Now Open: Brewmanity From Former AFL Captain David Neitz Has Launched Melbourne's First Rooftop Brewery Bar

It's official: Melbourne now has its own rooftop brewery bar overlooking the city skyline, and you can thank former Aussie Rules football player David Neitz for making it happen. He established Brewmanity back in 2015, alongside fellow brewery lovers Jamie Fox and Paul Hopgood, to not only bring great craft beer to Melburnians but to also raise money to fight motor neurone disease — which Neale Daniher, Neitz's friend, fellow ex-footballer and coach when he was playing for Melbourne, has.

To date, Brewmanity has raised nearly $970,000. And now, the trio behind it are taking things to the next level by setting up a huge 400-person, three-storey, 34-tap brewery bar in South Melbourne. The venue opened its doors on Friday, March 22, ready to fill your autumn with beers with a view.

The ground floor houses the beer hall, where visitors can drink the team's craft brews surrounded by stainless steel tanks in which new creations are slowly fermenting.

Head up the stairs to find another bar with a large terrace overlooking the city. But when the sun is shining, we're pretty sure punters will be racing for the rooftop, where they'll find even better vistas across Melbourne's skyline. And if Melbourne does decide to throw a surprise shower (which will inevitably happen), the venue has retractable awnings ready and waiting.

Each level has a bar pumping out Brewmanity beers alongside some local independent wines, spirits and cocktails.

Food comes courtesy of Chef Suman, who's serving up a selection of share plates and bar bites to hungry beer drinkers. This includes a beer braised lamb shoulder that feeds up to six people, DIY taco platters, cheeseburger sliders and mushroom arancini. There'll be no need to scale the stairs to go get a feed — just order and wait for it all to come to you.

"We are proud with what we have achieved so far and there is so much more to come. We have proved that you can make a good beer that does good deeds and we hope to pour out the goodness for many years to come," said Neitz.

Find Brewmanity at 44–50 Tope Street, South Melbourne. For more information, head to the venue's website.