Overview
Any footy fan and craft beer lover can attest that the two don't normally go hand-in-hand, and it's a true struggle to find good local drops at Aussie sporting events. 4 Pines hears your woes, so it's opening a fourth Sydney venue — this time at the SCG. The bar launches tonight — Friday, April 20 — for the Sydney Swans vs Adelaide Crows game.
Located within the level one food court in the MA Noble, Don Bradman and Dally Messenger stands, the 4 Pines bar will offer the brewery's signature kolsch, pale ale, summer ale and alcoholic ginger beer, along with rotating taps from their seasonal range. Like the brewery's other venues (Manly Brewpub, Brookvale Truck Bar and the Newport barrel-aged outpost), the bar uses repurposed timber and mirrors, plus the space is decorated with images from the northern beaches where the Manly-grown brewery takes its roots. If you're an SCG member, you can even order from your seat and collect your cold one from the 4 Pines priority line.
Apart from the bar, you'll also start seeing 4 Pines on tap at nearby pubs that normally don't carry craft brews. There's no doubting the significance of a locally produced beer bar at a commercial sporting stadium, which is pretty much unheard of. However, it should be noted that 4 Pines was bought by the world's largest brewing company, AB In-Bev, last year and so is no longer an independent brewery.
But, to be fair, independence and craft beer don't have to be exclusive to each other, and the Sydney-based company has continued to brew from its Brookvale and Manly outposts — so far, it's been true to the craft cause. And in any case we're glad to see a solid beer option at the footy tonight.
The 4 Pines bar is located on the level one food court in the MA Noble, Don Bradman and Dally Messenger stands at the SCG. For more info on 4 Pines' beers, visit 4pines.com.au.