🍺 Brisbane Guide 9 Featured Breweries Updated June 2026

Best Breweries Brisbane

Brisbane's craft beer scene has emerged as one of Australia's strongest — anchored by Newstead's brewery row, the Howard Smith Wharves riverside venues, West End's industrial cellars, and the southern suburbs production houses. A complete guide to where to drink, plus how Cooee's bus tours solve the designated-driver problem.

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Brisbane's craft beer story really begins in 2013, when Newstead Brewing Co opened its Newstead production facility and Green Beacon Brewing followed shortly after in Teneriffe. What had been a market dominated by macro-lager from Castlemaine and Toowoomba suddenly had genuine local craft alternatives. A decade later, the city's craft scene is one of Australia's most diverse — with more than 40 independent breweries operating across Greater Brisbane, Ipswich, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast hinterland.

This guide covers the nine breweries we send Cooee guests to most often, organised by neighbourhood. They're not necessarily the nine "best" by some objective ranking — Brisbane has many excellent breweries beyond this list — but they're the ones that consistently deliver great beer, welcoming atmospheres, and the kind of experience that works for first-time brewery visitors and seasoned beer geeks alike.

If you'd like to skip the research, enquire about a custom brewery tour — Cooee builds bespoke 3-4 brewery itineraries with door-to-door pickup, no designated-driver headaches, and behind-the-scenes brewery tours where available.

9Featured breweries
4Brewery districts
40+Greater Brisbane total
2008Cooee tours since
The Featured Nine

Brisbane's Best Craft Breweries

Organised by district, in approximate order of visitor friendliness. Most are open daily; check individual websites for current hours before visiting. All addresses are verified at the time of writing — recommend a quick Google Maps check if you're heading out for the first time.

1 Howard Smith Wharves Felons Brewing Co riverside taproom with Brisbane Story Bridge in background

Felons Brewing Co

Howard Smith Wharves · Since 2018

Brisbane's flagship riverside brewery, located directly under the iconic Story Bridge in the redeveloped Howard Smith Wharves precinct. The taproom is huge, family-friendly until evening, and offers arguably the best brewery view in Australia — open-air riverfront with the city skyline across the water. Their core range is excellent: Crisp Lager, Hazy Pale Ale, IPA, and a rotating selection of seasonal releases.

Combine with: walking the Story Bridge, dinner at one of the adjacent Howard Smith Wharves restaurants, or a CityCat from South Bank.

Lager Hazy Pale IPA Riverside Family-friendly
2 Newstead Craft beer paddle of four amber tasters at Brisbane brewery tap room

Newstead Brewing Co

Newstead · Since 2013

One of the two original anchors of Brisbane's modern craft beer scene (alongside Green Beacon). Newstead Brewing operates from a production brewery in Newstead with the main taproom on Doggett Street, plus a Milton location near Suncorp Stadium and the Brisbane Hospital. The flagship '3 Quarter Time' XPA remains one of the most accessible craft beers in Brisbane — sessionable, balanced, and the gateway beer that converted many locals to craft.

Combine with: Green Beacon (10-min walk) and Range Brewing (also walkable) for a Newstead brewery walking tour.

XPA Pale Ale Sessionable Brewery walk Food menu
3 Teneriffe Green Beacon Brewing copper fermentation tanks at Teneriffe brewery

Green Beacon Brewing

Teneriffe · Since 2013

The other half of the Newstead/Teneriffe origin story. Green Beacon operates from a converted wool store on Helen Street in Teneriffe — the brewing tanks are visible from the bar, and the heritage industrial space makes for one of the most atmospheric taprooms in Brisbane. Known for traditional ale styles done well — pale ales, IPAs, and seasonal releases that lean classical rather than experimental.

Combine with: a Teneriffe ferry stop on the CityCat, walks along the Brisbane River, or a Newstead brewery loop.

