MORNINGTON BREWERY & DISTILLERY
Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
In order to continue making award-winning craft beers at 72 Watt Road Mornington, the original location of Mornington Peninsula Brewery, Matt Bebe and Andrew Gow have reconnected as TAR BARREL Brewery & Distillery. Additionally, the addition of a whisky and gin distillery has expanded their capacity to provide more expertly crafted flavour experiences.
In keeping with its commitment to being "local" and using "local," the new Tar Bar will serve both core and speciality beers on tap to go with its renowned wood-fired pizzas. All are catered for with the help of local wines and spirits.
HOURS
Wednesday 3 - 9pm
Thursday 3 - 9pm
Friday 3 - 11pm
Saturday 12 - 11pm
Sunday 12 - 7pm
ON TAP
LAGER 4.7%
PALE 4.7%
PORTER 5.5%
IPA 6.2%
COLOUR OUTSIDE THE LINES 8.5%
DEMOCRACY MANIFEST 6.5%
LAY OF THE LAND 5.5%
JUST ASKING FOR A FRIEND 7.0%
TAKEAWAY – 500ML CANS
WALK BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS 5.0%
PORTER 5.5%
IPA 6.2%
JUST ASKING FOR A FRIEND 7.0%
LAY OF THE LAND 5.5%
WE'RE DOG FRIENDLY
We consider ourselves dog lovers at the brewery, as long as you have them on a lead they are more than welcome to join you at the outside tables.
CLOSING INFO
PIZZAS CLOSE AT 8PM WED & THU, 9PM FRI & SAT AND 6PM SUN.
LAST DRINKS ½
BEFORE CLOSE
A BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT TAR BARREL BREWERY & DISTILLERY
Mornington, Victoria
Even though Tar Barrel Brewery & Distillery didn't open until 2020, its history is a wonderful reflection of the development of craft beer over the previous ten years.
The opening of the Mornington Peninsula Brewery in 2010 was the culmination of a happy promise made between a group of friends in 2008 as they celebrated Hawthorn's first Grand Final victory in a long time. Local Matt Bebe, the co-founder who had lived on the Peninsula all of his life, was in charge of the brewery. Andrew Gow, also known as AG and a seasoned professional even before accepting the position at Mornington, was in charge of steering the beer.
The brewery experienced significant growth over the following few years, appearing in well-known stores across the nation, garnering praise from critics, gaining national distribution, and moving into a second location close to the first.
No matter where the brewery's beers were sold, the original location at 72 Watt Road remained the best place to sample them and see the brewery where they were created. Like many brewpubs, it was here that the selection of beers was the broadest and freshest, and the accompanying wood-fired pizzas, first-rate beer garden, and regular live performances all contributed to making it a home for thirsty Peninsula residents and tourists eager to try local beers. Written by Crafty Pint's Will Ziebel.
See what customers say about our service...
Elissa Munro
10:29 04 Nov 21
Great staff, Very friendly. Great beer wine and pizzas. Close to home. A great place for a celebration or just a quiet drink.We will be back.
Lisa
05:59 27 Nov 21
Mmmm… beer.Really good vibe. Indoor and outdoor seating. Great selection of local beers. Pizza is good and staff are super friendly. Always happy to get back here.
Leona
00:29 19 Dec 21
The pizza's were second to none, they were SO delicious. I'm not a huge beer drinker but thoroughly enjoyed the tasting paddle. The service was amazing and fast. Would definitely re-visit!
Peter Ryan
10:39 20 Jan 22
Really enjoyed going to Tar Barrel. The staff were super nice, and we were able to bring our dog with us in the outside area. Definitely recommend getting a tasting paddle
Kris Jack
05:50 19 Feb 22
Was a great experience, and I’d highly recommend the brewery tour with Matt, his depth and breadth of knowledge was astounding and he was so insightful and the beers we tasted were amazing. Great place and great vibe!!!
Casey Cutters 2023
10:36 19 Feb 22
Small brewery, large in appeal! Great for catch ups and small functions. Pizza menu very appetizing. Parking available close by and out front in allocated parking area. Easy access from main road. Ample seating with private function area available for booking. Entertainment on Saturday nights. Great craft beer to choose from. Great customer service. Table service of meals served promptly with a smile. New times for Wednesday opening hours also. New owners and Management and a lot new changes throughout that adds great atmosphere and appeal. Take away available and refills available too.
David Staley
05:57 12 Mar 22
Matt was incredible. So passionate, knowledgeable and inspiring. We absolutely loved this experienced and we learnt so much, it was brilliant. We can’t recommend it enough 🙂
Amy Logan
04:08 01 Apr 22
We had an absolutely awesome visit! Great brewery and distillery, with interesting local knowledge and the host very welcoming to our group. Had a great time! Brilliant gin, in particular.
