By Andy Young
Melbourne Pubs are prepped and ready for the third annual Time Out Melbourne Pub Awards, which will be taking place at Beer DeLuxe in Federation Square this evening.
Thirty-one pubs from across Melbourne have been nominated in seven different categories including Best Pub Food, Publican of the Year and the night’s top award the Pub of the Year.
Fred Siggins, Time Out’s Pubs Editor, said: "The pubs of Melbourne remain integral to our sports, craft beer, food and live music scenes. They’re a huge part of what makes this the best city in the world.
"There's a freshness in the way we're approaching pubs, with many who've managed to modernise while retaining the essence of what a good pub is all about – good banter and a casual, comforting atmosphere free of pretension."
Time Out’s CEO, Michael Rodrigues, added: "Melbourne is blessed with hundreds of good pubs and beer halls and they keep getting better. It's difficult narrowing the field to the best of the best, but the pubs we celebrate in the awards and in the new edition of the Time Out Melbourne Pub Guide edge out the competition this year."
FULL LIST OF NOMINEES:
Best Pub Food
An award for outstanding snacks available in the bars of Melbourne pubs.
- Lamaro’s Bodega
- Leonard’s House of Love
- The Lincoln
- Marquis of Lorne
- The National Hotel
Best Beer List
The pubs with the year’s most adventurous, exciting or improved beer offerings.
- Beer DeLuxe Fed Square
- Forester’s Hall
- The Junction
- The Local Taphouse
- Terminus Hotel, North Fitzroy
Pub Revival Award
An award for pubs that have been renovated, re-invented or re-energised.
- The Crafty Squire
- The Great Britain
- The Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel
- The Flying Duck
- Hats and Tatts
Best Live Music Pub
Celebrating pubs that offer free live music of any genre.
- The Bendigo
- The Curtin
- The Catfish
- The Reverence
- The Wesley Anne
Best Sports Pub
Pubs that are friendly community hubs and great places to watch sport.
- The Auburn Hotel
- The Great Northern
- The Imperial
- The Palace Hotel, South Melbourne
- Terminus Hotel, Abbotsford
Publican of the Year
Pub owners and/or managers whose make us feel at home or otherwise elevate the pub-going experience.
- Alex Summers, the Alehouse Project
- Sam Capogreco, Beer DeLuxe Hawthorn
- Kieran Yewdall and Michael Shaughnessy, the Catfish
- Jessica McGrath, Mark Pratt and Billy the Pub Dog, the Palace Hotel, South Melbourne
- Ed Harley, the Royston
People’s Choice
Time Out readers nominated their favourite pubs – these are the top 10 from which the public has voted a winner.
- Beer DeLuxe Fed Square
- Beer DeLuxe Hawthorn
- The Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel
- The Fox Hotel
- The Grosvenor
- Hats and Tatts
- The Lincoln
- The Palace Hotel, South Melbourne
- Railway Hotel, South Melbourne
- Terminus Hotel, North Fitzroy
Old School Pub Award
This award is for a pub with plenty of history that has resisted the urge to follow fashions and remains an outstanding place to drink. Winner announced on the night.
Legend Award
This award is for a pub that has led the way, indelibly shaping Melbourne’s drinking culture. Winner announced on the night.
Pub of the Year
This is the pub that in the last year has offered the complete package: service, innovation, cultural significance, drinks selection and X-factor. It’s a place you would cross town to drink at. Winner announced on the night.