If you like your beers bitter, refreshing, fruity, weird, toasty, experimental and downright delicious, head to these Sydney bars and pubs that are making sure that they are pouring the freshest craft beers in town.
We’re not saying that the old ways are always better, mostly because we’re not octogenarians yelling at the kids on our lawn, but there’s no denying that many of the best elements of a local pub were perfected long ago, like cold beers in clean glasses. At the Botany View you can get a frosty brew – either an old flames from Cascade, Carlton and Reschs, or a new love from the craft catalogue like an Akasha, Shark Island, 4 Pines, Batch, Willie the Boatman, Shenanigans or Merchant Brewing Co beer. Better yet grab a $16 tasting paddle.
A lot of the tables at this pub in the back corner of Chippendale are now table serviced for diners, which is A-OK because the kitchen is pumping out some really impressive stuff – put us down for a plate of meltingly tender sausages with mash and a properly generous amount of gravy. And they haven’t neglected the drinks menu either. They’ve got 12 taps, including a hand pump for real ale enthusiasts, and they feature local brews from the likes of Akasha, Rocks, Wayward, Hawthorn and Murray’s.
This cosy establishment is starting to feel properly lived in by now and the staff are super friendly. They’ve also got very good recommendations when it comes to their craft beer range. Maybe they’ll steer you towards a hoppy Panhead APA or, for something rich and malty, take their advice on the Fullers ESB that has a hint of maple syrup about it. Of course the list changes all the time, but they are careful to curate it so that it pleases and challenges in equal measure.
There’s a little bit of the country hiding in the backstreets of Forest Lodge, but this pub doesn’t compromise on the quality of their beer list. These guys are tapping anything that is delicious, so that means brews from the bigger local operations like Young Henrys and Murray’s plus domestic gold like Tassie’s Moo Brew and Western Australia’s Feral Brewing Co. You can still get a Coopers or a Reschs, the stats are pretty good on them having your favourite local brew. If you’re new to the scene start out easy with a pale ale, a golden ale for something a little sweeter, or an amber ale for a beer with a malty backbone. If this is not your first rodeo go to town on whatever freaky grose, fruity saisons, extra-hoppy ales or Frankenbeers they’ve got.
The rooftop of this pub right by Town Hall is a treasured secret for CBD workers, although there are a lot of stairs involved, which dissuades some people. Because they are good at sharing you can eat up there from noon until 2.30pm, and from 5.30-9.30pm – at other times smokers can claim a table. Plus, they’ve added a rotating collection of craft beers to the eight taps on the top floor, and everyone knows local brews taste even better alfresco.
Sydney’s original craft-beer castle is still at the top of its game. Those 20 gleaming taps are guaranteed to be the gatekeepers for a collection of local and imported craft brews that’ll knock your socks off. If you can score a seat on the rooftop terrace, even better. And if your visit coincides with the ten-dollar paddle special on Thursdays, it’s the universe telling you it wants you to be happy. If you need something salty and satisfying notes with a concise and exciting craft beer roll call that starts with pale ales and pilsners and covers off the whole brewing rainbow until you get to stouts and porters. Sometimes you might visit when they’re hosting a tap takeover; other times they’ll have brews from across the country to go with your cheese-stuffed kransky hot dogs.
Discover Time Out original video
