Stomping Ground Morris Moor

The Stomping Ground HQ, on Gipps Street in Collingwood, was absolutely the template for this similarly sized brewery and beer hall, though it has its own individual feel rather than being a cookie-cutter clone. It’s in the old Phillip Morris cigarette factory, part of the six-hectare Morris Moor precinct on Cochranes Road.

In Moorabbin you’ll find the same breadth of beer styles, pouring from 25-plus taps. Owners Steve Jeffares, Guy Greenstone and Justin Joiner believe there’s a beer for everyone, which is reflected in the traffic-light system by which each beer is categorised: green means easy-drinking, amber is for intermediate brews and red signifies a more out-there style. From the crisp, smashable Laneway Lager to the Into the Wood Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (with a potent ABV of 10.5 per cent), the idea is to bring more beer-drinkers into the fold – as opposed to any gatekeeping.

There’s also an ever-changing list of Morris Moor exclusive brews. But beyond the glut of fruity sours, malty brown ales and hopped-up IPAs, you’ll find tap wines from Noisy Ritual, cider by Willie Smith and gluten-free beer from Two Bays (run by Jeffares’s brother Richard).

Food-wise, the menu is also much the same as in Collingwood. Executive chef Ben Isaacs hasn’t had to reinvent the wheel, and is serving cheesy baked pretzels with mustard; parmesan-crumbed chicken schnitties with Waldorf slaw; and a 300-gram porterhouse with bacon-and-ale jam. And, of course, his crowd-pleasing pizzas.

And if you thought the Collingwood location was big, get this: while the former can hold 250, the capacity here is a whopping 460. The main beer hall is an indoor-outdoor conversion – an old alleyway between two buildings has been enclosed – but there are retractable sections of roofing, so the space can be opened up when weather permits. There’s also a shuffleboard and a three-level cubbyhouse for the kids.

But the real estate doesn’t stop there. The event space, Boiler Hall, is big enough for 120 people and comes equipped with its own entrance, bar, toilet and courtyard. For the everyday visitor, there’s a deck outside with plenty of sunny seating, and it’s not uncommon to see punters in the tiny park out front sinking takeaway tinnies on the grass.