It’s been years in the making, and now Pirate Life’s brand new brewery and taphouse at Port Adelaide is almost ready to open its doors to the public.
Launched four years ago by Jack Cameron, Jared ‘Red’ Proudfoot and Michael Cameron (MC), Pirate Life was created with a vision to create the beers that they wanted to drink, and anchored by one rule – that anything approaching boring would be thrown overboard.
They set up a brewery on South Road in Hindmarsh, but four years on and they’ve been bursting at the seams trying to keep production up with demand.
So now they’re on the move to their huge new site in Port Adelaide. Sitting on the corner of Baker and Barlow Streets, the giant warehouse is the old Dalgety Woolstores building – a site they actually first clocked eyes on in late 2015 when it was a warehouse for linen brand Sheridan.
“We’d only been going for 8 months. But luckily at the time MC spoke to the landlord and said, ‘don’t rent this place out without talking to us’,” said Jack.
“And then a couple of years later, we were in here.”
The huge new brewery includes a canning and keg line, and will increase production from 1.8 million litres a year to 8 million litres. While it takes care of producing their core range of beers, they’ll focus attentions at the Hindmarsh brewery to some more experimental beers.
“The new brewery opening it allows us to get pretty creative back down at Hindmarsh, and we’re aiming this year to do 40 new beers out of there,” said Jack.
“So Hindmarsh will become just a fun station of sours, barrel ageing, fruit beers – you name it we’ll be trying to do something weird and different.”
And you’ll be able to taste plenty of those new beers at the Port Adelaide brewery’s taphouse. Sitting alongside the brewery, the taphouse will boast 24 taps, predominantly with their own beer but they’ll also rotate though some other South Australian, Australian and international brews. (There’s also some local wines if beer isn’t your thing).
The beer hall-style space has room for 300 people, with plenty of space in an outdoor beer garden as well. From there you’ll also be able to do tastings, go on tours of the brewery, and buy takeaway beers and merchandise. They won’t be adding a kitchen just yet, instead they’ll have food trucks popping in.
And they’ve even got company moving in, with barber Robbie’s Chop Shop opening their second store right in the brewery.
The brewery and taphouse will officially open to the public on Saturday March 9, in line with Pirate Life’s fourth birthday. They’re known for their birthday celebrations – past festivities have been at the Gilbert Street Hotel, where they’ve covered the street in sand and grass to expand the party outside.
This year it’s all about showing off their new digs, with a huge celebration on Saturday March 9. The family-friendly event will have 10 hours of music from 2-10pm, with a lineup that includes international Fringe acts, and a brass band flown in from New Orleans.
As always, they’ll have eight limited-release birthday beers, plus plenty more beer and food all day. Entry is free to the event – you can find out all of the info here.
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