Fortune Favours

A giant wooden hand reaches out from the side of the building, beckoning passersby with a simple proposition: Fortune Favours the brave.

It’s an iconic sight in Wellington, fitting for one of the most recognised names in the famed Leeds Street precinct. Fortune Favours is the brainchild of Shannon Thorpe, with the brewery’s name a nod to the founder’s leap of faith from the corporate world to the capital’s competitive beer scene. Having opened in 2017, Fortune Favours’ ascent to a revered Welingtonian brand would suggest that fortune has certainly favoured Thorpe.

The building that the brewery occupies once housed a furniture restoration business, and many of the original shop’s features have been retained. This contributes to the industrial, inner-city feel within, with the gritty interior still lending a warm and inviting air, aided by the greenery and splashes of colour throughout.

Fortune Favours is out to create Wellington’s best beer experience, and is clearly geared to be a space welcoming to all - even your four-legged friends, as evidenced by the famous Dogs of Fortune polaroid wall.

It’s an ideal spot to while away a lazy summer afternoon, with all of Fortune Favours’ signature beers available year round. With 16 rotating taps, kombucha brewed on site, and a range of seasonal brews, there’s simply no chance to get bored here. Pair your beverage with a curated cheese board or for a truly guilty treat, order a Gorilla Burger right from your table.

Doubling as both a conveniently located watering hole and a testing ground for experimenting with their beers, Fortune Favours is deservedly a central city institution. If the brewery’s mission is to make good beer accessible for all, it’s certainly gone some way in accomplishing it.