The Gold Coast has quietly developed one of South-East Queensland's most exciting craft drinks scenes. A growing community of independent brewers, distillers, and spirits makers are producing extraordinary products — from hoppy New England IPAs and crisp table lagers to native botanical gins, barrel-aged whisky, and small-batch rum.
This guided tour takes you directly to the source. Bypassing the tourist traps, our local guide brings you to the venues that craft drinks enthusiasts and industry insiders actually visit — taprooms where you drink beer metres from the tanks it was brewed in, distillery workshops where you smell the botanicals before you taste the spirit, and tasting rooms where the maker pours the drinks and tells you exactly why they made the choices they did.
Return transport is included on every tour — which means no designated driver logistics, no rideshare juggling, and no reason to hold back at any tasting. Your guide collects the group from a central Gold Coast meeting point and returns you safely at the end of the experience.
Four things that make the Cooee Tours brewery and distillery experience worth booking above all others.
Expert-led tastings at every stop — not just a pour and a wave. Your guide explains flavour profiles, ingredients, production choices, and why each product tastes the way it does.
Walk through the brewhouse and distillery workshop. See the tanks, the stills, the barrels. Understand what actually happens between raw ingredients and the glass in your hand.
Meet the makers. Hear what drives them to brew or distil independently. Our guide has genuine relationships with every venue — you get the insider stories, not the public tour script.
Return transport, expert timing, and logistics handled entirely by your guide. You focus on drinking. We focus on everything else.
Every tour day is crafted around the best venues available — here's how a typical Gold Coast Brewery & Distillery Tour runs. Final order and venues confirmed with your guide on the day.
Your guide collects the group from the central Gold Coast meeting point. Short briefing on the day's venues, what to expect at each stop, and any questions answered before you depart.
Arrive at the first craft brewery for a behind-the-scenes look at the brewhouse — fermentation tanks, hop storage, packaging lines — followed by a guided tasting flight of their core range and any seasonal or limited-edition releases on tap that day.
Head to a second, distinct craft brewery where the head brewer talks you through their philosophy and process. Taste small-batch and taproom-exclusive brews unavailable outside the venue — the kind of pours you can only access by being here in person.
Step into a Gold Coast boutique distillery for a guided tasting. See the copper pot still, smell the botanical mix before it becomes spirit, and taste the finished product across gin, whisky, rum or vodka depending on the distillery. Learn about native Australian botanicals, barrel selection, and the art of small-batch distilling.
Depending on the itinerary, enjoy a food stop at one of the venues — share platters, bar snacks, or a brewery kitchen meal that pairs well with the day's drinks. Food available at own expense unless stated at booking.
Relax on the comfortable drive back to your Gold Coast accommodation. Bottles purchased, memories made, favourite venues noted for next time. Your guide delivers the group safely home.
Venues and running order vary based on daily availability and seasonal specialties. Your guide confirms the final itinerary before departure.
★★★★★
"One of the best things we did on our Gold Coast holiday. Our guide clearly knew and loved the local craft scene — every venue was a standout. The distillery was the real surprise. Can't wait to come back and do it again."
Brewery & Distillery Tour — Brisbane
★★★★★
"Fantastic day out. We'd never done anything like this before and it was completely approachable — our guide explained everything so clearly. Drinking the beer right next to the tank it was brewed in is genuinely different to any pub experience."
Brewery Tour — Sydney
★★★★★
"Did the private tour for my birthday — Cooee Tours were brilliant from first enquiry to drop-off. Completely personalised, the venues were excellent and the group loved every stop. The gin distillery was the standout for us."
Private Brewery Tour — Gold Coast
All participants must be 18+ as required by Queensland liquor licensing. ID may be checked at venues.
Casual and comfortable. Closed-toe shoes are recommended for brewhouse visits where floors may be wet.
Advise any dietary requirements at booking. Most venues accommodate common dietary needs for food stops.
Tastings are generous but measured. Our guides ensure a fun, safe and responsible experience for all guests.
Tours operate year-round — most activity is indoors in taprooms and tasting rooms. Weather rarely affects the experience.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. See our full cancellation policy or contact us for details.
The Gold Coast craft scene is always evolving — here's what makes each visit different.
