Molly Rose Brewing

The age-old adage, ‘when life gives you lemons …’, finds a vibrant and refreshing new life at Molly Rose Brewing. Situated on Wellington Street, the Collingwood-based brewery delights its patrons with its beloved range of beers including Too Easy, New Easy, Kuro and, yes, When Life Gives You Lemons. Milk Bar visited the establishment one sunny Sunday arvo and was treated to a guided tasting of brews.

Molly Rose’s relaxed space immediately makes you feel welcome and at home. For founder and brewer Nic Sandery, his mission is to brew and serve a diverse range of beer that seasoned drinkers and newbies can sink with ease. The boutique craft brewery is named after Nic’s grandmothers – Molly and Rose – emulating their traits of honesty, hospitality, humbleness, hardworking and ingenuity. Paying homage to these two trail-blazing women, Molly Rose Brewery stands by these values and the community it serves. 

Not Wasted was the first cab off the rank in our beer tasting. What immediately struck me was the bold mandarin flavour, so just a word of warning for those who are mandarin adverse. The Mandarin Table Beer is made from the extra stock of juicy mandarins, with their house Saison yeast, and the result is the delicious bev. Up next was the limited-release lime and ginger sour beer. Delicious, refreshing, and a great option for a summery day. 

When Life Gives You Lemons is made from 80 to 100 kilos of lemons – originally sourced from the nearby street – which are peeled, juiced, put together again and chucked in a steel vat on-premises. The result: a zesty, not very sour, very drinkable beer that will pair perfectly with some sweet cheese and other delicacies (green Sicilian olives). The Skylight IPA is a staple and a safe choice. It’s bright-coloured, citrusy, and tropical and finishes clean and dry with a moorish bitterness. 

Kuro is a Japanese dark lager, reminiscent of seaweed and touches of umami-laden kombu, paired well with a seaweed cracker. Venturing further into ale territory is the New Easy and Too Easy. Some have a clear favourite. Some are versatile. For me, Too Easy is the go-to. With subtle notes of chocolate and roasted coffee, Too Easy is a classic you will love. 

Molly Rose’s guided tasting is $30 and includes six half-pots. A winner if you want to try a little bit of everything before selecting your favourite. The snack and small plate options are favourable and range from house-marinated olives, and house-made pickles to a crispy corn tortilla with muhammara, roasted capsicum, goat cheese and guindilla chilli, the Ploughman’s plate or salt kitchen wagyu bresaola, salsa verde and bread. 

Staying true to their community-minded ethos, the Molly Rose Markets are held on the second Sunday of every month. The Sunday 13 November market theme is Plants & Upcycling and will be filled with plants and other incredible products that help divert waste from landfill. Expect to see vendors such as Dodgy Paper, Lousy Ink, IntoCarry, InRo, Preston Apothecary and Catch Love Flowers. 

Serving impressive beers, Molly Rose Brewing is the perfect place to have a bevvy, grab a bite to eat and pass the hours by with your nearest and dearest. 

Molly Rose Brewing
279 Wellington Street, Collingwood, 3066
Cellar door takeaway: Open 7 days, Monday to Wednesday, 9am–5pm; Thursday, 9am–10pm; Friday, 9am–11pm; Saturday, 11am–11pm; Sunday, 11am–10pm / Bar: Open Thursday to Sunday, Thursday, 4pm–10pm; Friday and Saturday, 12pm–11pm; Sunday, 12pm–10pm
mollyrosebrewing.com