We’re spoilt for choice in Western Australia when it comes to good beer. WA’s brewing industry is as expansive as it is diverse. All manner of breweries inhabit the beer scene from traditional to experimental, massive to microscopic. WA’s drinkers are feverish in their quest for good quality beer, and our brewers like to deliver. With historic brands like Emu Export and Swan Draught persisting for over a century, brewing and beer is ingrained in WA’s cultural fabric.
The quintessential brewpub
Back in the days when Australia was in its craft beer infancy you could point to Fremantle and the likes of the Sail and Anchor (still serving but no longer brewing) and the likes of Little Creatures. Even then, between those two venues, there really was no standard brewery experience, and the same is true now. Some breweries are setup on run down cattle farms, in industrial units or even in an old family home. But several breweries are keeping closer to tradition, offering an all-encompassing brewpub experience.
Gage Roads is an expansive, 1500-person capacity venue set within the historic A Shed on Fremantle’s Victoria Quay. Within it, a 25-hectolitre brewery, churning out limited release beers, and a kitchen that leans to chewy-crusted pizza, local seafood, and a snack menu for casual beer-paired nibbling. Casual, family-friendly and in the heart of WA’s original craft beer hub you even get the occasional sight of cargo ships slipping in and out of the dock.
With Steve Finney and Will Irving reunited (they were part of the core team at Feral Brewing Co. during its rise to craft beer legend) FOUND was always going to be an interesting proposition but they’ve gone beyond their Byford brewpub to also step into the former Golden West space in Subiaco and open FOUND Friends taproom in Maylands. The flagship beer is Super, a hazy IPA weighing in at 5.2%, and while the team say there’ll always be a lager on tap, there’s also seasonal beers and a barrel-aged programme.
Steve Finney and Will Irving of FOUND
In Maylands, Seasonal Brewing Co is a venue that has stuck to a classic formula, offering up a beer menu that doesn’t intimidate and food with broad appeal. Think pork ribs, smash burgers and fish tacos alongside a list of regularly brewed core beers and limited, seasonal offerings. Add in a dappled light filled beer garden, a kids’ play area to keep the small humans happy, and the fact that it’s dog friendly, and it’s an example of brewpubs at their best.
Beerfarm is a brewery hell bent on sustainability while offering up good southern hospitality. Their Metricup brewpub is situated within an old milking shed on a cattle farm where grass fed cows make their way onto the menu. BBQ is the central theme but veggies and seafood are well represented; charred octopus, roast miso pumpkin and smoked beef birria tacos are just a few options.
Off the beaten track
At one time the quintessential Broome brewpub was Matso’s with its now iconic mango beer, but there’s a new name in town with the opening of Spinifex Brewery at Cable Beach. Family focused it’s got those brewpub essentials of good food and beer down pat, as well as an outdoor screen as big as some multiplexes. Venture to Kalbarri and Finlay’s is the spot on every local’s tongue. What started as a family business selling seafood fresh from the boat spawned a microbrewery and eatery that’s endured for decades. In land to Kalgoorlie and Beaten Track Brewery is flying the craft beer flag in the Goldfields, while “down the road” (albeit 400km) Esperance’s Lucky Bay Brewing were trailblazers in sourcing raw barley direct from the regions farmers, reducing their carbon footprint, and giving drinkers a unique taste of the region.
Beer and bites
Doubleview’s The Corner Dairy is a suburban bar well positioned to keep most punters happy. Where other trendy neighbourhood bars focus on natural wines and cocktails, The Corner Dairy goes all in on good, local beer to compliment a menu featuring dishes like Exmouth prawns with hand cut pasta and twice baked carrot souffle. Expect a spread of beers from across the state and further, including rare and interesting large format bottles.
Besk is one of WA’s finest craft beer outposts, and it also happens to be a standout eatery, too. Within its polished surrounds, Besk refines their food offering, swapping steak sandwiches for steak tartare. Shareable while zeroing in on local produce and conscientious cooking means Besk’s dining experience is as sharp as their tap list.
Besk
Hop fix
While hoppy beers tend to dominate the beer scene – outside of the legacy lager brands – some do it better than others. Phat Brew Club in West Perth focuses their attention on the pungent flowers and how to best use them in their constantly rotating list of beers featuring all manner of IPA, including their popular Phat N Juicy NEIPA and Big Phat N Red IPA. In the South West, Rocky Ridge Brewing Co knows their way around hops too, pushing the limits of beer styles with experimental hop products and even using locally grown hops. Their onslaught of releases cover just about every variation on the popular IPA style, including their iconic Rock Juice Triple IPA.
Lager, lager, lager
Lager continues to reign supreme amongst beer drinkers, but craft brewers are proving lager doesn’t need to be workaday. Baldivis’ Whitelakes has been brewing supreme lagers since their inception and continue to impress punters and win awards. Their famed 100-day Pilsner is always a highlight. Eagle Bay Brewing Co has been perfecting their lagering for the better part of 12 years, releasing several lagers throughout the year as part of their Modern Retro Lager Project.