Many venues drop seasonal or limited-edition brews and spirits quarterly. Return visitors discover something new every time — the tour roster is never identical.
Time your visit with GABS (Great Australian Beer Spectapular), Distill (spirits festival), tap takeovers or special tasting events across the region.
Some premium tours extend into the Gold Coast hinterland, combining scenic mountain drives with artisan distillery visits and gin botanical garden walks.
Whether you're booking for yourself, a group of friends, or a private celebration — our brewery and distillery tour is the best way to experience the Gold Coast's craft drinks scene. Return transport, expert guide, and genuine behind-the-scenes access included.
Or call 07 5551 7730 · Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm AEST · Private group enquiries welcome
Escape to the Scenic Rim for vineyard cellar door tastings, a winery lunch, and scenic hinterland views.
View Wine Tour →
Markets, farm producers, chef-prepared tasting plates and the Gold Coast's best local food culture.
View Foodie Tour →
Customise your own Gold Coast experience — brewery, winery, distillery, or combination — for your private group.
View Private Tours →The Gold Coast has quietly become one of Australia's strongest craft-beer regions, with the densest cluster around Burleigh Heads and the southern end of the city. A brewery day here isn't a procession of identical taprooms — each has its own character, and a good route plays to the contrasts. Burleigh Brewing helped start the scene and still anchors it; Black Hops built a following on collaboration and a relaxed industrial taproom; Balter, founded by a group of pro surfers in Currumbin, became a household name on the strength of its XPA. Smaller operators and a growing run of distilleries fill in the gaps.
Most of these sit within a short drive of one another in the Burleigh–Currumbin–Miami corridor, which is what makes a half- or full-day tour practical. The point of going with a local driver is simple: nobody in the group has to nominate themselves as the designated driver, and you get someone who knows which taprooms are pouring well and which release just dropped.
We run brewery tours as small groups of up to 14 with door-to-door pickup across the Gold Coast. A typical day takes in three or four breweries with time for tasting paddles and a meal — several taprooms run their own kitchens or host rotating food trucks. Because groups, pace and inclusions vary so much between a couple's afternoon and a milestone celebration, we quote each booking rather than publishing a fixed rate; tell us your numbers and the kind of day you want. Private charters are available for larger groups, and cancellation is free up to 48 hours out.
The same southern corridor that grew the Gold Coast's breweries now supports a run of distilleries and a serious local food scene, which means a brewery day doesn't have to be beer alone. Several stops pour gin, rum and seltzers alongside their core range, and most taprooms either run a kitchen or host rotating food trucks, so there's always something to eat between tastings. We can weave a distillery or a long lunch into the route if that suits the group better than a fourth brewery.
The real value of a guided day, though, is that everyone gets to take part. Nominating a designated driver means someone always misses out, and the Burleigh–Currumbin breweries aren't well connected by public transport. With door-to-door pickup and a local driver, the whole group can relax, and we keep an eye on pacing so the day stays enjoyable rather than becoming a marathon. We're happy to build in water and food stops, and to tailor the number of venues to the occasion — a relaxed afternoon for a couple looks very different to a milestone celebration for a larger group.
Brewery days work any time of year, but the taprooms have their rhythms. Weekend afternoons are liveliest, with food trucks running and the best atmosphere; weekdays are quieter and better if you want to talk to the brewers and take your time. We can pitch the day either way depending on what the group's after. The Burleigh–Currumbin–Miami corridor keeps drive times between venues short, so you spend the day tasting rather than in transit.
A few practical notes: eat as you go — most taprooms have food, and pacing tastings with a meal makes for a far better day — and bring water and sunscreen if any of the stops have outdoor courtyards. If your group includes non-drinkers or designated abstainers, that's no problem; the taprooms pour non-alcoholic options and the food and atmosphere carry the day regardless.
We run brewery tours as small groups of up to 14 with door-to-door pickup, and quote each booking to the group rather than listing a fixed price, because the number of venues, the food and the occasion vary so much. Private charters suit larger celebrations, and cancellation is free up to 48 hours before departure.
Acknowledgement of Country. Cooee Tours acknowledges the Yugambeh and Kombumerri peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the Gold Coast lands and waters. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, waterways and community.