Sydney Brewery Tour – CBD

Explore Sydney CBD with a short brewery tour.

Our Sydney Brewery Tour – CBD tour takes you to three breweries and one brewery pub.

• Rocks Brewing Co at Harts pub
• REDOAK Boutique Beer Café
• Red Tape Brewing Co at the King Street Brewhouse
• Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel in the Rocks

The tour starts on the corner of Essex and Gloucester Streets, near Circular Quay.

Rocks Brewing Co at the Harts pub

Harts pub is one of the few historic pubs left in Sydney. Perched on the corner, its many nooks and crannies across two floors and an outside beer garden are the perfect place to try the Rocks Brewing Co beers, now brewed in Alexandria. As well as their full range of highly drinkable beers (especially the Robust Porter), other local craft beers are also available through the 12 taps, with two dispensed through traditional English handpumps.

Everything about the pub is about beer and tradition, which is carried through to the menu with beer matching suggestions to complement the food cooked in beer.

When you can eventually leave, head towards the centre, for the 10 minute walk to the next brewery.

The REDOAK Boutique Beer Café

Half way along Clarence Street is the REDOAK Boutique Beer Café, a small haven with its large range of internationally styled beers. You can try anything from German Wheat Beers to an English Oatmeal Stout from the 12 taps and one handpump.  The Organic Pale Ale is one not to miss.

Quality flows through everything in the bar from the branded Jarrah wood tables to the food served in the restaurant that takes up half the venue. Take time to eat here from the beer inspired menu, and don’t miss the beer ice cream.

Turning left out of the bar, another 10 minute walk will take you towards Darling Harbour and King Street Wharf.

Red Tape Brewing Co at the King Street Brewhouse

Towards the end of the Wharf is the King Street Brewhouse, home of the Red Tape Brewing Co.

Through the large outdoor seating area, you’ll find the brewery to the right of the even larger indoor seating area.

The full range of Red Tape Brewing Co beers are available as well as at least one seasonal on the 6 taps, and the two handpumps used at the weekend. Occasionally one of the beers is also served through a Randall Infuser, something unique to this venue.  The Wood Duck Cream Pale Ale is an excellent example of its type and unbelievably moreish.

Using the wharf opposite, take the Sydney Ferry under the Harbour Bridge and past the Sydney Opera House to Circular Quay. Surely the nicest way in the world to travel from one brewery to another.  After arrival, turn right for the 10 minute walk through the historic Rocks area to Argyle Street.

Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel

Sydney’s oldest continually licensed hotel is also home to Australia’s oldest pub brewery, which can be seen at the back behind the bar.

Looking and feeling like an old English pub, the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel serves its consistent range of seven beers, and one rotating seasonal beer, amongst the convict quarried sandstone walls.

The refreshing Quayle Summer Ale is the perfect beer to keep sampling, just to make sure each one is as good as the first.

Always busy, you can retire upstairs to the restaurant to sample the great food, or try and find a space downstairs for some traditional English bar meals.

Opening times:

Harts Pub: Sun to Wed 12pm to 12am, Thur to Sat 12pm to 1am
REDOAK Boutique Beer Café: Mon to Sat 11am till late. Closed Sun and Public Holidays
King Street Brewhouse: Mon to Sun 11am till late
Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel: Mon to Sat 11am to 11pm, Sun 12pm to 10pm