Let’s be real: it’s never not a perfect time to sink a tinny, and with all the glorious taphouses in our sun-soaked city, we’re hardly going to settle for a subpar brew in Brisbane/Meanijn, so we’ve rounded up the best breweries in Brisbane for the ultimate crawl.
Expect seasonal brews, solar-powered innovation, cheeseboards, and lashings of IPA as we gambol through the hops and vats behind Brisbane’s finest brews. Here are the best and brightest brains in the Brisbane brewery scene, and where to find them.
Range Brewing
4 Byres Street, Newstead
Housed in a minimalist warehouse space in Newstead, Range Brewing has their classic 'forever brews', but you'll have a lot more fun trying out their always-changing roster of house-brewed frothies. A simple menu of share plates, garlic bread, and slow-rise sourdough pizzas are on hand to soak up your digressions, and a large fridge full of six-packs you can take away will tempt even the fussiest beer drinker.
Future Magic Brewing Co
32 Manila Street, East Brisbane
If you’re tired of the same old beers, Future Magic Brewing Co. may just be your next craft beer adventure in Brisbane. The team at Future Magic Brewing Co are all about community, so if you’re on the hunt for a new local (or even *the* local), we think you’ll love this suburban spot. The menu here is all about delicious, shareable Italian fare. Think caprese salad, arancini, olives and really, really good pizza (with GF and vegatarian options too).
Sea Legs Brewing
89 Main Street, Kangaroo Point
Image credit: Sea Legs Brewing Co. | Instagram
A decidedly nautical local, Sea Legs' 15 hectolitre brewery is located right next to the Story Bridge on Main Street, and has become a fast favourite with locals since opening. Pouring from the taps is an all too drinkable core range as well as some seasonal and experimental brews, and because it’s irresponsible to drink on an empty stomach, the brewery is also equipped with a contemporary pub menu, perfect for a long, lazy lunch.
Soapbox Brewing
89/101 Gipps Street, Fortitude Valley
Located right on the fringe of the Valley's buzzing bar scene, Soapbox is the perfect haunt for the motormouth in your crew. They feature up to nine brews on tap at a time, pouring beers from their core, batch and seasonal range, and you can see the tanks in action right from the brew bar. When you get peckish, hit the food menu for a selection of share plates and snacks.
White Lies Brewing
2/32 Spine Street, Sumner
Fun fact: White Lies Brewing was the first residential brewery to operate in Queensland. Now, they’re pouring up award winning beers from their warehouse location in Sumner. The tap line up here is extensive: ginger beers, hazy pale ales, Aussie lagers, Mexican cervezas, vanilla espresso stout… you’ll find anything to satiate your beer cravings here. The White Lies team also produce a range of spirits under their Ginesis brand so their cocktail list should not, under any circumstances, be missed.
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Milton Common
35 Railway Terrace, Milton
Milton Common is probably one of Brisbane’s coolest craft breweries. There’s good beer (of course) but what sets these guys apart is their phenomenal menu. Think delicious, mouth-watering chicken wings served with sriracha sour cream, burgers, sangas and pizzas too. Plus, there’s almost always something going down at Milton Common, so check out their ‘what’s on’ page to make your visit extra special.
Slipstream Brewing Co.
94 Wilkie Street, Yeerongpilly
Image credit: Slipstream Brewing Co. | Facebook
Slipstream Brewing is one of the growing collective of breweries in the Yeerongpilly/Salisbury realm, in chorus with Ballistic and Helios. Their core range features tropical pale ales, a sparkling Helles inspired lager, IPAs and XPAs, and a pretty darn good fruit sour, all available to buy by in 4, 12 and 24 packs (which is great if you have a hectic brew obsession). Slipstream also regularly hosts events from pub trivia Wednesdays to Thursday steak nights.
Brisbane Brewing Co.
124 Boundary Street, West End | 601 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba
Whatever Brisbane brewery vibe you're after, Brisbane Brewing Co has you covered. In West End, slip down a sneaky little alley off Boundary Road and you’ll find yourself in a quirky microbrewery, complete with a spacious outdoor area and top things to munch on. Meanwhile, over in Woolloongabba, it's all historic pub vibes, though you'll find the same range of Queensland brews on tap at both.
Bacchus Brewing
1/2 Christine Place, Capalaba
Named after the Roman god of strong drinks, Bacchus Brewing rose to fame thanks to their dessert-inspired beers—think a nutty, coffee-boosted Java the Nut, a hazelnut, chocolate Ferrerro Superbeast, and a pumpkin-spiced The Nightmare Beer-For Christmas. Don’t worry if you prefer to stick to the classics though, as they also brew the usual IPAs, pilsners, pale ales and dark lagers. You’ll find all these and more at tier Capalaba brewery, with seating outside in the sunshine and in their airy shed.
Felons Brewing Co.
