There’s something about a brewery tour that adds to the experience of enjoying your favourite beer. From the intricate machinery to the aromas of the lovingly crafted beers, there’s a sensory element that brings something extra to the glass. Learn from the pro’s as they guide you around their brewing stations or do things your way on a self-guided tour around a brew bar.
1. Shakespeare Brewery And Hotel, Auckland
Visit the first brewpub in New Zealand, where you’ll find an array of ales, lagers, and pilsners brewed onsite. This brewery has created craft beers for almost 40 years, and with an experimental brewer at the helm, all styles are incorporated to take you on a round-the-world trip as you relax in the “old pub” feel of the venue. If you enjoy one too many beers at this historic spot, you can enjoy a night at one of the boutique rooms that offer a comfortable and unique resting place for the evening.
2. Sweat Shop, Auckland
Combine New Zealand’s best craft beer with a fantastic night at the Sweat Shop, where you can enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday night. Purchase a Brewery Experience Package for only $30 per person and enjoy tasters, plus a pint of your favourite as you discuss them with the brew wizard. Alternatively, turn it into a full day’s experience with a post-tour platter and arcade games. There’s even a private area with live sports streaming for you and your mates.
3. The Beer Spot, Auckland
The Beer Spot offers 40 rotating beer flavours from local brewers in Northcote, Huapai, Morningside, Whangaparaoa, and Panmure. Enjoy food trucks and events with beer and wine buddies. Try a tasting glass onsite and take pressure-filled ‘puppies’ of your favourite beer home with you.
4. Good George Brewing And Dining Hall, Hamilton
Good George will be a familiar name to many craft beer fans up and down the country. But this Hamilton venue is slightly different. The 1960’s church come brewery is the original Good George branch that allows you to admire the brew tanks as you enjoy your drink. Meanwhile, beer matches will enable you to pick the perfect food to complement your beverage.
5. Parrotdog Bar, Wellington
Located one block from the sweeping dunes of Lyall Bay, the Parrotdog Bar offers a simple retreat that transports you back to the taverns of yesteryear with 17 revolving taps that showcase the core range of this brewery. A brilliant spot.
6. Fortune Favours, Wellington
You can’t miss this iconic Wellington bar where the brewers are on a mission to bring you the best new beers, leaving their stamp as one of the best breweries in New Zealand. Fortune favours the brave, so they say, and that’s what these brewers believe as they try new things and experiment with the latest flavours.
7. Cassels Brewery, Christchurch
If you’re looking for a traditional craft brewery that stays true to its roots while incorporating the latest experimental procedures and local ingredients, look no further than Cassel’s Brewery. Here, you can try a traditional beer alongside a recommended food pairing to delight the senses. The wood-fired ovens here will bake your pizza to perfection. You can also hire the Cassel’s beer bus, first built in the 1930’s and now fitted with nine bunk beds for small groups to enjoy!
8. Two Thumb Brewing Company, Christchurch
How could beers with names such as “A Lighter Shade of Pale” and “Haze There Delilah” taste anything but awesome? Try them in one of the Two Thumb venues in the Christchurch area, where Dave Dixon and Alex Grimshaw create seasonally crafted beers that showcase an array of flavours and aromas from locally sourced ingredients. Manchester Street is an excellent venue if you’re looking for a cosy and intimate evening in the heart of Christchurch, where you can enjoy quiz nights and acoustic tunes. Or, try Two Thumb on Colombo if you’d like to accompany your beer with wine, gin, and cocktails.
9. Moutere Inn, Nelson
Thirty minutes from Nelson, you’ll find Moutere Inn, the oldest pub in New Zealand. This gem is offering a range of 13 rotating beers and wines. Alongside this, you can enjoy a range of meals handmade onsite, from polenta and parmesan chips to steak and caramelised onion pizza. If you’re travelling in a self-contained camper and want to let loose with a few bevvies, park up in one of the overnight bays and sample several of the brews this pub offers.
10. Mussel Inn, Nelson
Located in the heart of Golden Bay, Mussel Inn provides a rustic atmosphere to kick back and relax. Here you can taste the first recorded brew of New Zealand, originally made from the leaves of the native forest surrounding. Today, this iconic brew – the “Captain Cooker” – is made from locally grown hops and flavoured with the tips of the manuka tree.
11. The Free House, Nelson
This brewpub is a portal to the epic range of craft beers available in New Zealand. In the early 2000’s, the owners held beer-tasting events at the Nelson Beer Fetes, hoping they could one day open a permanent location to share these brews. And in 2009 this dream was realised when an old reformed church went up for sale. Today, you can sit in this historic building and enjoy a brew as you look out over the landscapes of Nelson.
12. Emersons, Dunedin
Dunedin has one of the best brewery scenes in the South Island. When in the deep south, Emersons is a must-visit brewery for a tour, tasting and a feed. Bird Dog, Orange Roughy and the Emersons Pilsner are just a few of their most-recognisable brews. Established as a microbrewery back in 1992, Emersons is a part of the furniture in Dunedin. Take some of your favourites home with you from the taproom shop to top off your visit.
Cover Image Credit: Sweat Shop.
