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Whoever said that life is about the journey and not the destination didn’t have a brewery waiting at the end of it.
If you can feel a road trip coming on, or maybe you’re just keen to go somewhere different closer to home, allow us to suggest a brewery visit. The success of the Aussie craft beer scene means that wherever you turn in this country, you’ll almost certainly find a great brewery (and probably a woodfired pizza, to be honest). And just like the best cellar door experiences, there’s nothing quite like trying a new beer just metres from where it’s made, served by people who know and love everything about it.
From the highly specialised (there’s always that one brewery that just does sours or IPAs) to the genuine all-rounder, the following breweries are major destinations and worthy of planning a journey around. You don’t even need to be a huge fan of beer – they all offer other types of delicious drinks, but there’s a good chance the experience might just convert you, too.
So, whether you’re heading out or staycationing close to home, we’ve picked a bunch of craft breweries that we think demand a visit.
1. Molly Rose, Collingwood
Molly Rose brewer/owner Nic Sandery isn’t making beer for the masses, but the masses seem to love his style nonetheless. The Collingwood brewery (pictured) has long been a pilgrimage for beer lovers looking for adventurous flavours – you’ll find fruited sours, fresh IPAs and even a few seriously punchy low-alc options – but, with a recent expansion next door, the site now includes an upscale Thai diner (complete with chef’s table, if you’re up for it), curved cocktail bar and shady beer garden.
2. Bridge Road Brewers, Brunswick and Beechworth
This is a bit of a two-for-one, since Bridge Road is found in the heart of Melbourne at its Brunswick East outpost as well as in Beechworth at its long-running OG brewery bar. In the city, you’ll find a sleek, stylish, multi-space bar with 30 taps of Bridge Road classics (we’re partial to the Beechworth Pale Ale) and a spice-laden menu of shareable small plates and mains. Out in the country at the Beechworth original, the style is a little more understated but the beer is cold and fresh, and the pizzas are legendary.
3. Bar La Sirène, Reservoir
Another Melbourne hotspot, Bar La Sirène is a fabulous spot to really get a sense of what La Sirène beers are all about – the bar is placed right where the action happens. The team here has long done things a little differently, so if you love your craft brews wild and a little funky, but still super delicious, it’s time to take a trip to Reservoir. Choose from refreshing sours, which are more approachable than you might think, or wild-fermented ales, and throw in a farmhouse board and other snacks, and your afternoon is sorted.
4. Mountain Culture Beer Co., Redfern and Katoomba (and Richmond, Melbourne)
Brewery success stories don’t come much better than Mountain Culture, which started life in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. While the original brewery is still there – and the stuff of road-trip dreams – Mountain Culture has since spread its wing with an inner-city outpost in Redfern (pictured) as well Melbourne’s Richmond. They’ve enjoyed beer-scene domination (the Status Quo Pale Ale has won the GABS Hottest 100 three years running) and their wider range is also proving super popular. It all tastes even better alongside their beer-friendly menus in all of their venues.
5. Felons Brewing Co, Manly
Okay, so Felons Brewing Co. might be from Brisbane, but it’s hard to top sampling their beers while looking out to Manly harbour. The team has settled into Sydney nicely, with a microbrewery operation right at Manly Wharf. This makes it an essential day out, with a ferry ride almost straight to the door. The beers are a drawcard in their own right – think light lagers, hazy pales, IPAs and even canned cocktails – but the food is next level. The main hub offers everything from woodfired pizza to pub grub with a twist, or you can head next door and step it up a notch at Felons Seafood.
6. Philter Brewing, Marrickville
There are top breweries right across Sydney, but Marrickville takes the prize for offering a full day of beer discovery. Philter is high on the list of must-visits in this brewery-packed suburb, having enjoyed some serious wins in its short life. With a public bar, sports bar and an in-demand rooftop space, Philter offers plenty of ways to enjoy their brews, which range from the ever-popular Philter Pale Ale and the XPA to more out-there releases, like the Euphoric Pina Colada XPA. With a pub-style menu of burgers, pizzas, wings and more, plan to stay a while.
7. Balter, Currumbin
There are big names in Australian beer, and then there’s Balter (pictured), a brewery that’s done more for the XPA style than any other. Head to their Gold Coast taproom – with its excellent beer garden – and sample the classic Balter XPA and choose from plenty more. An expanded warehouse houses the working brewery, and there are even guided tours, if you’re keen to peek behind the curtain. Plus, you can expect live music on weekends, a roster of rotating food trucks and a bunch of limited-edition ales on tap. This is a standout brewery experience.
8. Green Beacon, Teneriffe
Green Beacon’s Teneriffe brewpub has been a paradise for inner-Brisbane beer lovers for more than a decade. The space – a simple, polished warehouse with exposed timber and long tables – is the sort of unpretentious backdrop that won’t distract from the main reason to visit: the very excellent beer. Here you’ll find classics like the Wayfarer Pale Ale alongside seasonal flavour bombs that might include rich Belgian styles or pastry-flavoured brown ales.