Traditional ales IPA Heritage venue Brewery walk
4 Newstead Hazy IPA in a glass on brewery bar with experimental craft beer focus

Range Brewing

Newstead · Since 2017

The youngest of the Newstead three and the one that pushes hardest on experimental styles. Range has built a national reputation for hazy IPAs, fruited sours, and small-batch limited releases — they're the brewery that beer geeks make a point of visiting. The Wandoo Street taproom is smaller and more production-focused than Newstead's flagship, but the beer rotation is the city's most adventurous.

Combine with: Newstead Brewing and Green Beacon for the complete Newstead/Teneriffe loop.

Hazy IPA Sour Experimental Limited releases Beer geek
5 West End Brisbane Brewing Co warehouse-style taproom in West End with hops on display

Brisbane Brewing Co

West End · Long-standing

The West End brewpub option — fully integrated brewing on-site, large beer garden, food menu, and a neighbourhood pub atmosphere rather than industrial taproom feel. Walking distance from the West End cafe strip on Boundary Street and a short rideshare from South Bank. Strong rotating tap list with their own production beers plus guest taps from other independent Australian breweries.

Combine with: West End cafes (Boundary St), South Bank, GOMA & QPAC, or a Catchment Brewing visit nearby.

Brewpub Beer garden Food menu West End
6 Capalaba Barrel-aged dark beer with brewery aging barrels in background

Bacchus Brewing Co

Capalaba (east) · Multi-award-winning

One of the most decorated breweries in Australian craft beer history, with multiple Champion Australian Brewery wins. Bacchus is best known for its complex, ambitious styles — barrel-aged stouts, pastry stouts, sours, and dessert-inspired specialties that push craft beer toward fine-dining territory. Out east in Capalaba (45 min from CBD), so not a walk-in option, but absolutely worth the trip for serious beer enthusiasts.

Combine with: a Cooee custom brewery tour (the most efficient way to visit this further-out brewery).

Barrel-aged Stout Sour Award-winning Pastry stout
7 Yeerongpilly Craft beer cans on a brewery production line

Slipstream Brewing

Yeerongpilly (south) · Since 2016

A southside production brewery with one of Brisbane's most polished taprooms and a fast-growing wholesale presence. The Hazy Pale Ale is a benchmark Australian hazy, and the broader range covers most session-friendly styles competently. Yeerongpilly is in Brisbane's south, accessible by train (Yeerongpilly station 5-min walk) — making this a viable visit for guests staying CBD without a car.

Combine with: Helios Brewing (nearby Yeerongpilly), Ballistic Beer Co at Salisbury for a southside brewery loop.

Hazy Pale Lager IPA Train accessible
8 Ipswich Traditional brewery production with copper kettles and craft beer focus

4 Hearts Brewing

Ipswich (west) · Since 2013

The standout of the Ipswich craft scene, located in a beautifully restored heritage building in central Ipswich (40 min west of Brisbane CBD). 4 Hearts focuses on traditional craft styles done with care — pale ales, IPAs, stouts, and seasonal releases — and the taproom doubles as a restaurant with a substantial food menu. The heritage venue is one of the most photogenic brewery spaces in Queensland.

Combine with: Ipswich Workshops Rail Museum, Queens Park Ipswich, a Mt Crosby reservoir walk, or as part of a Cooee Ipswich day tour.

Traditional ales Heritage venue Restaurant Day trip
9 Salisbury Mixed craft beer can lineup including IPA and pale ale styles

Ballistic Beer Co

Salisbury (south) · Since 2016

One of Brisbane's larger independent craft producers, Ballistic operates from a sizeable production facility at Salisbury with a generous outdoor taproom and food trucks. The beer range is broad: strong core lineup of pale ales, IPAs, and lagers plus a steady stream of seasonal small-batch releases. Family-friendly during day hours, with a more lively atmosphere from late afternoon onwards.

Combine with: Slipstream and Helios for a Brisbane southside brewery loop. Train accessible from Salisbury station.

Pale ale IPA Lager Outdoor taproom Food trucks
Brewery Districts

Brisbane's Four Brewery Clusters

Where the breweries cluster, and how to visit each district. Walking-tour suitability varies dramatically — Newstead is the only true brewery-walking district.