5 Boundary Street, Howard Smith Wharves
Image credit: Felons Brewing Co. | Instagram
Situated along the riverfront underneath the Story Bridge, Felons Brewing Co. is the jewel in the crown for mega precinct Howard Smith Wharves. Not only boasting an enormous boardwalk, beer garden, and shady patio areas, Felons brew their barrel-aged beers plus a cheeky cider on-site under the bridge. Their lager is a real crowdpleaser, while their pale ale is perfect for an arvo session. Pair with their burgers or wood-fired pizza and you're onto a winning combo.
Helios Brewing
15 Palomar Road, Yeerongpilly
Inspired by Greek mythology and fuelled by sunlight, Helios is Brisbane’s premier solar-powered brewery. Energy efficiency = maximised. In keeping with this credo, each and every beer, including their core selection and seasonal brews, is inspired by a different character from Greek mythology. If you want something a bit different, try the sweet but smokey Athena's Courage Scotch Ale.
Little Miss Sunshine
80 Ann Street, Brisbane CBD
A brewery in the heart of the Brisbane CBD? There sure is, and it's ray of sunshine in the middle of the concrete jungle. Tucked down a laneway in 80 Ann Street is where you'll find this Queensland-inspired brewery, which boasts 14 beers on tap to sip your way through. Little Miss Sunshine is as cheery as her name, with bright yellow booths to squeeze up in for post-work drinks, and a menu of Mediterranean-style eats to nibble.
Archer Brewing
1/278 Wilston, Wilston
What do you get when you combine a former pilot with a love for beer? An independent brewery slinging crisp independent beers right out of Wilston, of course. Named after the first plane co-owner Stuart Martin flew—an archer—Archer Brewing is built on a motto of easy-to-drink beers made using local ingredients poured from the Hangar. The line up is built around six core beers and ciders, including an apple cider made with Stanthorpe apples. You’ll always find something new on tap, so swing by and see what they’re pouring.
Stone & Wood
99 Bridge Street, Fortitude Valley
Image credit: Stone & Wood | Instagram
Tucked down a Valley side street, Stone & Wood's Brisbane brewery is housed in a cavernous, heritage warehouse, which makes it one of the most atmospheric breweries in town. The building is a red-brick stunner, with plenty of space to sink a schooner after work on a Friday, slinging Stone & Wood’s regular craft line-up, plus some limited-edition beers, brewed right on-site.
Catchment Brewing Co.
150 Boundary Street, West End
Deep in inner-city brewing territory is where Catchment Brewing brews and pours their specially-crafted beers. With an art deco ambience, their attached restaurant is one step up from pub food with gourmet offerings matched perfectly to their beers, or another drink of your choice. They also often brew a ‘specialty beer’ as something a little bit spesh to keep things fresh.
Newstead Brewing Co.
67 Castlemaine Street, Milton
From little things, big things grow, and so goes the tale of Newstead Brewing Co which started brewing beer in a steel house on Doggett Street, Newstead in the 1940s. Flash forward to today, and the iconic brewery trades in the prime location of Castlemaine street in Milton, where you’ll find Brisbanites unwinding seven days a week with their range of brews, bites and industrial beer-hall vibes.
Ballistic Beer Co.
53-55 McCarthy Road, Salisbury | 37 Sinnathamby Boulevard, Springfield
Image credit: Ballistic Beer Co. | Instagram
You can find Ballistic Beer Co. and their hoppy tides flowing in Salisbury and Springfield so you're never far from one of their craft brews. The brewers describe their beers as, ‘the meeting of something old and something new,’ which seems a perfect fit for a suburban Brisbane renegade brewery. You can also find their beers at various other bars around Brisbane.
Aether Brewing
340 Melton Road, Northgate
Having moved from their Milton spot to the northside, Aether Brewing is reppin’ it for Northgate’s local craft flavour. Their beer selection of IPAs, ales, stouts, pilsners, seltzers and ginger beers keep locals in good form, while Mitey's Burgers is on hand to provide good drinking food in the form of smash burgers with a side of fries.
All Inn Brewing
189 Elliott Road, Banyo
The sheer diversity of All Inn Brewing’s beers alone is enough to entice you out there. There is literally something for every palate, even the trepid beer drinker. Year round, their core range keeps us plenty entertained with brews like their award-winning pale ale and their classic IPAs, but we’re frothing over their seasonal range which includes a milk stout and a Japanese lager, all perfect for your next day out.
Happy Valley Brewing Company
34 Wolverhampton Street, Stafford
Happy Valley brewing truly is a happy little secret in Stafford. With an almost daily lineup of events and 16 rotating taps you’d be hard pressed to find a more happening craft brewery in Brisbane. The beers on offer range from dedications to Stafford and Germany, to Japanese and American lagers. Plus, these guys have a reputation for their mouth watering burgers (made with meat from Meat at Billy’s, no less). The best part? They come with a side of potato gems.
Green Beacon Brewing Company
26 Helen Street, Teneriffe
Image credit: Green Beacon Brewing | Facebook
The founders of Green Beacon Brewing Company, Adrian Slaughter and Marc Chrismas, felt that Brisbane's craft beer culture was ready for some cultivation when they set up their Brewhouse in the boom suburb of Teneriffe back in January of 2013. In terms of beer appreciation, things have really come along in leaps and bounds in the river city since those heady days, and the Beacon has been lighting the way for the Brisbane brewery scene, with offerings such as the aromatic and subtly sweet Windjammer IPA and their OG Wayfarer tropical pale ale.