9. Burleigh Brewing, Burleigh Heads
The Burleigh Taphouse makes another great reason to head to the Gold Coast. With expansive indoor and outdoor areas, this is a perfect spot to take a crew of mates who appreciate good beer. You can book ahead for a 90-minute tour, where you’ll get to sample the beers, explore the brewery, ask any questions and enjoy some food, but you can also just rock up unannounced. Open Friday to Sunday, there are 15 rotating taps of Burleigh beers, with other drinks on offer, and there’s live music, too.
10. Lot 100, Adelaide Hills
You know what’s better than visiting a brewery? It has to be visiting a venue offering more than one label, and that’s exactly what you get at Lot 100 (pictured), a prime destination in the Adelaide Hills. Housing Hills Cider and Mismatch Brewing, you can take your pick of drinks here, or even throw in a wine or a gin, perhaps, from the other producers also on show. This is a brilliant spot in this pretty wine region, with food to match, too – the woodfired pizzas are worth the stop alone.
11. Prancing Pony, Adelaide Hills
While you’re in the region, head past Hahndorf (a quaint German-style village that should also be on your road-trip itinerary) and you’ll find the town of Totness and Prancing Pony’s brewery restaurant. Hop-forward, full-flavoured beer is the PP house style, and it’s what you’ll get across their range of NEIPAs, double IPAs, pale ales and XPAs, all of which are well matched with restaurant’s curries and woodfired pizzas.
12. Pirate Life, Port Adelaide
Back in Adelaide, be sure to head to Pirate Life. It’s true you can now try these beers at The District in SkyCity, where they have a microbrewery, or dedicated venues in Melbourne and Perth. But the bustling Port Adelaide brewery bar is the heart and soul of the operation. There are 20-plus taps of Pirate Life classics along with adventurous limited editions, alcoholic lemonade, ginger beer and tap wine. They all work a treat with the menu of snacks and sandwiches, and you might even get inspired to join a brewery tour. But it’s best to make a booking here because it does get busy at peak times.
13. Gage Roads, Fremantle
The long wharf shed that houses the Gage Roads brewpub (pictured) sits right on top of the water, which is an ideal spot for a brewery so closely linked with the sand and surf. The Walyalup brewpub is bright and airy with beach-house vibes that makes a perfect backdrop for the easygoing beers (we’re always partial to a Single Fin) – not to mention the menu of tacos.
14. Little Creatures, Fremantle
One of the old guard of Aussie craft breweries, Little Creatures ought to be a non-negotiable for anyone with a passing interest in good beer. The brewery has since spread to Victoria with its Geelong site, but you should experience the OG for yourself. Right now, the brewery and its various spaces are undergoing renovations, which are due to re-open soon, but in the meantime, you can still enjoy everything about this Fremantle brewery – including that iconic Little Creatures Pale Ale or maybe a hazy IPA – in their pop-up space on the site. It’s all best paired with a mortadella pizza and a dose of that Freo sun.
15. Matso’s
If you happen to be in Broome any time soon, you won’t need us to tell you how to have a good time – it’s one of Australia’s most incredible tropical destinations. But if you do find yourself looking for a way to fill an afternoon, Matso’s has your name all over it. This brewery is in a magic spot and there’s no better place to appreciate this refreshing range, which includes Australia’s first alcoholic ginger beer. There’s live music and DJs, food and more, all in a very laidback setting.
16. Moo Brew at Manky Sally’s, Hobart
You might know David Walsh as the eccentric mind behind MONA (the Museum of Old and New Art), but he’s also the brains behind Hobart beer-slingers Moo Brew. Things are rarely predictable when it comes to Mr Walsh and, typically, Moo Brew’s home base – a nano-brewery and taproom – is called Manky Sally’s. The space is a hodgepodge of true art and homey decor, and it makes a perfect spot to sample the 14 Moo Brew beers on tap. Our tip: grab a selection of house ales and get to work sampling the snacky, pan-Asian menu while absorbing the MONA-lite atmosphere.
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17. Hobart Brewing Co., Hobart
Sydney reckons it’s got the waterfront goods, but Hobart’s historic harbour on the Derwent is every bit as beautiful in our books. It offers the sort of view best accompanied by a pint of something local and freshly-made – a specialty of Hobart Brewing Co. The team started in 2014 with a single beer – the flagship Harbour Master Amber Ale – but these days the taproom boasts 13 taps of IPAs, pilsners and limited edition brews, plus a few extra pouring local wine. Add live music, rotating food trucks and Hobart’s biggest beer garden, and we’re absolutely sold.
18. Willie Smith’s Apple Shed
Yep, we’re throwing in a cider producer because, well, this is Tassie, but also because this is delicious stuff – in an incredible setting. Four generations of apple farmers have worked these orchards, and today, Willie Smith’s cidery sits right next to the trees, so the fruit doesn’t need to travel anywhere. Just a 25-minute drive from Hobart in the Huon Valley, the Apple Shed includes a rustic restaurant with live music on Friday nights and artisan markets every Saturday. That’s all on top of the ciders here – there’s even a non-alc on offer for the designated driver.
