The Local Taphouse, winner of more ‘best pub’ awards than we care to mention, is about to bring it’s unique brand of beer love to it’s own bottleshop.

It wouldn’t be the Taphouses’ style to just open a well-stocked bottleshop and the Local Bottle Store & Provisions names sounds more than apt.

Taphouse co-owner Steve Jeffares said that the idea developed as a result of so many customers asking where they can buy the beers the Taphouse rotates through their taps and fridges.

“When the shop became available next door, it seemed a natural progression to open our own retail beer store,” Steve explains.

“On my travels overseas, I have visited many outstanding beer stores and, like the Taphouses, The Local Bottlestore & Provisions is a combination of the best I saw together with our own ideas.”

Steve said the basic philosophy is that it is modelled on vintage European neighbourhood general stores.

“We will obviously specialise in beers, starting with a range of 400 and with the space for many more, but we will also stock a selection of craft wines and ciders.”

“We’re also excited to be selling a small variety of smallgoods, breads, cheeses, provisions and other complementary goods like glassware, books and magazines.

“We engaged cheese and wine consultants to help us and our bread will be supplied by the highly regarded baker, Daniel Chirico.”

Although opening this week, The Local Bottlestore & Provisions is going to continue to evolve.

“It’s going to take a few months after opening to get it just right but we’re excited about its potential,” Steve said.

“Within a month, we will sell counter-pressure filled growlers from our initial two taps. We’ve plumbed for a further four taps but can, in theory, upgrade to many more as we share the same coolroom as the Taphouse.”

James Smith, who has been at the St Kilda Taphouse since the day it opened will be the bottle store manager as well as continuing his role as beer buyer for all the businesses.

Melbourne is probably better served by quality bottleshops than any other Australian city but Steve insists that The Local Bottlestore & Provisions has plenty of scope to establish itself as being different from other specialty bottleshops.

“There are some incredible beer shops around but I think our provisions element will differentiate us, together with the scope for so many growler taps,” he said.

“The vintage bike we will have to home deliver growlers and other goods around the neighbourhood makes us a little different too.”

“An earlier idea was to allow customers sit in the store to drink the beer they purchased but, given we’re next to the Taphouse, we thought we’d leave that for the next one.”

Contacts:

Facebook.com/bottlestoresk
Web: thelocalbottlestoresk.blogspot.com
Twitter @bottlestoresk

Growler delivery: ph. 1300-GROWLER

[adrotate group=”1″]