Mini Pub Crawl: The Endeavour & The Mercantile

This October make sure you get along to two of The Rocks’ favourite drinking haunts – The Endeavour Tap Rooms and The Mercantile Hotel. Sydney Scoop recently ventured out to these establishments to savour what they do best.

Housed in historic digs, The Endeavour Tap Rooms, is a perfect example of an Australian boutique brewery making the finest craft beer from seasonally sourced all Australian ingredients (with no preservatives). The venture sees Endeavour Vintage Beer Company (established in 2010 by Ben Kooyman, Dan Hastings and Andy Stewart – three guys who love beer) and Applejack Hospitality coming together to brew and serve thirsty tourists and locals alike at a location steeped in brewing history.

The venue on Argyle Street, The Rocks once housed The Seaman Hotel – Sydney’s longest running colonial hotel. The specialty beers for taps 1 and 2 are brewed on site and the others at the Narellan brewery. Keeping with the all Australian flavour, Endeavour Tap Rooms also serve Australian wines, spirits, ciders and even soft drinks. The beer recipes change frequently to keep it interesting and to suit the seasonality of the ingredients available.

We think the best way to experience the brews at The Endeavour Tap Rooms is to purchase a tasting paddle – excellent value at $15 for a decent sized taste of four brews. You can choose your own selection or let the experts pour you a mystery paddle. We opted for the mystery paddle on our visit. Sitting outdoors in the spring twilight sipping on beer and munching on tasty pulled smoked beef brisket and smoked mushroom sliders (smoked in house in the purpose built smoker) was a perfect way to unwind after a hard day at the office.

The mystery paddle started with the Harvest Mid (#1) an all-natural mid strength pale ale – light in hops and in body with a clean finish. It was followed by an Australian style pale ale with its fruity hops and balanced malts and a slightly higher alcoholic content of 4.5% (#4). The third paddle beer shifted gear to a 6.4% Australian IPA with a solid malt backbone and a big hoppy taste (#6). What finished off our beer tasting adventure - which became our favourite on the night – was a wonderful brew with the kind of depth that made us want to keep bringing the glass to our lips and savour the intense deep smokiness of the hops (the latest experimental brew on offer #8).

Lots of other beverages and food options are available. The combinations have been carefully created and crafted to bounce off each other to make your dining and drinking experience a joy. Put Endeavour Tap Rooms on your list of must visits when in The Rocks for a rewarding delightful dalliance into the world of Australian produce and drinks.

Another spot worth checking out if you're on a mini crawl like us is The Mercantile Hotel at on George Street. Most of you will know that The Merc has been the home of Sydney’s Irish flavour since 1915 – Guinness and good times abound. For some 100 years, The Mercantile has been the go-to venue for live Irish music and an authentic Irish welcome. Tonight we came in search of Guinness and oysters. We’d been told that The Mercantile has recently taken up the Irish tradition of matching delicious oysters with the creaminess of a pint of Guinness. This focus goes hand-in-hand with the general menu overhaul from the new management - an enthusiastic Irish lad, general manger Mick, along with his head chef Edmund Lee. Their goal is to freshen up Irish traditions and introduce a bit of a gastro pub vibe.

We eagerly paired up some juicy Sydney rock oysters served in Kilpatrick, Salsa, and natural style with the drink that flows through Ireland's veins - Guinness. Edmund did a sterling job with the oysters and we're told that the Guinness lines at The Mercantile are well maintained to give drinkers a suitably authentic taste.

Even if you're new to Guinness, don't be daunted to see a full pint in front of you. The creaminess (with hints of coffee, some say Vegemite) is traditionally enjoyed with tasty oysters. It's definitely a match worthy of celebrating. But, if you're just not an oyster fan - we understand some of you won't be - you can enjoy the wonderful fresh seafood platter for two that Chef Edmund has on the menu. For a very reasonable price of $53 you can sip your Guinness while munching on tiger prawns, smoked Tasmanian salmon, tempura prawns, salt and pepper squid, barramundi fish cocktails, beer battered fries with tartare and thousand island dipping sauce - all while listening to some Irish music of course. The Mercantile is truly one of those wonderfully relaxed pubs that oozes with character and Irish cheer. A true mainstay of The Rocks drinking scene.