Welcome to The Free House

Events this week - Kit Bray live on Thursday and The Nelson Ukulele Orchestra on Sat, both events Free at The Free House. See full pub event details for March here

We are now serving great pizzas from (When in) Rome of Hardy St - order at the bar. Also we are pleased to be sponsoring the alt.country radio programme 'Rural Delivery' on Fresh FM every Thursday 8.10-10pm - win a $50 bar tab by listening to the show!

Sign up for Free House, Dead Good Beer Events and MarchFest news updates here

Marchfest tickets now on sale at earlybird price - got yours yet?

Nelson is at the heart of New Zealand’s hop growing region and is the epicentre of the Kiwi craft brewing industry. The Free House is Nelson’s first pub of its kind*. Our motto “set the beers free” means we offer patrons an endlessly changing menu of local and national craft beers. We are the only pub in Nelson serving cask-conditioned real ales.

Only hand pumps in town ~ religious paint job ~ the amazing Free House Sound System.

Beers, wines and food currently available:

BRIGHT BEERS
Tuatara Hefe (5%), Golden Ticket Summer Babe (4.6%), Tuatara IPA (5%), Founders Red Head (4.2%), Lighthouse Summer Breeze (4.4%), 8Wired Hopwired (7.4%), Townshend's Monterey Lager (4.9%), Classic Stout (5%), Redwood Old Mout BoysenCider (5.8%), Renaissance Stonecutter Scotch Ale (7%).

REAL ALES
(Cask-conditioned served on hand pumps): Townshend's Cathcarts NTA (4.2%), Townshend's Old House ESB (5.3%), Townshend's No 9 Stout (4%).

COMING SOON:

Twisted Hop Sauvin Pils, Thre Boys Porter, Emerson's 1812 IPA, Twisted Hop Porter, issbeer, Mussel Inn Apple Roughy Cider, Green Man IPA, Green Man Lager, Cathcarts NTA!

WINES & SPIRITS:
A selection of fine local wines from Blackenbrook, Brightwater, Kahurangi, Stafford Lane, Siefried, Fossil Ridge, Richmond Plains, Te Mania, Tussock and Sunset Valley. Plus a superb selection of premium Whiskey, Vodka, Grappa etc.

JUICES, FOOD ETC:
We usually have Mussel Inn Lemming Aid and Mussel Inn Ginger Beer on tap plus bottled Phoenix Organic Cola and a selection of Benger juices. We also serve tasty gourmet snacks such as Dolmades and Olives, Ka Pies, L'Artisan Cornish Pasties, Traditional Ploughmans, Proper Crisps and more. Or bring your own food from The Indian Café over the road, Mumbai Mexico in Bridge St or anywhere else you like!

It's comfy.. and colourful..

here we are - see you soon!

Nelson’s first free house pub is the brainchild of Dead Good Beer Events, the creators of the ‘Nelson Beer Fêtes’ held quarterly at Founders Heritage Park and the annual MarchFest hops and music festival.

* What is a ‘free house’ ?
WIKIPEDIA: “Unlike a tied-house, a free house is a pub that is owned independently of the brewery (or breweries) that supply it. As a result, a free house can stock whichever beers it chooses from whichever breweries it chooses. Free houses are rare, the majority of pubs are tied-houses.”

The Free House was inspired by ...

Beery links we like:

Our address is:
95 Collingwood Street, Nelson (Opposite The Indian Cafe) or PO Box 1975 Nelson.

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 4pm to 10-ish, Fri: 4pm to 11-ish, Sat: Midday to 11-ish, Sun: Midday to 6-ish

Our tel nos are:
03 548 9391 (opening hours), 03 548 3887 (office hours)

back to top