming, Pirate Life Melbourne will also play host to a calendar of live music and art, exhibitions and guest chef dinners.
"As a brand, we've been long-time admirers of Melbourne's hospitality scene and Pirate Life's new venue in South Melbourne finally gives us a chance to be part of it," says Jack. "We can't wait to get amongst it and show locals what Pirate Life is all about."
Pirate Life SA
Pirate Life is set to open at an unknown South Melbourne location in mid-2023. Stay tuned and we'll share more details as they drop.