Nathan Colliver
12:28 01 Apr 22
By far my favourite place to go for beers and pizza with my mates. The atmosphere is super chill and clean looking, it's always great to see what new beers they have and the live music is just the cherry on top. Highly recommend this place!
Karl rz
09:50 25 May 22
What an awesome find. 5 star pizzas, 5 star beers. 1st time here and Ill be back at least weekly. My Wife was equally as impressed and she's a neat freak.Patted a cute bulldog on the way out.
Courtney
06:49 28 May 22
I would highly recommend the brewery tour at the Tar Barrel! Matt was extremely knowledgeable and passionate and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. The tastings were great and we will definitely be returning. As a bonus, you get to meet a gorgeous border collie called Ollie!
Lukarosa
06:52 11 Jun 22
Excellent tour of the distillery. I learnt a lot and was able to experience a wide range of what they produce. Would recommend the vodka!
Anthony Kouch
06:53 11 Jun 22
Amazing tour of the distillery, could feel the expertise and passion behind the entire process and experience.
Johnson
06:54 11 Jun 22
Really great tour, definitely learnt lots and literally had a taste of what they had to offer. Will recommend the vodka, simply sublime. Vodka shouldn't be going down that easily!
Kurt Hollis
11:34 11 Jun 22
Great food and drink, excellent atmosphere and passionate owners!I was designated driver so could only have a small taste but the Gin was ultra smooth and I'm told the beers were great. The wood fired pizzas were amazing!Matt was happy to walk us through and explain the distilling and brewing processes in detail. Sounds like the team love what they do and are happy to share their knowledge. You leave feeling like you could distill your own Gin!! I'll be leaving that to the experts though. Great to hear they use Australian suppliers wherever possible.Will definitely be going back!
Anthony Renu
10:39 16 Jul 22
Highly recommend. Great hospitality and service. Staff was friendly, efficient, and food was amazing. We booked for the distillery experience and it was an amazing tour. Matt the owner was very passionate and very knowledgeable. This was the first time for us and I honestly didn’t know what to expect prior but it exceeded our expectation. This whole experience was very welcoming and memorable. If your ever in the Mornington shire this is the all in one. Side note they brew their own beers, gin, vodka and whiskey. Thank you for your hospitality and we will definitely return.
ian kohlman
09:24 06 Sep 22
What a great day we had at the tar barrel last Saturday. This brewery is awesome and can recommend it highly. The staff are very friendly and hard working. We will be back as soon as possible. Well done
Julie Tieu
20:53 27 Oct 22
I popped in here on a Saturday afternoon with 3 other friends, they were accommodating and friendly. They offer a high chair if needed for babies, and have a QR code for ordering so you don’t have to get up to go to the bar. The pizza bases were thin, crunchy and overall very tasty. I didn’t get to try the beers but their gin was very good, highly recommend.
philibert de pange
04:32 29 Oct 22
Superbe visite par Matt, très sympa et très intéressante, endroit très chaleureux et très bonnes bières, vodka, gin et whisky.
Pauline DELOMEZ
04:32 29 Oct 22
Très agréable visite de la brasserie avec Matt. Les explications sont très claires, Matt nous a montré la production de tous ses produits. Une dégustation de qualité en même temps !Merci !
Marie Declerck
04:34 29 Oct 22
Matt nous a fait découvrir sa magnifique brasserie et distillerie.Nous avons appris tout le processus du grain à la boisson.Dégustation et visite dans un endroit chaleureuxTrès intéressant, merci à lui
Mark Jolley
04:39 05 Nov 22
Great brewery and distillery tour with Matt. Very knowledgeable, friendly and eager to talk about all things drink!
melissa devine
02:26 03 Dec 22
Tried out the new BBQ board and it was sensational. Great to share and awesome value. Live music was great and the atmosphere in general was very relaxed and fun. Staff were happy, friendly and very accommodating. Highly recommend giving it a try. Can't comment on the beer but friends and hubby rave about it.
Alex Levashov
10:08 07 Jan 23
Good beer, tasty food (we had the pizza that was beyond expectations) and friendly and quick service.What else do you need?Oh, actually as a bonus there was also live music the afternoon we went to Tar Barrel.
Ben Kaylock
04:55 18 Jan 23
We had a great kid free evening at Tar Barrel last Friday, the beers are great and the food straight off the smoker is amazing. Highly recommend the lobster rolls and tacos 🌮
Deni
05:22 22 Jan 23
10/10Great service with a smile. Beer was good. The BBQ was amazing. Definitely recommend just for the bbq alone. Amazing!
Ryan Omara
00:53 29 Jan 23
This place is great! Food is incredible, beers are awesome and the service is outstanding. Would definately recommend.
