Welcome to Best Large Pub NZ 2011

Nelson's Best Pub - Lonely Planet NZ Guide 2011


Read everything you ever wanted to know about The Free House here

Tickets go on sale Mon May 7th at The Free House for.....
SAT July 7, 9pm HOLLIE SMITH with Tyson Smith
Only Nelson date on her NZ Acoustic Tour! Get up close and personal in the yurt with New Zealand's primo blues and soul songstress. Hollie is one of NZ’s most predominant female musicians, this diminutive Pakeha, in her twenties, has the voice of “a big black mama from a Southern Baptist choir.”
Tix $35 in advance from The Free House, $45 on the door. NO BOOKING FEES

The EVENT YURT

More upcoming events here - Sign up for Free House, Dead Good Beer and Marchfest news here.

The Free House is untied to any brewery.
Since opening in April 2009, we have served on tap
330 different craft beers served from 55 different breweries..

Be. Accessible has completed a Be. Welcome Assessment for The Free House beer garden. This location has been rated a Gold Organisation - defined as having excellent levels of accessibility in a number of areas.

Lonely Planet 2011 picks the Free House as the best pub in Nelson! This is what the new edition of the guidebook says:
“OUR PICK: Come rejoice at this church of ales. Tastefully converted from its original, more reverent purpose; it’s now home to an excellent, oft-changing selection of NZ craft beers. You can imbibe inside or out and even bring a takeaway curry from the Indian Café opposite. Hallelujah! “

WINES & SPIRITS:
A selection of fine local wines from Blackenbrook, Greenhough, Neudorf, Richmond Plains, Te Mania, Tussock and Weka Hill. Plus a superb selection of premium Whisky, Vodka, Grappa etc.

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS:
ON TAP: Mussel Inn Ginger Beer, Mussel Inn Lemonade, filtered water.
BOTTLED: Totara Terrace Grape Juice, Phoenix Organic Cola, Benger Juices (Apple, Apple and Boysenberry, Apple and Feijoa, Apple and Raspberry, Apricot, Nectarine), soda water, tonic water, lime juice etc.
IN CARTONS: Charlie’s Pressed Apple Juice, Charlie’s Squeezed Orange Juice.

FOOD:
Pizzas from STEFANO'S (5-9pm only), Fernando's Chorizo, Kai Pies, Ploughmans, bowl of dolmades + artichokes + olives, bowl of mixed olives, pickled eggs, PROPER crisps, peanuts and occasionally PICKLED EGGS! OR Bring your own takeaways into the pub and we will usually provide plates, napkins and cutlery. (Sorry no McDonalds, Burger King or similar fast food outlets). If you can bring your plates etc back to the bar when you have finished eating, we will love you forever.

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 goal is to 'set the beers free' - meaning we aim to offer you 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.

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 now regularly stocks Dead Good Beers IPA, Pilsner, Porter and Golden Ale on tap - but you can also get bottles of Dead Good Beer with your meals at The Indian Café, Suter Café, La Gourmandise, Stefano's Pizzeria as well as 1.25l riggers from Fresh Choice Nelson and Fresh Choice Richmond.

Links we like:

The Free House was inspired by ...

Our address is:
95 Collingwood Street, Nelson (look for the giant Mongolian yurt!) or PO Box 1975 Nelson.

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 4pm to 10.30-ish, Fri: 4pm to 12-ish, Sat: Noon to 12-ish, Sun: Noon to 10.30-ish.

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

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