District 1

Newstead & Teneriffe

Inner north · The brewery walk

The only Brisbane district where you can comfortably walk between three breweries in an afternoon. The inner-north industrial revival has transformed former wool stores and warehouses into a craft beer precinct rivalling Melbourne's Brunswick.

  • Newstead Brewing Co (Doggett Street)
  • Green Beacon Brewing (Helen Street, Teneriffe)
  • Range Brewing (Wandoo Street)

Access: CityCat ferry to Teneriffe or Bulimba, then a 10-15 minute walk between venues.

District 2

Howard Smith Wharves

Riverside CBD · Flagship venue

Brisbane's premier riverside hospitality precinct, under the Story Bridge. Currently home to one brewery (Felons), but the surrounding restaurants, bars and event spaces make it the city's most polished beer destination for visitors.

  • Felons Brewing Co (the flagship venue)

Access: Walk from CBD across the Story Bridge or down the river path. CityCat ferry to Holman Street terminal.

District 3

West End & Highgate Hill

South of CBD · Brewpub atmosphere

West End is Brisbane's inner-south alternative neighbourhood — full of cafes, restaurants, second-hand bookshops and music venues. The brewery scene here leans toward brewpub-style integrated hospitality rather than production-focused taprooms.

  • Brisbane Brewing Co (Boundary Street brewpub)
  • Catchment Brewing Co (Boundary Street precinct)

Access: Buses from CBD via Cultural Centre, or a Mater Hill train station 10-min walk.

District 4

Southern Suburbs (Salisbury/Yeerongpilly)

Production-focused · Industrial estate

Three larger production breweries cluster in Brisbane's southern industrial estates — less walkable and more car-required, but the breweries themselves are excellent and the lack of CBD foot traffic means quieter, more focused tasting experiences.

  • Slipstream Brewing (Yeerongpilly)
  • Helios Brewing (Yeerongpilly)
  • Ballistic Beer Co (Salisbury)

Access: Train to Yeerongpilly or Salisbury station; rideshare between venues. A Cooee custom brewery tour is the most efficient option.

🍺 Tour Brisbane's breweries with Cooee

Cooee builds custom brewery bus tours from Brisbane — door-to-door pickup, 3-4 breweries in a day, behind-the-scenes brewery tours where available, food at one or more stops, and no designated-driver headaches. Tell us your group size and preferred date, and we'll match the right breweries to your tastes. Brewery tours also combine well with other Cooee tours and Brisbane experiences:

Wine Tours (Mt Tamborine, Scenic Rim) → Wine Tours from Brisbane Guide → Why Bus Tours Beat Flying → Shopping Tours (Brisbane & nationally) → 📍 All Cooee Tours → ✉ Enquire for Custom Brewery Tour →
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What guests ask most often about Brisbane's craft beer scene and brewery tours.

Brisbane has emerged as one of Australia's strongest craft beer cities, with more than 40 independent breweries operating across Greater Brisbane, Ipswich, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast hinterland. The scene took off around 2013 with the opening of Newstead Brewing Co and Green Beacon Brewing, both of which remain anchors of the inner-Brisbane brewery scene today. The 2018 opening of Felons Brewing Co at Howard Smith Wharves under the Story Bridge added a flagship riverside brewery and accelerated the city's beer credentials.

Four main brewery districts have emerged. The Newstead/Teneriffe inner-north cluster contains Newstead Brewing Co, Green Beacon Brewing, Range Brewing and several others within walking distance of each other. Howard Smith Wharves (riverside under Story Bridge) hosts Felons Brewing Co. West End has Brisbane Brewing Co and Catchment Brewing Co. The southern suburbs (Yeerongpilly, Salisbury) host Slipstream, Helios and Ballistic Beer Co. Ipswich, just west of Brisbane, is home to 4 Hearts Brewing.

