McLaren Vale in South Australia is fast becoming the place to be for craft beers. There is an ever-growing collection of breweries offering an exciting alternative to the larger traditional breweries. We went on a beer crawl to find the Best Breweries in McLaren Vale South Australia should visit the next time you’re craving for a cold one.
Shifty Lizard Brewing Co
Beer – 10 out of 10
Vibe – 5 out of 10
Shifty Lizard are pretty damn serious about making good beers and is probably one of the best breweries in South Australia if not Australia.
Serving beer from a cosy space in WIllunga (a vibrant, historic, heritage rich town worth a visit), they offer a small selection of 6 craft beers that have been perfectly crafted to offer a diverse range from an Easy Ale 3.5% to the GILA Monster IIPA at 8%. Our favourites were the KIPA – English IPA – 6.5% and the Stouty McStout Face – Stout – 5%.
For food we tried the KFC Cauliflower and Poppers which were a bit soggy and oily so we’d recommend sticking to the beers. If you’re starving we recommend trying out Russell’s Pizza a few metres away which serves wood-oven pizzas in a magical rustic setting in a quirky old house.
South Coast Brewing Co
Beer – 8 out of 10
Vibe – 10 out of 10
Also located in Willunga, South Coast Brewing has a relaxed atmosphere with a beer garden setting where everything is upcycled. We particularly liked the idea of using old surfboards as table tops.
Most importantly they serve great beers with a strong lineup that deserves a spot on the roster, nothing included just to make up the numbers. We recommend going for a paddle and mixing it up.
They have a food truck that serves some burgers if you’re feeling hungry.
Read our post on 20 things to do in South Australia.
Kick Back Brewing Company
Beer – 9 out of 10
Vibe – 9 out of 10
Head to Kick Back brewery in Aldinga after soaking up the sun at nearby Maslin Beach for a cold refreshing brew. The brewery was buzzing on a Friday evening with live music and an outdoor backyard area, with games for kids and adults.
They have an extensive range of beers with limited series brews that are pushing the boundaries of craft beers with creative flavour profiles such as Strawberry & Cream and Watermelon Goose amongst others. They also make a stunning Oatmeal Stout 5.7% and Hazy IPA 6.5%. With so many options on the tap we suggest trying out a beer paddle or two.
Kick Back Brewery is also popular for its food with a strong focus on sourcing local ingredients from the Fleurieu Peninsula. We tried the Haloumi Kyrgios which was delicious.
A strong contender for the Best Breweries n MclAren Vale.
Swell Brewing Co
Beer – 8 out of 10
Vibe – 8 out of 10
Located in the heart of McLaren Vale, Swell Brewing Co is set amongst sprawling vineyards, a great place to relax and kick back a beer or two. It has lots of open space with a green backyard which is perfect for families with kids.
Besides the core range of beers they have a limited series range which keeps changing. At the time some of them included the Oat Cream IPA 6.5%, DDH Hazy Pale Ale 4.8% and the Orange Passion Fruit Guava Sour 3%.
Swell Brewery definitely makes it to our list of the Best Breweries in McLaren Vale South Australia.
Vale Brewing
Beer – 8 out of 10
Vibe – 8 out of 10
A great place to visit not only if you want to try beer but they also offer wine, gin and spirit tastings set amongst historic vineyards in the McLaren Vale. The view from this modern state of the art venue is spectacular.
Since its first outing in 2008, The McLaren Vale Beer Company now stands a smidge taller as South Australia’s Champion Large Brewery. Their core range includes the usual Larger, Pale Ales and IPA. Whats interesting are the limited edition Margarita Sour, Spiced Rum Porter and Gin Sour. Those are some interesting flavours to be mixing with beers and comes for their unique ability to tap into their expertise of wine and spirit making.
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