New Zealand Craft Beer: Where to Drink Your Way Around the Country
New Zealand gets the wine headlines. Locals, though, drink a lot of beer, and the craft scene has grown from garage experiments into proper destinations. You can sip a pale ale in a converted church, tour a brewery on the West Coast, or cycle between taprooms in Nelson.
This guide picks 20 New Zealand craft beer experiences worth planning a day around, from the top of Northland to the bottom of Otago. Some are classic brewery tours. Others are taprooms, brewpubs or whole trails. We’ve sorted them north to south so you can drop them straight into your route.
Building a longer trip? Pair this list with our New Zealand itinerary ideas and our guide to food and wine experiences.
How to Plan a New Zealand Craft Beer Trip
A little planning goes a long way. Many taprooms close on Mondays and Tuesdays, and brewery tours often run only at set times, so check opening hours and book ahead. Smaller breweries change their hours with the seasons, and the listings below are a starting point rather than a timetable.
Then there’s the driving. Don’t mix beer and the wheel. Arrange a designated driver, book a guided tour, or base yourself within walking distance of a taproom. Our driving in New Zealand guide covers the road rules, and a self-drive tour or motorhome holiday gives you flexibility to stop overnight near your favourite brewery. Tourism New Zealand also runs a handy Tourism New Zealand’s beer and brewery guide if you want more ideas.
North Island Craft Beer Experiences
1. McLeods Brewery, Waipu
Start in Northland. McLeods sits behind McLeod’s Pizza Barn at 2 Cove Road in Waipu, which tells you most of what you need to know. Order a tasting paddle, add a pizza and settle in. It’s an easy stop on the drive north of Auckland. Plan more of the trip with our Northland guide.
2. Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room, Matakana
Sawmill brews on a rural site on Leigh Road, a few minutes outside Matakana. The Smoko Room serves around 15 beers on tap alongside food that celebrates the farmers and growers nearby, and the brewery runs tours on set days and times. A fire destroyed the site in 2019. The team rebuilt it, and it’s humming again. Sawmill has also won the Brewers’ Guild Sustainability Award three times.
3. Hallertau Brewery and Restaurant, Riverhead
Hallertau is the classic West Auckland beer garden, about 20 minutes from the city centre at 1171 Coatesville Riverhead Highway. The brewery is known for barrel-aged and sour beers, and the garden is family-friendly, so it works for a long lunch with a tasting paddle. See what else the region offers on our Auckland day tours page.
4. Brewbus Craft Beer Tour, Auckland
No designated driver? No problem. Brewbus runs a guided craft beer tour around Auckland’s urban breweries, with lunch and local beer pairings included. Stops have included Garage Project, Urbanaut Brewing Co, Good George and Brothers Beer, so you meet the brewers and skip the parking hunt.
5. The Heke, Waiheke Island
Waiheke isn’t only about wine. The Heke is a brewery, kitchen and distillery at Onetangi, set in four acres of gardens, and it’s a relaxed place to stretch out with a pint after a vineyard day. Our guide to the islands near Auckland shows how to fit Waiheke into a five-day trip.
6. Good George Brewing, Hamilton
Good George turned an old church in Hamilton into a brewery, and the building alone is worth the visit. The team makes craft beer, cider and gin, runs brewery tours, and serves meals in the Dining Hall next door. Handy if you’re heading south of Auckland towards Waitomo or Rotorua (see our Waikato page).
7. BREW Craft Beer Pub (Croucher Brewing), Rotorua and Tauranga
Croucher Brewing built its name in Rotorua, and BREW is its home turf. The pub opened on Rotorua’s Eat Streat in 2011 and a second branch followed on The Strand in Tauranga in 2013. Expect Croucher beers alongside guest taps and decent food, and the Rotorua pub also roasts its own coffee. Combine it with our Rotorua and Bay of Plenty pages.
8. Sunshine Brewery, Gisborne
Gisborne’s Sunshine Brewery has been brewing since 1989, and its Gisborne Gold lager is a local icon. The taproom at 49 Awapuni Road pours more than 20 beers and serves pizza, a short trip from Waikanae Beach. It’s a great reward for driving the long road to the East Coast, so see our Eastland page for the rest of the region.
9. Mike’s Brewery, New Plymouth
Mike’s is one of the country’s oldest craft breweries, founded in 1989. The brewery has since moved into central New Plymouth with a bistro attached, which makes it a convenient place to sample Taranaki beer without a long detour.
10. Brew Union Brewing Co, Palmerston North
Palmerston North used to be a craft beer gap. Then Brew Union opened in March 2017 with a 1,200-litre brewpub on Broadway Avenue. It’s family-friendly, serves food, and pours its own beers alongside guest taps from around the country. See more in our Manawatu guide.
11. Tui Brewery, Mangatainoka
A real piece of Kiwi beer history. Tui produces one of the country’s original beers, and the brewery runs tours that finish with a tasting paddle of Tui pale ale, Mangatainoka Magic and Mangatainoka Dark, Brew 1889. Have a meal in the restaurant afterwards. You’ll find it about 45 minutes’ drive from Palmerston North, on the highway between Hawke’s Bay and Wellington, so it fits neatly into a trip through our Hawke’s Bay region.
