Felons has finalised its harbourside home at Manly Wharf, marking the milestone of its broad offering brew-pub in a three-day celebration.
One of Australia’s most innovative Brewing Co’s, the opening of Felons Barrel Room and installation of its new onsite microbrewery – a custom-built, steam-powered, 18.5-hectolitre dry malt extract (DME) brewhouse – marks the final chapter in the full Felons Manly experience.
The doors swung open on the 700-capacity venue Friday (5 December), introducing a bold evolution in the brewery’s hospitality offering, blending barrel-aged beer, Vietnamese cuisine and live music.
Aiming to be a cultural and entertainment hub, the room features two bars, seating for more than 300 diners, and a stage decked with a world-class audio and lighting system by German manufacturer d&b audiotechnik, purpose-built to host an ongoing program of live performances, focusing on local and emerging talent. There will also be themed events, such as trivia, comedy, jazz and movie nights, and intimate ‘piano bar’ gigs.
With feature and neon interior lighting and walls lined with over 100 French oak barrels for aging Felons’ beers made onsite, the space will deliver an entertainment experience unmatched on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
The long weekend party was timed to ride the first weekend of summer, headlined on the Friday night by homegrown favourites Winston Surfshirt and legendary Australian pub band Mental As Anything on the Saturday.
Sunday (7 December) saw a day that began family-friendly, open to all ages, evolving into a takeover from 7pm “bringing dance floor heat” by James Pepper, Yolanda Be Cool, Bella Backe, Joel Cantone and Ashlea Milinkovic of Australian dance troupe Sweat It Out.
All events and performances were free to attend, inviting locals and visitors to enjoy beer, food and live music by the harbour.
Artemus Group took ownership of Manly Wharf in 2024 and has worked to transform the waterfront precinct into a vibrant centrepiece for community and culture.
Artemus co-founder and director Adam Flaskas says Felons Manly is about the synergy of people, community and place.
“This summer, we’re excited to contribute to the cultural energy that already makes Manly such a special place, bringing together music, craft and community by the harbour.”
Recently enjoying its one-year anniversary, Felons Manly launched a new beer garden and family playground.
The brewery, led by director Tom Champion and lead brewer Gareth Cooper, is designed to showcase the tangible elements of a working brewery and will feature daily tours, tastings and meet-the-brewer sessions. An interior walkway will allow select visitors to view the brewing process of Felons’ award-winning classics, such as Crisp Lager, Galaxy Haze and Australian Pale Ale.
And in the pipeline is a new custom-designed koelschip (open-top brewing vessel used in traditional spontaneous fermentation to capture wild yeasts and bacteria from the air for fermentation) will soon be installed, to create seasonal beers and unique brews capturing the identity of Manly.
The venues will pour beer directly from 3,600-litre tanks, delivering beer, cider and seltzer of “unrivalled freshness”.
The menu serves vibrant Vietnamese dishes to pair with Felons’ beers, such as the Barrel-Aged Crisp Lager, matured for six weeks in Starward Whisky barrels. Dishes were created by Australian-Vietnamese chefs Bao La and Ty Bellingham (Sailor’s Thai, Bathers’ Pavilion’s Betel Leaf).
A refined back bar bolsters the drinks offering, which also features natural wines and signature cocktails.
Upon opening, the Felons Manly team brewed an exclusive crisp Japanese rice lager for the new venue, to honour the waterside location. This included a partnership with Seabin that meant every glass of Japanese rice lager sold funded the removal of a piece of plastic from Sydney Harbour.
This has amounted to more than 20,000 pieces of trash collected to date, and Felons says it will be continuing the sustainability work with SeaBin. Felons reports contributions of more than $150,000 to local charities and organisations in the past year.
Brand director Dean Romeo says the final pieces of the puzzle mark a defining moment for the Brew Co.
“Together, these spaces represent everything we stand for: creating dynamic places that celebrate the art of brewing, the joy of connection through a beer poured fresh from the tank, and the creative spirit that runs through the Manly community.
“It’s our way of celebrating Manly, a destination that’s as much about people as it is about place.”
