Hop Nation Brewing Co.

Hop Nation was opened by fence-jumping winemakers Sam Hambour (Paringa Estate) and Duncan Gibson (Yering Station) back in 2015. The brewery is set in a former soap, candle and ammunition factory that was built in the 1880s. The neon-lit, Studio Y-designed space features decorative brick arch work, a 10-metre-high pitched roof and extremely Melbourne roller door entrance. And room for plenty of punters across high-tops, picnic-table-style tables and benches.

The taproom also houses Good Pizza, a pizzeria from chef Alex Addams Williams (ex-Figlia). The focus here is on long-fermented dough with toppings including vodka sauce with fior di latte; miso mushrooms with mozzarella and gremolata; and pepperoni with a drizzle of honey.

As for drinks, 17 taps showcase a mix of brews like Hop Nation’s own Site Fermentation Project beer-wine-hybrid sours and all seven beers in Hop Nation’s core range, including the brewery’s Footscray Draft. Grab a pizza and tasting paddle and ascend to the roomy mezzanine for a better view of the shiny brewhouse.

Four of new side-pull taps, by Lukr Faucets, have a larger diameter than stand taps, giving a unique creamy head to Hop Nation lagers like the Rattenhund pilsner. The taproom also offers visitors the chance to sample new brews early, before the rest of the city does.