It might seem odd to any beer lovers touching down in Perth, or indeed those locals who only discovered the world of craft beer in recent years, but not too long ago the CBD and surrounding suburbs was something of a barren land when it came to breweries.
Despite Freo being acknowledged as the birthplace of contemporary craft beer in Australia, and the existence of regions such as the Swan Valley and Margaret River where you could embark on brewery tours, the capital took its time when it came to embracing the rise of brewpubs. Not that you'd know it now, with taps pouring beers brewed mere metres away to be found in Northbridge, East Perth, City West, Maylands and more besides.
One of the first breweries to get the ball rolling was Nowhereman, which came to life in West Leederville in 2017 as founder Reece Wheadon turned his vision for a brewpub close to the CBD, bike paths, train lines and free central area transit buses into a reality.
Over the years, Reece and the Nowhereman team made their mark on the local community: through award-winning, often humorously-decorated beers, through inclusive and diverse events, through collaborations that saw them spread their wings far and wide.
In late 2023, they released a collaboration marking arguably the most pivotal moment in their evolution since they first welcomed guests. The Otherside of Nowhere hazy IPA saw them consummate their relationship with Otherside after they became part of the Myaree brewery's parent company Triple-1-Three. The pair's shared support of the arts, entertainment, not to mention their social conscience and a fondness for fine frothies, make for a genial relationship that coalesced by mid-2024 into a venues sharing the same name as that hazy IPA – Otherside’s first north of the Swan River venue.
Subtle renovations to the warehouse Nowhereman had injected with such vibrancy have increased the room for punters as well as the potential for live performances. Booth seating joined the high and low options, while Otherside Tycoon bricks now feature around the former Nowhereman logo. Some things, however, such as the Aboriginal turtle mural and disco ball above the bar, remain part of the quintessential venue experience.
The menu was also overhauled, extending the famous pizzas offering into larger mains like gnocchi puttanesca and steak sandwiches plus share plates and a kids menu – there’s plenty of vegetarian options to boot.
In the lead-up to the relaunch of the West Leederville venue, most of Nowhereman’s beers were retired with the exception of Rhapsody, which transitioned to Otherside Rhapsody XPA, neatly slotting in as a modern, hop-forward pale plus the dovetailing into the musical nomenclature. However, fans of Nowhereman’s previous limited releases will be pleased to learn they can expect to see some return as Otherside Creative series releases.
