Westside Ale Works

Despite the name, Westside Ale Works is located in the backstreets of Melbourne's inner south. Founder Casey Wagner named the brewery in honour of the classic beer styles from his homeland on the West Coast in America.

The laneway taproom boasts a comfy, garage vibe, complete with a roller door entrance, a projector screen playing classic flicks and corrugated iron decorating the bar. While the space is cosy, the beer offering is vast — with 31 taps demonstrating Wagner's love for hoppy American-style brews. The range rotates regularly, though current US-inspired highlights include the likes of the Red Roo red IPA, the Wet Hop American Summer IIPA (a double IPA brewed with fresh hops) and an apricot rye sour aged for eight months in shiraz barrels.

While most of the taps pour Westside's own creations, ranging from the classic to the inventive, a handful are reserved to showcase other Aussie and American brewers. Ben Sewell's wild ale program Ida Pruul also has a home here, so expect plenty of funkier sips to come.

Food runs to an American-leaning lineup of pizzas, featuring house-made dough that's infused with rye beer and a signature sauce crafted in-house. Order one to enjoy alongside a beer tasting paddle, then settle in and soak up all of those West Coast vibes.