Beyond its beautiful beaches, lush hinterland and thriving food scene, the Sunshine Coast has quietly made a name for itself as one of Australia’s top destinations for craft brew fans. But here’s something many don’t know – this sunny region is the official craft beer capital of Australia, boasting more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the country. Now that’s worth raising a glass to!
If you ask any Aussie to guess where our country's craft beer capital is, they'll likely say Sydney or Melbourne. While both cities have dozens of stellar craft breweries – just look at the new Inner West Ale Trail spanning six of Sydney's trendiest suburbs – the stats reveal the real crowning champion is in an entirely different state.
In 2021, the Sunshine Coast was home to an impressive 24 breweries, which, divided by its population of just under 400,000 people, works out to one brewery for every 16,618 residents. That’s a step ahead of Sydney’s Inner West, which, according to the 2021 Census, had 17 craft breweries serving its 300,000-strong population – equating to one brewery per 17,927 people.
Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel said, “Perhaps it’s been a while since the PM visited the Sunshine Coast, so we’d love to invite him up here to visit the breweries, meet some of our passionate brewers and – of course – enjoy a cold gold ale accompanied by our famous Mooloolaba prawns."
Fast forward to 2025, the Sunny Coast’s total brew count is up to 27, along with an additional ten distilleries. Moffat Beach Brewing Co is the region’s most famous watering hole and also the most-awarded brewery in Australia. In early 2025, they pulled off a trifecta in the Caloundra area with the opening of their newest venue, The Esplanade Ale House at Bulcock Beach.
With taprooms in both Maleny and Baringa, Brouhaha is another top pick, especially for its award-winning Strawberry Rhubarb Sour – imagine sipping on one of those in summer. Meanwhile, Your Mates Brewing Co and 10 Toes Brewing have become such local favourites that they’ve each expanded to two venues across the region.
The Sunshine Coast's craft beer scene is showing no signs of slowing down, with two new additions – Young Giants Brewing Company and Slipstream Brewing Social House – both opening their doors in late 2024. Whether you’re craving a beachside brew or a hinterland hop, there’s no shortage of places to sip up the sunshine with a cold one. You can find more of the best craft breweries on the Sunshine Coast here.