The Bar on Gouger
The Bar on Gouger is one of the few bars in Adelaide that has been doing the craft beer thing for some time now. They also have a collocated bottle shop to rival most. Located in the heart of Gouger St this is a great place to kick off a night out, get a pre dinner drink or just hang out at on a sunny afternoon.
It’s not uncommon for me to drop in here before dinner in the area or before going to a show or other function in the city. I prefer to be there earlier in the day before it takes on a more night club vibe but that is really a personal preference thing. It’s in a great spot and after having a couple of beers you have your choice of food in the area with everything from Japanese to Argentinian in easy walking distance. It’s easy to walk back after a meal for a night cap too. Though as I said prepare for more of a night club feel as the evening wears on.
The bottle shop attached to the bar has a huge range to choose from. You can easily use a bunch of time wandering backwards and forwards working out what you want that also fits into your budget. It is one of those spoilt for choice situations. That said they don’t seem to change what is available too often so you may find it getting stale after a while but that will take quite a long while as it is a large range. The offerings are mostly from Belgium and other European countries with a few other bits and pieces to be found. Last time I looked they had the Sam Adams black lager available. This is a great beer which is pretty hard to come across. It’s not even common on the US East coast.
The one down side of The Bar on Gouger and it’s not unexpected is price. They do have a great selection but you are going to pay for it. You will find stuff there that you can’t get elsewhere but even the stuff you an get elsewhere has a pretty hefty premium on it. I don’t have a problem with it but it’s something you need to know before you head down there. I like to compare buying good beer to buying good wine. It’s still much cheaper to buy the best beers in the world than it is to buy the best wines.
Make a trip down and check it out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.