Overview
The inner north's legendary craft beer scene just scored a major new addition, set in the space right next door to Collingwood's Molly Rose. The formerly tiny brewery has made good on plans to effectively double its Wellington Street footprint, expanding into the two neighbouring buildings to house its new bar, beer garden, lounge and chef's table restaurant.
Officially debuting on Wednesday, March 8, with a grand opening celebration on Friday, March 10, the newly expanded venue is out to smash some brewpub stereotypes, while giving its fans a new and improved space for sipping top-notch craft tipples.
While the existing brewery bar remains largely unchanged, you'll now find a suite of additional offerings to explore next door, not least of which is the sprawling beer garden and another indoor bar. The latter's showcasing globally influenced core creations like the Lager #3, the Skylight IPA and the lemon farmhouse ale, alongside limited-release Molly Rose brews, plus guest drops from the likes of Black Arts and Two Bays. You can also settle in for a guided tasting of six house beers for $30.
Elsewhere on the drinks list sits a solid local-leaning selection of vino and a handful of signature cocktails — ranging from a boulevardier crafted on coconut-washed rye whisky from The Gospel, through to the 281 Spritz infused with sour beer and Anther gin.
Molly Rose 2.0 is also taking a deep dive into the art of food and beer pairing, with the help of chef Ittichai Ngamtrairai — aka Biggy. Here, he's drawing on his experience in renowned Melbourne kitchens like Nomad, Matilda 159 and Marameo, as well as time spent at Sydney's LuMi, where he trained in fusing classic Italian flavours with Asian technique.
Biggy's menu is an exploration of modern Australian flavours, carefully designed to stand up beautifully against Molly Rose's sips and starring plenty of house ferments. Start your adventure with the likes of pan-seared scallops with finger lime, chilli jam and burnt butter puree, then move onto baccala-stuffed chicken wings or the whipped tofu and cucumber salad.
Kangaroo tartare is served with 'nduja and a rice paper crisp; Thai-style jaew and crispy garlic elevate a roast chicken dish; and cured trout is brought to life with a hit of mandarin kosho (a Japanese fermented chilli paste). And don't miss the banana ice cream loaded into a black rice bun with sour beer caramel.
Incoming this winter, you'll also find a 20-seat chef's table, where a dedicated menu will be paired with finely tuned beer matches.
Molly Rose's official launch festivities start from 4pm on Friday, March 10, complete with a welcome to country and traditional smoking ceremony.
Find the new-look Molly Rose at 279 Wellington Street, Collingwood. It's open 4–10pm Wednesday–Thursday, 12pm–1am Friday–Saturday and 12–10pm Sunday.
Images: Sarah Anderson.