By this Author: DJBnomadz

Located in an 1865 historical building (the Elands Bonded Store), this new version of The Bond Store in Wallaroo is a microbrewery, distillery and restaurant. 

Recommended: Ginger Beer, Raspberry Sour, and for some easy drinking, you can't go past their Beach and Red ales.
Bonus: tapas style share plates - really yummy food, changing regularly reflecting local produce and creative chefs.

Is there any name more fitting for a brewery than Hedonbar Brewing Company; Hedon being short for Hedonism, meaning the pursuit of pleasure, if beer is your choice of vehicle. Located in the little town of Kadina on the Copper Coast, this brewery and taproom is a delightful place to spend the afternoon with friends and family.

With lots on offer, our recommendations are their XPA, Brown Ale, Dunkelweizen and Chilli Choc Stout.

Located in a lovely little town on the Yorke Peninsula is Watsacowie Brewery.

Offering a good range of tastes, they have created a very welcoming venue, where country charm mixes with industrial chic.

Recommended: Hazy Pale Ale, Mysteerious Dark Ale, Jazzy Red Ale (an Indian Red Ale) named after their red kelpie. I did want to try their Barrel-aged sour, but it was only available in big long necks! Maybe next time.

Bonus: great artwork and wisdom!

And what is a cowie? Brews News explains:

'Cowie' is an Aboriginal word for 'water' or 'place of water'. Its use in the brand name is a nod to the region and Phasey family nostalgia. “Brendan and his father were home brewing for years, and when Brendan's parents moved here 11 years ago, the word 'cowie' used to be everywhere,”

You gotta love the feel of a family run business when you are served by the brewer and owner. Western Ridge Brewing is exactly that, oozing charm and local hospitality.

We arrived hoping to taste the beetroot saison, which unfortunately had run out on tap, however the substitutes were pretty awesome. Can't wait to go back and taste some more.

Highly recommended: Paely (Pale Ale), Hazy Pale, Septemberzen (a Dark Lager), Barrel-aged Sour and the Passionfruit Light Sour.

Located in arguably the quaintest town in the Barossa Valley, is the brewery and taphouse for Greenock Brewers. A small business that is frequented by locals and visitors, alike.

They produce really good quality small batch, English-style beers in a delightfully family-friendly and social atmosphere.

Highly recommend the Dark ale and the Stout.

Paying homage to their family heritage and the German Lutheran settlers of the Barossa Valley, Rehn Bier is certainly a home-grown success story.

Bustling with patrons on Saturday afternoon listening to the live music and selecting from the large range of tastes, the venue is welcoming and relaxed.

Recommended: NEIPA, Ginger Bier, Blueberry Sour in collaboration with the Ministry of Beer, from down the road.

Nestled in the Barossa Valley town of Lyndoch, the Ministry of Beer brewery and taproom sits proudly on the corner of the main intersection in town.

Although it was founded on a passion for sour beers and I grabbed a sour tasting paddle, they do offer a great selection of different tastes on tap.

Recommended: Golden Sour with cherries, Raspberry sour, Mosaic sour and getting away from the sours, the Pale Ale also tasted a treat.
Outstanding and winner of several awards is their Old Timer, a barrel-aged golden sour that is aged in their original barrel from 2016, which gets partially emptied each year and refilled with fresh beer to sit for another 12 months. It produces a beautifully rich tasting beer.
Bonus - they also offer their unique German style pizza nibbles - the Flammekueche.

In a wonderful historical brick building, located in the shadows of Bendigo cathedral is Brewers Collective, a little brewery and taproom which is popular with locals.

Offering a relaxed and modern vibe, and a good range of tastes, it is a lovely place to while away the afternoon hours either inside or within a little courtyard out front, and a rear courtyard yet to be finished.

Recommended: Hop Whimsy (a NEIPA) and a special release Dunkelweizen (a dark wheat beer).

With the brewer proudly pouring their own beers, the Thirsty Messiah Brewery has a local corner pub feel mixed with a sport's bar, located in a modern industrial style beer hall.

With a relatively small brewing operation, the head brewer would certainly need to stay on their toes to keep up production for the range of 40 brews on tap.

For my sour paddle, I had several from which to choose: Peach Sour, Barrel Aged Saison, Sour Raspberry Mead and the Cherry Sour. All recommended. Also recommend the Newcastle Brown Ale.

The venue for Modus Brewing in Merewether is certainly impressive. From its extensive brewing operations to its large restaurant/ taproom. The venue is furry and human family friendly - a large open inside-outside feel - with lots of places for sitting and standing.

Highly Recommend: Two limited release beers, Almost Exotic (a pineapple and coconut sour) and the Daydreamer (a Hazy Pale Ale). You may not get these when you go there, however, given the quality of these samples, we would go out on a limb to recommend any other beer on the menu.
I also highly recommend you sample the char-grilled broccoli on a bed of hummus, served with chilli cucumbers - absolutely amazing!

Big bonus is their sustainability credentials:

At Modus Beer, we believe that enjoying great beer should not come at the expense of our planet. With our sustainable brewing practices, from donating spent grain to utilizing green energy and implementing eco-friendly packaging and building materials, we are proud to offer you a guilt-free and delicious beer-drinking experience. Join us in raising a glass to a greener future!

Located on the Pacific Highway, Method Brewing is in a handy location to stop for some refreshments. Being a smaller venue, it also has a really 'local' and welcoming vibe.

But don't let the smaller size discourage you - they are a little brewery that produces big flavour.
Highly recommend the Hazy Pale and the Berliner Weisse (they call it their base sour). They offer flavourings (Kiwi, Ginger, Pineapple or Mulberry) to add to the base sour product, but it well deserves the status to stand on its own.

Bonus: you might just be there when the food truck serves really tasty Taiwanese mushroom snacks; though, I'm sure the other regular food trucks are just as satisfying.

Tucked in behind the hustle and bustle of Newcastle's Queen's Wharf precinct is the delightful Foghorn Brewery, complete with foghorn and tap on the front facade.

With a great range of taps pouring good quality brews, some tasty sounding food on offer, and a big beer-hall style atmosphere, there is plenty to like about this venue.

Recommend: the XPA and the Helter Skelter (a Hazy IPA)
Standout: Red Right Hand (Red IPA)

Difficult to miss, Hope Estate, gives this big name in the Australian craft beer industry a very impressive venue, complete with Australia’s largest purpose-built outdoor winery concert amphitheatre, set among the grapevines.

With a huge range of taps on offer (30), I had a big choice to put on my all-sour paddle.

Absolute standout: Juicy Hazy Peach Sour
Highly recommended: Imperial Pineapple Sour, Sunny Boy Sour
Also recommended, the range of Jet IPAs: Jet Hazy IPA, Jet Red IIIPA, Jet Black IIIPA.

Nestled in among grapevines and neighbouring wineries, IronBark Hill Brewery Co certainly makes sure everyone knows that there's a brewery amongst them. The venue overlooks a grassed area, and I imagine it would have a fantastic atmosphere in summer, with families relaxed with children running around.

To the beer itself, they've done themselves proud.
Highly recommend the Tickled Pink XPA and the Black Forest Stout.

A welcoming atmosphere greeted us when we arrived at The Welder's Dog Tamworth taproom.

There was a good range of beers of tap; our recommendations were their Piney Pale Ale, Ginger Beer and the Black Pilsner.
Bonus: we picked up some take aways which were 20% cheaper because we bought a schooner or two.