Daniel Prior

Oxford Street isn’t known for its subtlety. Drag queens strut the pavement, ready to sass you into a drink at a swanky party bar and almost every building is dressed in signs that flash their lights provocatively. The Bitter Phew looks as modest as a mourner at Mardi Gras in comparison: just a black-and-white sign and a pile of empty kegs for a doorman. This first-floor craft beer bar has a subdued appearance, to be sure, but that’s because the bar have poured all their efforts into finding the perfect brew. As a result the small and intimate space is has an ad hoc feel, filled with eclectic furniture with artworks painted straight onto the walls. But at the bar things get serious. The names of a dozen or so beers, ciders and whiskies are scrawled on any surface that is large enough to fit them, but that’s the tip of the iceberg – the full drinks menu is bigger than a phone book, and a much better read. If you feel daunted by choice the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and have the patience to help gently steer indecisive drinkers to a Belgian sour cherry stout that’s almost like a new breed of cider. Or maybe a double-hopped lager from Victoria that’s drier than the Kalahari is the go? It might be a craft beer bar, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t order a Starward Whiskey from Tasmania, which rolls like honey on your tongue with a mellow oak flavour.  Expert knowledge can have its pitfalls. The Bitter Phew is small and doesn’t get too crowded, but that doesn’t mean you w

Broadway Shopping Centre sells many nice things. There's clothes, food, music, mobile phones, paintball experiences, and books, not to mention all your share-house essentials at Kmart. But if you’re looking to drown your need for a new Nutribullet in several middies, or share your concerns about global capitalism over a few jugs, or forget the fact you may have just spent way more on table lamps than you care to admit, then Staves Brewery has just what you need. Located on Grose Street in an old steelworks site, Staves Brewery has embraced the building’s history with steel girders and concrete everywhere and it lends the brewery a serious air - hard work is undertaken here. Poured into middies, pints, or jugs, Staves Brewery champions their own creations on tap: and IPA, pale, amber, and golden ales, are just the beginning. Would you care for a dark and malty stout that sits in your stomach like a hearty stew on a winter’s night? Or a sharp and to the point IPA that tastes like payday? Some taps are earmarked for special one offs and experimental brews, plus they save a few for guests beers from local and national breweries because the craft brewing scene is full of community-minded people. You don’t need a sophisticated palate to enjoy yourself here – it helps if you want to deep dive on brewing practices – and as each is beer brewed on site they have a noticeably clean and crisp flavour; if the beers were any fresher, you’d be munching hops. The courtyard is full of wooden