The best breweries and distilleries in Byron Bay (and its surrounds)

Lara Picone Lara Picone
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For an afternoon sipping locally crafted brews, check out these top Byron Bay breweries and distilleries.

Sprawling across a richly fertile area from coast to hinterland and brimming with fresh produce and native ingredients, Byron Bay and her neighbouring shires have inspired a collection of passionate brewers and distillers. From The Tweed to Byron and winding down to Ballina, you can sip on beautifully made beers and spirits crafted to showcase the flavours of this sub-tropical region. Here, we’ve rounded up Byron’s best breweries and distilleries to pop on your drinks list.

1. Stone & Wood

sample beers for tasting at Stone & Wood
Stone & Wood offer approachable, balanced beers. (Image: Destination NSW)

Heading to the cavernous, 31-tank brewery in Byron’s industrial estate is always a precursor to good times. Find your seat inside or grab a table in the beer garden and work your way through Stone & Wood’s hoppy options with a tasting. If you’re a certified craft beer fan, book in for the 90-minute brewery tour that kicks off fine hospitably with a welcome beer. Food is by 100 Mile Table and if you’re not a drinker, there are non-alcoholic and kid-friendly beverages on offer, too.

Address: 100 Centennial Circuit, Byron Bay

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday: 10am-6pm; Friday: 10am-7pm; Saturday: 12pm-7pm; Sunday: 12pm-6pm

2. Common People Brewing Co.

an aerial shot of the deck at Common People Brewing Co.
Bond over beers on the deck. (Image: Common People Brewing Co.)

All people, common and not-so, are welcome to the Taproom to settle in for a session of Common People’s brews. While the kegs flow with beers, such as the Protesters IPA, El Sabro Hazy IPA and Moonless Midnight Stout, if you’d rather have a different sort of fermented beverage, there’s a well-considered wine list on offer. No matter your tipple, it can be enjoyed with a menu of beautifully blistered pizza and other wood-fired treats. There’s often live music or community events, so check the website to see what’s coming up.

Address: 9 Dudgeons Lane, Bangalow

Opening hours: Thursday to Saturday: 12pm-9pm; Sunday: 12pm-8pm

3. Wandana Brewing Co

the calypso sour beer with sliced passionfruit and toasted organic coconut at Wandana Brewing Co
Calypso sour beer with sliced passionfruit and toasted organic coconut at Wandana Brewing Co.

This industrial-estate-located brewery gazes out across the lush pastures of outer Mullumbimby. Festoon lighting, a shaded beer garden and regular live music, not to mention innovative and delicious beer, make Wandana an easy go-to for an afternoon session. The Wandana folk are big believers that music makes their beer taste better, so they have their yeast cells vibrating with round-the-clock tunes. See if you agree with the theory by embarking on a tasting paddle that may include the Mullum Madness IPA, Roadie Pale Ale or Upzy Hazy. Rotating food trucks and a kids’ playroom also add to Wandana’s laidback appeal.

Address: 20 Manns Road, Mullumbimby

Opening hours: Wednesday 1.30pm-6.30pm; Thursday to Saturday 12.30pm-8.30pm; Sunday 12.3pm-7.30pm.

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4. Seven Mile Brewing Co.

the exterior of Seven Mile Brewing Co. Byron Bay
Step into Seven Mile Brewing Co. to taste locally brewed beers.

No coastal town is complete without its own brewery and Ballina, 30 minutes south of Byron, is no exception. Named after one of the shire’s best-known beaches, Seven Mile Brewing Co. sits right by the Ballina-Byron Gateway Airport tempting travellers the moment they disembark from their aircraft. Pop in to partake in locally brewed effervescence with beers such as the Iron Peg Aussie Pale, American Pale Ale and Hard Ginger Beer. A roster of food trucks swing by from Friday to Saturday to serve beer-adjacent bites from burgers to tacos and pizza.

Address: 188–202 Southern Cross Drive

Opening hours: Thursday: 3pm-7p; Friday to Sunday: 12pm-6pm

5. Earth Beer Company

the Earth Beer Company exterior, Byron Bay
The cellar door is nestled within a rustic barn. (Image: @jayanta_visual)

Set in a rustic barn on an avocado farm just behind the Tweed Coast town of Kingscliff, Earth Beer Company produces deliciously refreshing beer and other fermented delights. Locally minded, you won’t find these brews too far from their home, but they’re definitely worth stocking up on while here. Try the Hemp Hazy Pale, Dark Moon Brown Ale and the Rising Sun Pale and don’t miss a sip of their seasonal specials, such as the Mango Weisse or Avocado Kolsch. Sit-ins at the brewery are often accompanied by food trucks and there’s always some cool merch on-hand to take away as a holiday memento.

