Hoppy Trails: All About New Zealand's Breweries

Famous for its national rugby team, picturesque landscapes, and indigenous Maori culture, New Zealand also has a rich craft beer scene. The island country now boasts a diverse array of craft breweries, each offering as many unique flavours as stories, from Auckland's bustling corners to the verdant landscapes of South Island. The locally brewed beers in the country are all crafted with a thorough passion.

Places To Visit

Dive into the thick lager loci of crafted beer across New Zealand

Brewbus, Auckland

Founded in 2017 by Katy Martley and Lavina Good, Brewbus is a nationwide beer tourism operator that proudly brandishes the accolade of the Beer Tourism Industry Award, 2019. On a Brewbus craft beer tour, travellers can easily explore Auckland's urban craft beer culture as they join other enthusiasts for a lunch with local beer pairings. The Brewbus experience also showcases the region's unique sights, culture, and local food. They offer different tours in different parts of the country and have the provisions to customise tours according to the customers' demands. Travellers can visit Garage Project, Urbanaut Brewing Co, Good George, and Brothers Beer to meet the brewers.

Heyday Beer Co., Wellington

There's no other place to be but Heyday Beer Co. if you are looking for tantalising craft beers and delicious food. Taking you through the ins and outs of the beer production techniques along with a guided sampling of four distinct Heyday brews, the brewery offers elaborate tours for visitors to experience the magic happening while getting a taste of it. The place is famous for its food and snacks, which go well with the refreshing beer people can enjoy outdoors in the afternoon sun.

Tui Brewery, Mangatainoka

The famous Tui Brewery stands in the village of Mangatainoka, about 30 minutes south of Palmerston North, with its unique brick tower, brew house, cafe, free museum, quirky shop, and top-notch Tui beer. The place is credited with producing one of New Zealand's original beers and provides guided tours to its visitors. Travellers can look forward to enjoying lunch at the restaurant after a sample paddle of Tui pale ale, Mangatainoka Magic, Mangatainoka Dark, and Brew 1889.

Emerson's Brewery, Dunedin

The unique element of attraction about Emerson's Brewery is that travellers can observe the entire brewing process from the malt room to fermentation, bottling, and tasting. After the complete tour of the place and its brewing technique, you can get yourself to the Emerson's taproom to sample pale ales, including the Orange Roughy, New Zealand pilsner, and English porter. To round off the day, the restaurant serves shared platters along with refreshments.

Monteith's Brewery, Greymouth

Located on the West Coast in the town of Greymouth, the Monteith's Brewery offers its history and colourful stories of Monteith's, which began in 1868 right on the West Coast, in its Beertopia Room. The place also houses the intriguing Monteith's Museum. For beer enthusiasts, the adventure begins in the brewery, where you can see, touch, taste, and smell the New Zealand-grown ingredients used to make Monteith's craft beers.