Éamonn Mc Kernan
06:28 07 Feb 23
I cannot speak highly enough of the warm welcome show to the ten of us who took a tour of Tar Barrel last Saturday. It was so refreshing to see the genuine interest and passion shown by owner Matt. An all round nice bloke who was extremely engaging. I'd recommend the tour to anyone and will definitely be back.
Ray Jarvis
20:29 08 Feb 23
Always a great location for a few quiet ales with friends to find ish the day, with a fantastic selection of styles to choose from. Branching out to Single Malts and Gins to also choose from allows for the and discerning pallet allows flexibility.Of recent times, the introduction of Brendan's Smoker and BBQ has taken the venue to another level of satisfaction. Keep it up, team. I love it!
Alexandra D
03:48 11 Mar 23
We went exploring for a Saturday afternoon feed and drink- this place did not disappoint! The smoked pork bbq was incredible, the beer was crisp and the gin went down way too easily! Will be coming back for sure. I think we’ve found our weekend favourite!
Steve Sks
10:37 12 Mar 23
Food was superbDrinks excellentBest bbq we've had in yearsHad to try everything and so very happyComplements to the chef
Crystal T
08:47 17 Mar 23
A great little brewery located in the industrial area of Mornington. With inside and outside seating Tar Barrel is a great place to stop and have a few beers. Their drinks can be ordered with a selection of delicious woodfire pizzas or hot chips. They are now doing an amazing selection of smoked meats and OMG is the food delicious!! Go on a Saturday night for live music.
Kristen Lowthian
08:22 02 Apr 23
Amazing venue and friendly staff! Has my 40th here recently and I couldn't recommend the place more ! Had the best time
Aimee Ward
07:40 10 Apr 23
We had a great afternoon / evening at Tar Barrel Brewery over Easter. We tried the IPA and the Gunamatta Gin - both devoured! The vibe was great, nice and relaxed, cosy, the Manager Paul made us feel well looked after. We'll definitely visit again next time we're on the Peninsula. Highly recommend a drink here, wish we had tried the pizzas, they looked delicious!
Ash Moaveni
01:49 12 Apr 23
We visited Tar Barrel for an office meeting. Great location, food, beers as well as all around atmosphere. Looking forward to hearing back there again soon.
Mellkate73
08:32 29 Apr 23
Well done Tar Barrel, had a wonderful experience meeting head brewer Andrew on a very busy Saturday night with no prior appointment. He shared some great insights into the business of brewing and distilling. Congrats on a lovely smooth french whiskey as shared by head chef Brendan! We love what you do and hope that you will consider my request of a local champagne 🍾 💕💕
Chris Howes
23:59 29 Apr 23
Delicious BBQ pork platter. Was too much food for two of us. Wide selection of their beers on tap, all very tasty, but the porter and the wheat beer were the stand outs. Sampled their recently launched whiskey, was smooth and a perfect end to dinner on a cold night.Incredible service and free live music (Sat night) also makes this a must visit destination. 10 points to Gryffindor!
irene vidas
13:41 07 May 23
Sunday family lunch get together on a coldish day. Atmosphere inside was welcoming and warm. Staff friendly. Today was smoked lamb. Ordered the platters and Gin and thankyou very much. Live music just topped off the lunch. Everyone had a great time. New favourite.
David Harris
10:59 14 May 23
Absolutely fantastic place to visit. The food is amazing, the beer is great, the staff are so friendly and accommodating. A really good spot for relaxing drink and a delicious feed while enjoying some live music. Highly recommend!
Georgia Woolley
10:51 28 Aug 23
Love love love this place! Great atmosphere, live music, amazing charcoal bbq platters- our favourite sat night out/ Sunday arvo sesh
Paul Gloury
03:16 08 Oct 23
Amazing food, brewery and venue. Will be coming back and telling all my friends and family. If you haven't been here before, go out of your way to enjoy the food, drinks and live music. Thanks Brendan and crew for a brilliant Sunday lunch and afternoon.
S Van
08:11 11 Nov 23
We received the best customer service from Brendan. They ran out of one meal in our order and Brendan came out and went above and beyond to apologise and make up for it. We were blown away by his hospitality and efforts.Additionally, the venue has a fabulous vibe with live music over the weekend, and the food is super yum with massive servings so you feel like you’re getting value for money. Great beer and wine selection too - discovered my favourite rose by coming here.Thank you to Brendan and the team! We will be lifetime customers and supporters of this local business.
Vicky Q
08:21 22 Nov 23
The service was superb, and great atmosphere, complemented by lively music. The food and beer were excellent, and I especially enjoyed their amazing pizza, it's soooo good! Will come back!
