Welcome to The Free House

New Zealand's Premier Craft Beer Destination
and Nelson's Craft Beer Heaven

(Voted Overall Best Beer Venue in New Zealand
- Beer and Brewer Magazine -People's Choice- 2012)

Nelson's Best Pub - Lonely Planet NZ Guide 2011-12

NEXT EVENTS:

Fri May 24th MON YEOMAN and DAVE HENLEY - The Asia + Himalaya Bicycle Tour, 8pm, Koha with purchase of a drink.

SAT May 25th THE ELECTRIC FLEAS - 6/7 piece ukulele group (plus melodica, harmonica and drum machine t-shirt for a few songs). The Fleas play a fun mix of covers from Johnny Cash and The Beach Boys to Pulp and The Phoenix Foundation. 8pm, FREE with purchase of a drink.

Sun May 26 SINGING SESSION The join-in Singing Session - in The Yurt at The Free House - 7pm-9pm
(FREE, (but if you buy a drink or two, The Free House can continue to provide this free venue for singers!)

MON MAY 27 NELSON LIVE POETS SLAM! Enter now by emailing: mark@drycrust.com 6pm, Koha with purchase of a drink.

All upcoming pub events here.

Sign up for Free House, Dead Good Beer and Marchfest news updates.

The Free House is untied to any brewery.
Since opening in April 2009, we have served on tap
460+ different craft beers served from 58+ different breweries..
Read everything you ever wanted to know about The Free House.

The church bar                                                       The event yurt

FOOD:

Tuesdays to Saturdays - fab new food menu for the Free House
- see the menu here.

PLUS Pizzas from STEFANO'S (5-9pm only), Fernando's Chorizo, Home Made 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.

WINES & SPIRITS:
A selection of fine local wines from Blackenbrook, Greenhough, Neudorf, Orinoco, Richmond Plains, Te Mania, Tussock and Waimea Estates. 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: Karma Organic Cola, Benger Juices (Apple and Boysenberry, Apple and Feijoa, Apple and Raspberry, Apricot, Nectarine and Tomato), soda water, tonic water, lime juice etc.
IN CARTONS: Charlie’s Pressed Apple Juice, Charlie’s Squeezed Orange Juice.

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.”

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! “

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: 3pm to 10.30-ish, Fri: 3pm 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)

back to top