How we pick which breweries make it onto the tour
Eight criteria, two non-negotiables, and the reason we still don't visit two of the bigger names in town. A behind-the-curtain post.
01
Field journal
What we've been drinking, eating, learning.
Dispatches from our guides on the ground. Vintage reports, seasonal recommendations, primer guides for first-time visitors, and the occasional very strong opinion about which brewery to start a Saturday in.
All journal posts
02
Why Canberra punches above its weight in beer
A small city of 460,000 routinely takes home more brewing gold per capita than any other Australian capital. Here's the working theory on why.
03
A first-time visitor's guide to Canberra craft beer
Where to start, what to drink, and which precincts to walk between. Twenty minutes of reading saves you a wasted afternoon.
04
What we mean when we say 'private tour'
A short guide to whether a private brewery tour is the right call for your group, and what we actually do for the money.
05
Canberra vs. Sydney for a brewery weekend: which one to pick
If you've only got a Saturday and you can fly to either, here's the honest case for both — and why we'd nudge you toward Canberra.
06
Canberra's distilleries are quietly having a moment
Two cold-distilled vodkas, a serious whisky program, and a gin scene that punches harder than its postcode. Here's what's worth your time.
07
What to wear on a brewery tour (and what to leave at the hotel)
Closed-toe shoes, layers, and absolutely no perfume. The least-glamorous post on this site, and the one that gets the most thank-you notes.
08
Floriade NightFest is the version they don't put in brochures
The daytime crowds, queues, and tour-bus traffic disappear after dark. NightFest is the version of Floriade most Canberrans actually go to.
09
The water question: why Canberra brewers don't really treat their water
Most cities, brewers run their tap water through a reverse-osmosis rig before they brew. Here, most don't bother. The Cotter and Googong reservoirs deliver.
10
Canberra in winter: a love letter to a stout-drinking city
Cold mornings, frosted Lake Burley Griffin, and the brewers who hit their stride in July. Why winter might be the best time to drink in the capital.
Ready when you are
Like the writing? Come on a tour.
The journal exists because our guides do six tours a week and have opinions. The fastest way to talk about any of this is in person, with a glass in hand.