The Local Taphouse is a European-inspired neighbourhood tavern specialising in craft beer, great food and a warm welcome.
It began as an idea by Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone to create a world class bar specialising in craft beer and involved much research at the leading beer venues in the United States and Europe during the planning stages!
The Local Taphouse opened in 2008 and is one of the most awarded craft beer venues in Australia - ranked #2 in the Beer & Brewer magazine's Best Beer Venues in 2016 list and in 2020 we were awarded Rate Beer’s Best bar in Australia. We tap more than 400 different beers every year and have a rotating and curated bottle list showcasing the best breweries from Australia and around the world.
A number of Taphouse initiatives have gone on to achieve great milestones. The GABS Beer, Cider & Food Festival started as the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular in 2011 and now attracts almost 33,000 people to events in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland. The American magazine The Beer Connoisseur recently judged it one of the best beer festivals in the world. The Hottest 100 Craft Beers of the Year poll is now nine years old and considered the most influential poll in Australia. Initially a fun exercise by staff and customers at The Local Taphouse, it is now run as the GABS Hottest 100 in both Australia and New Zealand and sees thousands of beer fans vote for their favourite craft beer of the year.
Local Laughs, our stand up comedy night run by Janet McLeod at our St Kilda venue, is also Melbourne's longest running weekly comedy night and has featured thousands of local and internationally renowned comedians. Janet also hosts our very popular Trivia on Sundays.