10 must-try craft breweries in NSW
Faced with the challenge of selecting just 10 breweries from a state that's home to well over 100, I considered a few possibilities before landing upon what seems the fairest way forward: attempting a snapshot of the diversity on offer.
So, here's a mix of the newer, the hottest, the most fascinating, the most eye-catching to visit – drawn mostly from Sydney, but with some regional flavour too.
Could you pick another 10 as deserving of a spot? Sure. And another 10 after that, which merely reinforces the point that there's never been a better time to be a beer lover in Australia.
Bracket Brewing
In a landscape featuring so many brewery openings every year, it's not easy to break through, especially if you're on the smaller side. Yet Bracket Brewing in Alexandria is the sort of operation for which the phrase "punches above its weight" could have been created. Despite opening during the pandemic and brewing on a small brewpub system, they've won fans among beer geeks the country over – mainly on the back of their mastery of hop-dominated hazy IPAs – and are regular guests at the growing number of niche festivals.
Beer to try: Ask the bar team for the freshest of their IPAs.
Mountain Culture Beer Co
Whatever 10 NSW breweries I plumped for, if Mountain Culture wasn't in the list it would be cause for riot. Launched in Katoomba in a former Civic Video store in 2019 by ex-Oskar Blues and Modus Operandi brewer D.J. McCready and wife Harriet, who wasted no time becoming darlings of the local beer world. Most will sing the praises of their higher alcohol IPAs, but there's a vocal minority who adore their decoction lagers (brewed using traditional European methods that involve additional steps designed to add more character) and growth has been so rapid they commissioned a major production brewery in Emu Plains last year.
Beer to try: Be Kind Rewind – a nod to their original home's former tenant.
One Drop Brewing Co
When One Drop become Botany's first new brewery in January 2019, it launched with an impeccable lineup of what one might term "normal" beers, including a lager and XPA that soon impressed awards judges. Such beers are still part of the oeuvre, but you won't find many people talking about them (even if they're delicious). That's because One Drop have put themselves at the vanguard of the envelope-pushers, the masters of "What if we did this?", each month releasing multiple experimental beers at both ends of the ABV (alcohol by volume) scale and perfect for showing off on Instagram.
Beer to try: One of their insanely high-fruit-content imperial sours.
Wildflower Brewing & Blending
For a complete change of tack, head to Wildflower. Stepping inside its barrel-lined, rustic warehouse in Marrickville is like stepping back not just in time but into somewhere on a farm in Belgium. The subtly complex beers – blended after ageing in barrels and featuring a mixed house culture of brewers' yeast with wild yeast and bacteria foraged across NSW – are utterly delightful and often used to celebrate other amazing producers and ingredients.
Beer to try: Table Beer – a low ABV display of the house culture's humble glories, along with certified organic grain and hops, which is getting better with time.
Slow Lane Brewing
Sticking with older world traditions, Slow Lane has eschewed modern trends, or at least put its own twist on them. Its home in Botany is filled with barrels with which brewer Alex Jarman painstakingly creates seriously excellent beers in styles you'll rarely find anywhere else in Australia: English stock ales, barrel-aged dark sours, wheat beers inspired by those of centuries ago, and so on. A fine example of following your passions and reaping the rewards.
Beer to try: If Foundation returns, grab that; otherwise try the Belgian-style tripel Threefold, it is a winner.
The Grifter Brewing Co
This Marrickville operation is neither particularly new, nor does it follow any particularly unique path like Wildflower or Slow Lane. But the brewers are the unassuming over-achievers of the inner-west scene. Everything – from branding to brewery venue to the expertly honed liquid in every can – is done exceptionally well. And they're lovely people too, so if you're embarking on an inner-west crawl, be sure to stop by.
Beer to try: Big Sur – a West Coast IPA as it should be.
Hawke's Brewing Co
I've included Hawke's as much for the unique splendour of its Marrickville home as for its beer. The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre is a remarkable (and deliberately daggy) recreation of a period in Australian life, complete with Bob Hawke memorabilia in the pool room (the business was launched with the late former PM and raises money for Landcare Australia), Richie Benaud commentary tracks in the toilets, and an in-house Chinese bistro that offers, among other things, prawn toast and deep-fried Viennetta.
Beer to try: Given the man whose likeness the brewing company bears, you'd have to start with the lager.
Bucketty's Brewing Co
The Northern Beaches has become a hotspot for craft breweries; 4 Pines might have been snapped up by CUB, but there are indie offerings aplenty up there. Bucketty's captures the vibe of modern day, taproom-based craft brewing as well as any, and has won a loyal local following despite opening just ahead of the first lockdown. Or perhaps because of that: they quickly turned the venue into a colourful drive-thru and found ways to be a community hub even when the local community couldn't gather.
Beer to try: If the Pale Ale No2 is good enough for a medal at the world's most prestigious beer awards, it's good enough for us.
Dangerous Ales Brewery
Head south from Sydney and you'll find a region awash with small breweries. The stretch from Wollongong to Ulladulla offers all manner of treats: the indie musician-run Seeker Brewing; the sustainably minded Jervis Bay Brewing Co; the winery, fromagerie and brewery set on a farm that is Cupitt's Estate; and many more besides. But let's go for Dangerous Ales, not just because their branding stands out even in today's hectic market, but because it's the only brewery in Australia founded by a globe-trotting, big wave body-boarder: "Dangerous Damo" Martin.
Beer to try: Uncle Damo's Oatmeal Stout
Seven Mile Brewing Co
If we're going to head south, we'd best head north too. You can stop anywhere from Newcastle, the Hunter and the Central Coast, to Port Macquarie and the New England region and find a local brewery without trying too hard. Among the best is Seven Mile in Ballina, launched by the Wilson family in 2019. One son, Matt Wilson, heads up brewing, and has won plenty of admirers for his beers.
Beer to try: West Coast IPA
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Curly Lewis Brewing Co
This is the state's newest brewer (unless another has launched in the past fortnight) and the first in Bondi Beach. Given the proliferation of breweries across Greater Sydney, this area was something of an anomaly until the Curly Lewis team opened the doors of their 20-tap venue this August. While it's new and its tanks suitably shiny, there's an old head overseeing brewing: Scotty Morgan was the original brewer at Rocks and has helped many a NSW brewing operation.
Beer to try: Clean Cut Lager
James Smith is the founder of The Crafty Pint, an online magazine that has been covering the Australian craft beer scene since 2010.
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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/sydney-eating-out/10-musttry-craft-breweries-in-nsw-20220825-h25xpi.html