Tallboy & Moose

Overview

Just when you thought Melbourne was at craft brewery saturation point, along comes Tallboy & Moose — the beer-loving watering hole Preston never knew it needed.

It's only got a few months under its belt, but this Raglan Street spot has already beefed up its original opening hours to a five-day-a-week operation, which is testament to the crowds it's pulling each day.

The owners have managed to take just enough of the industrial edge off this sprawling warehouse space with help from clusters of hanging plants and a back lounge area scattered with couches. There's a ping pong table, plus a kids area to keep little ones well entertained. Out front, a sun-drenched carpark space is the brewery version of a buzzy pub beer garden, scattered with tables and beanbags for lazy arvo beer sessions.

It's proving a hit with families, groups of mates, and pooches alike, all mingling merrily over freshly-brewed beers and food truck eats. Mobile foodie faves like Sparrows Philly Cheese Steaks and A Touch of Spain roll up in front, offering exactly the kind of grub you crave when downing crafty brews in the sun. That said, you're always welcome to bring along tucker from elsewhere.

Behind the bar, the options are plentiful. Alongside guest taps from the likes of Two Birds and Hop Nation, there are five taps pouring Tallboy & Moose's own varied range of brews. Head in and you'll find a selection that may includes the hopped-up Table Pale ($3-9), a mid-strength porter ($3-11), and a summery OPA brewed on oats and wheat ($3-11).

All brews and ciders are available by the pot (from $5), the pint (from $9), or a nifty 130mL tasting glass (from $3) — mix and match four of those ones for a tasting paddle. A slick canning machine behind the bar even means you can get a litre of any house brew packaged up to take home too.

But perhaps key to this brewery's broad appeal is that even the beer-shy are completely spoilt for choice. Between the eight-strong list of Aussie wines — on offer by the glass or bottle — the decent range of spirits, and the fresh apple juice that comes spiked with your choice of booze for $12, this Tallboy & Moose goes beyond being just a brewpub and simply being a really great bar.