Pub Of The Week: Tony Leonard reviews Brunswick Aces

Brunswick Aces

124 Weston Street, Brunswick East.
7067 9224
www.brunswickaces.com

When? July 22, 2022.

VENUE/SUMMARY:

And now for something completely different.

Today’s review is not so much a pub review as more a look at the rise and rise of non-Alcoholic beverages with one of the leaders of this movement being Brunswick Aces.

This building is in a small industrial estate (next to Temple Brewing), east of the Quarry Hotel, in Weston St.

Inside, a plush, warm bar creates a medieval feel with heavy velvet drapes, brass fittings and mood lighting (day or night) with the two centerpieces being the bar to the front and distillery to the rear.

There is a genuine enthusiasm from the owners, Stephen and Cameron, who have presented a vision that people who want an outing, with friends, aren’t  excluded when it comes to ‘ traditional’ drinking and socialising.

The difference here though, you are lavish with choice for non alcoholic beers, wines and their house made Gin, known as sapiir.  (The taste is very close to a full strength Gin).

Brunswick Aces has the look and feel and product range of a fully functioning bar: without the alcohol.

And there is little doubt that,  like vegan/plant based options on pub menus, the rise of non alcoholic options gains momentum at a rapid rate.

Be assured that Brunswick Aces is at the forefront of this movement.

DRINK

Open for purchase Monday to Saturday, the bar operates on Friday and Saturday afternoons/evenings where a limited range of food is offered as you sit and enjoy and sip inside this lovely space.  Already a loyal crowd is gathered.

Beer comes from all parts of the country with wine sourced locally and overseas.

So what is it like? To my palate, (the palate celebrated its 50th), the beer and white wine are fine facsimiles, bordering on a fraction sweeter than what I’m used to, but eminently drinkable.  Tried was;

• Big Drop Brewing ‘ Uptime Lager”. Good. Wanting a light Carlton Draught equivalent, this is slightly more floral and sweet, but nonetheless drinkable and enjoyable. Made in the docklands, the company has already been recognised as a world leader in alcohol free beer.
• ‘Plus/Minus’ Pinot Grigio. Again a very close cousin of the full strength version, this drop comes from Sth Australia and already appears on menus alongside full strength. Again a little sweeter than expected, but

Interestingly it is Red wine options that have the most discernible difference in taste, and this is acknowledged by the industry that in time to come Reds will resemble more closely their cousins such is the advancement in technologies.  Recommended are Funky Monkey Shiraz, Carl Yung Merlot, (Germany), Natura Red (blend, Sth Africa).

SUMMARY 

Look at your pub/bar/restaurant menus closely now and you will see Carlton Zero, McGuigan zero Shiraz, and many more non-alcohol offerings that clearly aren’t there to clog up or not sell. It’s business so the demand, smallish now, is there.

Brunswick Aces is a beauty. The range is there as is the commitment.  And if a non alcohol beer but a full strength gin, Aces offer a full strength made on the premises along with Sapiir, the zero version.

If nothing else, curiosity should get you to see what it’s all about. The range is set out at www.killjoydrinks.com

Brave new world for sure, but in 5-10 years,  this will be seen as expected rather than an outlier.