Shambles Brewery: Hop to it for a good feed

Lovers of cleansing ales are no doubt be aware Shambles Brewery serves up some good brews but you may not know they bang up good grub too. TAKE A TOUR >>

Shambles classic Cheeseburger which features a thick patty; soft bun; and plenty of sauce. Picture: Atomic Blender.

A lesson in archaic English wasn’t what I was expecting when we headed to North Hobart’s Shambles Brewery. But that’s what I got – along with some excellent burgers and craft beers.

The brewery is housed in a building that was formerly a meat-packing works and butcher, a history that is referenced by the photo portraits of past presidents of the Meat & Allied Trades Federation of Australia (Tasmanian Division) lining the corridor leading to the brewery floor and event space. And in the main bar, an old display fridge is filled with carefully stacked firewood – ready to stoke the wood heater nearby.

But where does the old English come in? It turns out that, ‘shambles’ is actually an archaic English term for a meat market and slaughterhouse so it seemed an appropriate name when former science and maths teacher Cornel Ianculovici, his brother and some mates set up shop in 2016 after initially brewing in a friend’s garage.

Shambles classic Cheeseburger which features a thick patty; soft bun; and plenty of sauce. Picture: Atomic Blender.

It’s a chilly evening and the rock star spot next to the fire is already taken but the bar is bustling and we soon warm up. While we’re defrosting, we start with a round of beers – there are 12 on tap and the bartender is happy to chat about all of them. A bowl of crunchy, spicy fried lentils ($4) flavoured with curry and amchur – dried mango powder which has a lemony tang to it – has us ordering another round before we know it. Shambles offers six core beers, all brewed on-site and which range from sessionable ales to IPAs and robust porters as well as seasonal beers.

The menu has a Southern US flavour to it, with a few surprises and plenty of vegetarian options along the way. We start with a round of mushroom hush puppies ($13) – cornmeal fritters topped with mushrooms, which change according to availability. Tonight it’s a tangle of enoki mushrooms, which look like a bundle of vermicelli and are packed with fabulous fungi flavour.

Shambles more-ish, bite-sized pieces of popcorn chicken, come served with ranch dressing. Picture: Atomic Blender.

Dirty eggplant ($12) is slices of eggplant dipped in Dirty Copper beer batter and fried to crispy perfection and served with tomato chutney. Undercooked eggplant is like eating a Wettex but these are just right.

As are the bite-size balls of popcorn chicken ($12), served with ranch dressing and which seem to disappear as soon as they’re placed next to my husband.

All these options are perfect for sharing with a group and eating with one hand while holding a cold beer in the other.

Burgers are the name of the game when it comes to mains and yes, they all come with chips. Ianculovici’s favourite is the Walker Texas Free-ranger ($18), a fried chicken burger that comes with bacon, cheese and chipotle barbecue sauce and the friend who orders it declares between mouthfuls that “this is definitely not your average burger”.

Shambles Arancini balls. Picture: Atomic Blender.

I order a classic cheeseburger ($17) with tomato and lettuce and am more than
satisfied with the thick patty, soft bun and plenty of sauce – this burger pays worthy homage to the building’s butchery roots.

It’s not all about the meat, however, as there are two meat-free options on the menu and my friend goes for the Dirty Vegan ($17) which is packed with a large grilled mushroom, beer-battered onion rings, vegan cheese and chipotle mayo. No one needs to miss out on burger action at Shambles.

We also order a serve of the beef cheek and bacon tacos ($14), which take us further south of the border. Shredded, braised beef is stuffed into soft, housemade corn tortillas and made to be folded and devoured. These aren’t your lightweight, store-bought flour tortillas, they’re thicker and with a bit more heft – just right for their payload of meaty goodness. Arepas are another South American street food that makes an appearance – these ones stuffed with smoked pork, salsa and cheese.

Shambles Walker Texas Free-Ranger which features a fried chicken burger that comes with bacon, cheese and chipotle barbecue sauce. Picture: Atomic Blender.

While you’re here, poke your head out the back, where vats are filled with brewing beers and gurgling noises conjure up visions of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. While the meat packing days may be over, all the leftover grain from the beer-making process goes to the beef farm of building owner Rex Mundy, whose family has been selling and farming meat since 1901. There’s also a pale ale called For Rex named in his honour. I think the beer tastes better served with a small side of history.