Pilsner people, here's your new favourite place.
Live music: at Keeper might just have one of the most scenic backgrounds in Melbourne, with the DJ station positioned in front of the vast, high-ceilinged brewery room. Watch DJs twiddle decks while brewers keep busy behind them, or head upstairs where the real party’s at.
Famous for: the pilsner, the sparkling star of the show.
Infamous for: also the pilsner. Keeper actually only makes the pilsner. See all those big fermentation tanks? Yep, they’re all full of the same beer. So if you don’t like pilsner, maybe go somewhere else…
There’s something honourable about dedicating your life to a single pursuit. It takes a lot of dedication, self-belief, time, and, in the case of the guys behind Keeper Brewing, hops – saaz hops, to be specific, which are the definitive ingredient of the classic pilsner.
The Keeper crew, consisting of legendary father-son duo Harry and Phil Sexton as well as fellow founder Andy Dunn, have put all of their energy into making the best pilsner they could possibly imagine, a Bohemian pale ale that pretty much keeps the lights on in this place. There are other beers as well, with rotating guest taps adding a bit of variety, but without question, the pilsner reigns supreme.
Thanks to its homey feel, spacious beer garden and premium pub food menu (the fried mussels and gooey cheese croquettes have our mouths watering), the Brunswick East haunt has already won the hearts of many a patron. But with a freshly minted dance space, it’s taking the vibes up to the next level.
Featuring a festival-approved sound system (which you may recognise from the Hopkins Creek Festival’s Bait Shop stage), eclectic DJs and bespoke floral arrangements made by local sustainable florist Hanakotoba, the dance floor is bumping every Saturday night until late.
Truly, what more could you ask for? If you haven’t yet tried that pilsner, we know you’re curious now, and if you have, you’re probably fondly reminiscing. Get on down and get into it.