12. Tuatara Brewery and Taproom, Paraparaumu
Tuatara began as a backyard operation in the Reikorangi Valley, then outgrew it and moved to a big warehouse at 7 Sheffield Street in Paraparaumu. You can taste in the taproom, and tours usually run on Saturday afternoons, so book in advance. It’s only a short drive north of Wellington.
13. Garage Project, Wellington
Garage Project started in 2011 with a tiny 50-litre brewery in a derelict petrol station. Now it’s one of Wellington’s most famous beer names. Head to the Aro Taproom at 91 Aro Street in Aro Valley, where around 18 taps pour everything from classics to sours and ferments, with small plates on the side. Wellington is often called the unofficial craft beer capital, so plan an afternoon (and probably an evening). More ideas on our Wellington activities page.
South Island Craft Beer Experiences
14. The Mussel Inn, Golden Bay
An institution since 1992. The Mussel Inn sits at Onekaka on State Highway 60, and it brews its own beers, ales and ciders in a small brewery next door. Order steamed mussels, then try the Captain Cooker manuka beer. It’s worth the drive over Takaka Hill, so see our Nelson Tasman guide.
15. Nelson Craft Beer Trail, Nelson Tasman
Hire a bike and ride from Nelson to Kaiteriteri, stopping at local breweries for a cold one and a good meal. You can plot your own route with the trail map or join a multi-day e-bike beer tour. Nelson is also the oldest brewing region in New Zealand, and McCashin’s Brewery runs a 60-minute tour. Find the map on the Nelson Craft Beer Trail website.
16. Monteith’s Brewery, Greymouth
Monteith’s began on the West Coast in 1868, and the brewery experience starts in the Beertopia Room, which houses a small museum. You’ll then walk through the brewery to see, smell and taste the ingredients before sitting down to a hearty meal by the fire. A natural pause on a West Coast drive (see our West Coast page).
17. Brew Moon Brewing Company, Amberley
Amberley sits north of Christchurch, and Brew Moon is the reason to stop. This family-owned brewery has been going since 2002, and its taproom at 12 Markham Street pours around 16 of its own beers, alongside wood-fired pizza and Waipara wines. Try the Hophead IPA or the Waipara New England IPA. It’s an easy detour on the way to or from Kaikōura.
18. Three Boys Brewery, Christchurch
Three Boys brews unfiltered, unpasteurised beer at 592 Ferry Road in Woolston, and the brewery has a taproom on site. It’s a short walk from other Woolston beer stops, so you can build a mini crawl. Plan the rest of your Canterbury trip with our Christchurch and Canterbury guide.
19. Wanaka Beerworks, Wanaka
Wanaka Beerworks is a small microbrewery that makes small-batch beers under the Wanaka Beerworks and Jabberwocky brands. Tastings and tours have been on offer, though you should check the current schedule. After a day on the lake or the ski field, a pint here hits the spot. More on our Wanaka activities page.
20. Emerson’s Brewery, Dunedin
Richard Emerson started brewing in his parents’ garage, opened his first brewery in 1993, and later built the Emerson’s brewery and taproom on Anzac Avenue in 2016. The tour runs 45 to 60 minutes through the malt room, fermentation, and bottling; then you’ll head to the taproom to try the tropical Orange Roughy pale ale, a New Zealand pilsner and an English porter. Shared platters come at the onsite restaurant. Find more to do on our Dunedin and Otago page.
Three Ways to String Your Beer Stops Together
The Northland and Auckland Loop
Drive north from Auckland to Waipu for McLeods, swing through Matakana for Sawmill, then finish at Hallertau in Riverhead. Add a Brewbus day or a Waiheke weekend.
The Wellington and Wairarapa Run
Spend a day at Tui in Mangatainoka, drive to Paraparaumu for Tuatara, then finish in Wellington with an evening at Garage Project.
The South Island Beer Circuit
Start in Nelson, ride part of the craft beer trail, then cross to Golden Bay for the Mussel Inn. Head down the West Coast to Monteith’s, cut over to Amberley and Christchurch, and finish in Wanaka and Dunedin. Our best South Island tourist attractions list helps you fill the gaps. Prefer your own wheels? See our campervan rental guide.
New Zealand Craft Beer: Your Questions Answered
Which region is best for craft beer in New Zealand?
Wellington is often called the unofficial craft beer capital, and Nelson Tasman is the oldest brewing region. Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin also have plenty of taprooms.
Do I need to book brewery tours?
Usually, yes. Many tours run on set days and times, and some only run on weekends. Sawmill and Tuatara both suggest checking schedules or booking ahead.
Can I visit several breweries in one day?
Yes, if you plan it. A guided tour such as Brewbus in Auckland handles the driving, and the Nelson Craft Beer Trail links breweries by bike.
Are New Zealand taprooms family-friendly?
Many are. Hallertau’s beer garden, Brew Union and Sawmill’s Smoko Room all welcome families, but check each venue’s policy before you go.
When are New Zealand breweries open?
Hours vary. Several taprooms close on Mondays and Tuesdays, and some change their hours with the season, so check before you drive out.
Plan Your New Zealand Craft Beer Trip With NZ Tourism Tours
Want the beer without the logistics? Ask our team to build a custom itinerary that links breweries, scenery, and accommodation, or browse our food & wine tours if your group wants both.