New all-day gastropub The Mighty has burst open in Moonee Ponds, providing an indomitable domain for crafty beverages and pub grub.
“The Mighty is all about creating a community and hub for our craft brands,” says Mark Haysman, CEO of craft beverage collective colossus Mighty Craft.
The suburban Melbourne site was previously a Sporting Globe venue, chosen due to its rapidly-growing community of young people and transformed with help from designers Studio Y.
“We believe Moonee Ponds to be an underserviced market and there’s an opening for a ‘new local’ like The Mighty where people can pop in for a quick drink after work or enjoy a leisurely lunch or relaxed dinner with friends.”
A crack team has been assembled for the operation, counting hospitality veteran Dennis Ferreira and former Heston Blumenthal chef Adrian Corigliano.
The three-level space boasts capacity for more than 500 punters and is divided into five distinct sections, each with its own personality. The modern public bar provides casual tables for large groups, and high seats along the long white-tiled bar. There is a terrace, cocktail bar and atrium featuring two olive trees.
It also incorporates a retail space and tasting bar, where all Mighty Craft’s products can be sampled and purchased.
Upstairs aims to be even more ‘tropical’, sporting palm-tree designs, lush greenery, rattan furniture and dim lighting.
The bistro, offering leather banquettes and seating for 110 people, allows a view into the kitchen, producing the likes of soft pork-belly parcels, salt-cured and charred prawn sticks, and flaky fish of the day. Gourmet pub serves include the buttermilk chicken schnitzel, Wagyu burger with smoked cheddar, and an adults-only ice-cream sandwich.
The drinks menu is mostly Mighty Craft, championed by Jetty Road, but there are also brews from Slipstream, Sauce Brewing Co from Sydney, and Ballistic from Brisbane. Behind the bar is a vast array of 14 beers, ciders and seltzers on tap, plus the option of paddles of four beers of choice, and an ever-changing array of small batch beers and guest taps.
All the wines available are from Victoria, and the portfolio is completed by a range spirits and cocktails, including the signature Kangaroo Island Spritz.
The Mighty is also set up to host special events, tipping Gin Masterclasses, Meet the Brewer Sessions, Gin and Beer Dinners and a Laneway Craft drinks festival.
Mighty Craft already counts a number of Aussie brands, including Brogan’s Way Distillery in Richmond, Jetty Road Brewery on the Mornington Peninsula, Kangaroo Island Spirits in South Australia and Slipstream in Queensland.
The venue also brings partners from around the country, such as Foghorn Brewery, Torquay Beverage Company, Sauce Brewing and Green Ant Gin.
“You can experience all our products under the one roof and learn all about the art of craft in a fun and dynamic environment, while enjoying great food,” says Haysman.
The Mighty of Moonee Ponds is Mighty Craft’s second venue, following The Mighty in the Hunter Valley, which opened early October.
The group is planning up to 12 Mighty venues around Australia in the next two years, pitching the concept as a place for the greatest collection of craft beverages.
“Here you’ll find the hidden gems, local legends, the real deals, the undiscovered and rising stars. We’ve curated the stuff that Melbourne is craving.”