Yes — the Newstead/Teneriffe brewery cluster is one of the more walkable craft beer precincts in Australia. Newstead Brewing Co's Newstead taproom, Green Beacon Brewing, and Range Brewing are all within a 10-15 minute walk of each other along the Newstead inner-north industrial-revival precinct. CityCat ferry stops at Teneriffe and Bulimba make access easy from the CBD without a car. For more dispersed brewery touring (Howard Smith Wharves + Newstead + West End in one day), a coach or rideshare is more practical.

Like wine tours, brewery tours suffer from the designated-driver problem — someone has to stay sober. Cooee's brewery bus tour option solves this completely: everyone in your group gets to drink, the coach handles all the driving and parking, and you visit 3-4 breweries in a day without the logistical hassle. For self-guided brewery walks (within the Newstead/Teneriffe cluster only), CityCat ferries from the CBD are an alternative for groups who don't want to drive themselves.

Many Brisbane breweries offer behind-the-scenes brewery tours including a tour of the brewing equipment, fermentation tanks, and conditioning facilities, followed by a guided tasting paddle. Newstead, Green Beacon, Felons, Range and Bacchus all run regular brewery tours — usually best to book ahead, particularly on Saturdays. Tour formats vary from a quick 30-minute walkthrough with a paddle to longer 90-minute experiences with food pairings. Pricing typically ranges from $25 to $50 per person depending on what's included.

Yes. Common Cooee combination tours include brewery + wine (Mt Tamborine cellar door + Newstead brewery), brewery + food (Howard Smith Wharves restaurants + Felons + a Newstead brewery), brewery + nature (Mt Coot-tha + Brisbane Brewing Co at West End), and brewery + city tour (Story Bridge + Howard Smith Wharves with Felons). Brisbane brewery tours combine particularly well with private group occasions (birthdays, bucks parties, corporate days).

Brisbane's subtropical climate has shaped local brewing preferences toward easy-drinking session styles — pale ales, lagers, hazy IPAs, and sour beers are particularly strong. Green Beacon is known for traditional ales, Newstead for sessionable pale ales and the iconic '3 Quarter Time' XPA, Felons for their three-core range (Crisp Lager, Hazy Pale Ale, IPA), Bacchus for elaborate barrel-aged and pastry stout styles, Range for experimental hazy IPAs, and 4 Hearts (Ipswich) for traditional craft styles.

Most established Brisbane breweries welcome families during daytime hours and have outdoor beer gardens, food trucks or kitchen menus that work for children. Felons at Howard Smith Wharves, Newstead's main taproom, Green Beacon, and Brisbane Brewing Co at West End all have family-friendly setups. Some smaller production-focused breweries are more adults-focused or have age restrictions on certain nights — check the specific brewery's policy if travelling with children. Generally, family visits work better before 5pm; evenings shift toward an adult atmosphere.

A brewery taproom is the brewery's own bar attached to their production facility — you're drinking beer made on-site, often at fresher temperatures and including limited-release brews not available elsewhere. A brew pub is a hospitality venue with brewing equipment integrated, focused as much on food and atmosphere as production. Brisbane's craft scene includes both: pure-production breweries with taprooms (Range Brewing, Slipstream, Ballistic), brewpub-style operations (Felons, Catchment), and hybrid models (Newstead, Green Beacon, Brisbane Brewing Co).

Custom brewery tours are arranged by enquiry. Tell us your group size, preferred date, and the breweries you'd like to visit (or let us recommend based on your tastes), and Cooee builds a tailored itinerary — door-to-door pickup, 3-4 brewery visits typically including behind-the-scenes tours where available, food at one or more stops, and door-to-door drop-off. Group sizes from 6 to 50+ accommodated. Contact us via phone (0409 661 342), email (contact@cooeetours.com.au) or our contact form with your preferences.

Ready to taste Brisbane's craft beer scene?

The breweries are great. The designated-driver problem is solvable. Let Cooee build you a custom Brisbane brewery bus tour with 3-4 venues from this guide, door-to-door pickup, and behind-the-scenes brewery experiences where available.

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