Revel Brewing Co.
41 Oxford Street, Bulimba | 82 Colmslie Road, Morningside
Hanging out close to the water on Bulimba’s Oxford Street is Revel Brewing Co, and you can also find them in a fresh new location in the equally riparian Rivermakers precinct. Their range of brews is constantly growing, and encompasses a range of bevvies from lager to sour ales, all brewed for and inspired by their loving locals. They also offer a bunch of snacks and woodfired pizzas to round out the experience.
Flat Lizard Brewing
18A Harvton St, Stafford
Besides the fabulous name, Flat Lizard Brewing in Stafford has a whole lot of surprises in store for you. From the old school chalk board menu to the tucked away cul-de-sac location, Flat Lizard Brewing is full of surprises. Expect a rotating roster of food trucks on the weekend and pup friendly dining. Does it get more Brisbane than drinking a pint of Sunshine Cider in the sun? Nope.
Brewtide Brewery
35/37 Collingwood Street, Albion
Albion’s Brewtide Brewery is doing beer well. This suburban craft brewery spot comes in shades of cool with exposed wood and leafy greens, complete with cellar and a stellar menu. With over 20 beers on tap, there’s no chance you won’t find something you love. But, if you’re not a beer drinker you can purchase wines from their cellar to drink on site. Win win!
Valley Hops Brewing
641 Ann St, Fortitude Valley
Image credit: Valley Hops Brewing | Instagram
How many cities can boast a rooftop brewery in the middle of the city? We think it might just be us. Valley Hops sits atop Cloudland in the Valley and is the ultimate leafy, sun soaked brewery. With a range of beers on tap made specifically with local tastes in mind, there’s not much better than pulling up a chair and whiling away a sunny day here working your way through the tap beers and their delicious menu.
FICK Brewing Company
108 Old Toombul Road, Northgate
FICK Brewing company are doing craft brewing in a very, very cool way. Created out of nothing but a love for the local community and a passion for European beers. Hailing from Luxembourg, the name FICK is a call back to the street the owners lived on there. It’s not just the beers that are under the European influence, the food menu is too. Think currywurst, classic bratwurst hot dogs and a range of flambeés.
Working Title Brew Co.
85 Doggett Street, Newstead
Working Title Brew Co is the love child of two mates who have been working with beer for the last decade. With a motto like ‘no rhyme or reason’, the chill vibes are in full swing here, but the beers are really, really good. The team at Working Title concoct whatever they feel like, so expect fun titles (where the wild things are, anyone?) and fabulously kitschy can designs. But, it’s not just the beer. The menu here is inspired by Asian eats and delivers on curry loaded fries, kangaroo spring rolls, and juicy mushroom bao buns.
Hoppers Brewing Co
41 Crosby Road, Albion
Hoppers Brewing Co came about from a simple question: what if a brewery was more than just a place to grab a beer? The result? A cracking local Northside spot for top tier craft beer, an electric atmosphere and a menu built around locally sourced ingredients. You’ll also find Wicked Spirits stocked here (brewed right here in Albion) so this spot isn’t just for beer lovers.
Brewdog
77 Metroplex Avenue, Murrarie
Image credit: Dogtap | Facebook
When Scottish craft beer trailblazer BrewDog announced they were opening a taproom and brewery in Brisbane, beer lovers across the city were frothing. Since then, the riverside brewery has lived up to expectations, with all the iconic brewery's iconic creations on tap, along with regular Brisbane-only special releases. The vibes—particularly in the sunshine outside—in the industrial-style brewery are always high, especially on the weekends when local musicians provide a soundtrack to the beer-drinking, with plenty to eat on the menu as well.
Caxton Street Brewing Co.
52 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace
Is there really a better place in Brisbane than Caxton Street to enjoy a beer? Caxton Street Brewing Co. would have us answering no. With 12 delicious, cold beers on tap and a stacked menu line up, you can easily spend the day here. We love the ode to Brisbane that is the Caxton Street Lager and the super nostalgic Ribena Sour made even better when paired with a $10 cheeseburger or $1 wings every day from 4-6pm.
Hiker Brewing Co.
81 Pentex Street, Salisbury
Hiker Brewing Co. calls the leafy back streets of Salisbury home. The team here refer to their beers on offer as an easy walking trail through a range of beers. From easy drinking lagers to non-alcoholic offerings, there’s truly something for everyone. Settle in for the day with an ever changing line-up of food trucks and a family-friend vibe.
Hudson Brewing
29 Gibbs Street, Wynnum
Bayside, this is your brewery. Founded in 2020, this local, family business is doing fresh and unpretentious beer well. Founders Sarah and Richard Hudson were tired of watching the Brisbane craft beer scene explode everywhere except for Wynnum so they decided to step in and do it themselves. And do it themselves they did: they’ve scored awards in spades and have created a relaxed, welcoming taproom.
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Image credit: Range Brewing | Facebook
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