Nagambie Brewery and Distillery is much more than just brews and views

A fancy new brewery and distillery with unbeatable views on the banks of Lake Nagambie is set to put this Goulburn Valley town on Victoria’s wine-dine touring map. And it’s family-friendly to boot.

Stake your spot on the deck overlooking Lake Nagambie. Picture: Gareth Sobey

How’s the serenity?

No, we’re not in Bonnie Doon but by the banks of Lake Nagambie, the 170ha man-made playground that teems with rowers and boaters and fishers and swimmers in summer but is ruggedly tranquil and picturesquely peaceful on a rainswept winter’s afternoon.

While the huge wraparound deck of the new Nagambie Brewery and Distillery overlooking the lake will be the prime spot to drink in all that action come summer, big windows — and a couple of roaring fires — make the all-seasons most of that incredible view.

This new brewery and distillery is the latest hospitality project of Jayco king Gerry Ryan and joins his Mitchelton Winery down the road to truly put the Goulburn Valley town on Victoria’s wine-dine touring map.

View to a thrill: the stunning vista from the decks of Nagambie Brewery and Distillery Pic Credit: Gareth Sobey

In the heart of the town, this $6 million makeover of the circa-1870 police station by Melbourne firm Six Degrees has brewery tanks at its core, where Jamie Chesher has spent the past six months brewing a range of house beers and locals have then voted on their faves.

A quenching, lightly hopped pale ale and lager will soon join eight others on tap including $4.50 pots of Carlton and $9 schooners of Mornington brown ale.

While Chesher’s whisky is at least two years away, the house gin should be ready for late spring. And in the meantime the bar is stocked with worldly examples, while Mitchelton’s bang-for-buck wines are joined by an equally well-priced cast of central Victorian drops around the $10 glass/$50 bottle point.

Raising the steaks: NY striploin with a side of mac and cheese. Picture: Gareth Sobey.

Executive chef Dan Hawkins (Mitchelton, The Prince Hotel) has developed an easy-pleasing menu that nods to old-school American smokehouses, with burgers, smoked meats, pizzas and the like. Locals flock to Wednesday wings night when half a kilo of barbecue or southern fried wings is just 12 bucks, but weekends are packed with day-trippers and residents alike. On this cold Saturday lunch, the big space is full.

Pizza the action: the wood-fired beauties are worth the drive. Picture: Gareth Sobey.

Those wood-fired pizzas are terrific. Crunchy-thin bases with good char-marked edges come with judicious toppings. The mushroom ($18) we tried is a molten cheesy mess of field and pine varieties sprinkled with thyme and topped with crisp-fried sage. Simply lovely.

Small plates include a fat wodge of haloumi, roasted in the oven until golden and served with a chunky fig chutney ($12), green beans with a dollop of spicy romesco sauce ($10), and a chilli crumb-topped, smoked-bacon mac-and-cheese ($9) served in an enamel cup.

Fires for winter, beer for all seasons at Nagambie Brewery and Distillery. Picture: Gareth Sobey

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Bigger hungers would do well to look to the generous brisket ($28), the beef smoked to spec by Taurus Meats in Seymour with fat pickles and a crunchy, vinegar-dressed cabbage salad offering sharp contrast to the rich smoky meat.

While it’s an order-at-the-bar-take-a-number set up, plentiful staff are on hand to warmly greet and guide, deliver meals and clear plates promptly. It bodes well for summer when the joint will be even more pumping.

And it deserves to be: accessible, enjoyable food that’s keenly priced, it’s a family-friendly space that delivers a whole lot more than just brews and a view.

NAGAMBIE BREWERY AND DISTILLERY

295 High St, Nagambie

Ph: 7019 8170

Open: Wed-Sun from noon

Go-to dish: Mushroom pizza