Several of Sydney’s craftiest venues were among the big winners at last night’s Time Out Sydney Pub Awards. It wasn’t too long ago that beer lovers were bemoaning the lack of quality beer outlets in the city but how fast the tide is turning. And proving just how fast the tide can turn, a couple of the big winners at the awards night at The Glenmore in The Rocks have been serving craft beer for little more than a year – if that.
The main award on the night – Pub of the Year – went to The Welcome Hotel in Rozelle (pictured above), which up until the middle of last year was just another run-of-the-mill pub but today has 14 taps serving craft beer and a kitchen creating such good food that its owners also went home with the coveted Best Pub Food title. (You’ll be able to read all about the venue when a listing for the pub is added to the site this week)
Best Beer List went to another newcomer to the world of craft. The Quarryman’s Hotel in Pyrmont took the title just a few months after opening its doors following a major renovation of the old venue. That the venue has been transformed by one of the city’s major pub groups – The Laundy Group – not previously known for craft beer but which has not so much dipped its toes into craftier waters at the Quarryman’s but dived in headfirst is a great sign for things to come. Runner up in that category was the Royal Albert Hotel, which has recently expanded its tap lineup too.
It was a pub awards that was as much about the publicans as it was the pubs: the people that become so synonymous with a venue that it’s a bit of a disappointment when you turn up on their day off. Publican of the Year went to Ray Reilly of The Henson, with Dan Ryan of the Dove & Olive runner up.
The Henson also picked up the Family-Friendly Award. As well as being a great supporter of the local community and local breweries since coming under new ownership, the Marrickville venue has replaced its pokies with a video arcade, converted an old garage into a kids play area and now hums to the sound of young families.
Meanwhile, the Revival Award went to Minskys Hotel, the Legend Award to Green Park Hotel and People’s Choice to Balmain Hotel. The Vic on the Park took out the Best Entertainment category and continues to dabble in craft beer with increasing frequency. Their events range in diversity from craft beer festivals (including hosting the opening party of Sydney Craft Beer Week), to roller hockey and a raucous New Year’s concert from You Am I.
It’s worth noting that these aren’t craft beer awards, however, so the choices of the judges make it an interesting measure of how some of the city’s specialist venues are stacking up against the rest. Pleasingly, they’re doing rather well. It seems to be in keeping with a growing trend; the most recent list of Melbourne’s 25 Best Pubs in the Herald Sun had Good Beer Week Festival Hub The Terminus in the top spot with many other craft beer specialist venues also in the list. In fact, one of the most notable things about that list was that it is practically impossible – in Melbourne at least – to be regarded as a decent pub without having at least a smattering of quality beer on your tap list.
The inaugural Time Out Melbourne Pub Awards take place next month, with a venue to be confirmed soon. Again the odds look good for some crafty winners. But for now, congratulations to all of the Sydney winners – here’s hoping the success enjoyed by those who took the gamble of switching to craft encourages many more to follow suit.
Vive la Revolution!
You can vote for the People’s Choice Award for the Melbourne Awards here.