Address: 592 Cudgen Road, Cudgen

Opening hours: Friday and Saturday 11am-8pm; Sunday 11am-7.30pm

6. Husk Farm Distillery

the front view of Husk Farm Distillery
Sign up for long lunches at the barn-like distillery. (Image: Sally/@salsinghphotography)

It all started when a sugar cane-farming family had the novel idea to make rum from their fresh cane juice, soon enough Husk Farm Distillery became a North Coast institution. Their farm-to-bottle ethos has caught the attention of spirit drinkers far and wide, and while it may have all started with rum, the family also now produce the incredible, violet-hued Ink Gin among other tipples. Book a spot on the lawn at the beautiful barn-like distillery for a sunny afternoon of cocktails and nibbles or grab a table for a long lunch. If you’re keen to nerd out on the nitty gritty of distilling, be sure to sign up for a tour that includes a welcome drink and tastings. Or catch one of the many events, from cocktail-making classes to paddock parties and stargazing. Being a 45-minute drive north of Byron, be sure to nominate a designated driver or arrange transport.

Address: 1152 Dulguigan Road, North Tumbulgum

Opening hours: Hours change seasonally, check the website for updated times.

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7. Cape Byron Distillery

botanicals on display at Cape Byron Distillery
Find high-quality gins infused with local botanicals. (Image: Destination NSW)

You’d be hard-pressed to find an Aussie gin-drinker who hasn’t heard of Brookies Gin. If you know, you know how, so why not go along to Cape Byron Distillery and see where and how this beloved spirit is made? Just 15 minutes from town, this Byron cellar door is set on a 95-acre property and lushly encroached upon by regenerated rainforest. Here you can sit on the balcony and sample not just their flagship gin, but also their Shirl the Pearl Gin, Turkish Delight Gin, Whisky and the sweet Mac. Liqueur made from, of course, macadamias. For the full experience, though, book in for a guided tasting, rainforest and gin tour or whisky tour.

Address: 80 St Helena Road, McLeods Shoot

Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday 10.45am-6pm

8. Lord Byron Distillery

This renewable, zero-waste alcoholic enterprise is a family affair began by Brian and Helen Restall. At Lord Byron what goes in the bottle is sourced from ingredients grown locally, even the pure water, which is collected from the family’s farm. Taste the provenance in their rum, gin, limoncello and other spirits when you swing by their Banksia Drive distillery. A visit may include a tour, cocktail masterclass or a session to distil your own gin.

Address: 4 Banksia Drive, Byron Bay

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10am-5pm

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Lara Picone
Working for many of Australia’s top publications, Lara Picone has had the distinct pleasure of writing, editing and curating content about the finer things in life for more than 15 years. Graduating from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, her editorial foundation began at Qantas: The Australian Way magazine, before moving on to learn the fast-paced ropes of a weekly magazine at Sunday Magazine and picking up the art of brand curation at donna hay magazine. Pivoting a near-problematic travel lust into a career move by combining it with storytelling and a curious appetite, her next role was as Deputy Editor of SBS Feast magazine and later Online Editor of SBS Food online. She then stepped into her dream job as Editor of Australian Traveller before becoming Online Editor for both International Traveller and Australian Traveller. Now as a freelancer, Lara always has her passport at-the-ready to take flight on assignment for the Australian Traveller team, as well as for publications such as Qantas Magazine, Escape and The Weekend Australian. As ever, her appetite is the first thing she packs.
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No time to hibernate: experience the best of winter in NSW

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    Whales breaching, fires crackling and slow-cooked feasts that make the cold so cosy, one might wish it lasted longer. Winter is no time to stay at home in NSW.

    When the mercury drops, winter in NSW comes into its own. Beaches are quieter, the air is crisper and hearty food tastes even better when there’s ice on the windows.

    Winter here isn’t for hiding away. It’s for long walks, deep baths, deeper reds and the kind of fireside lounging that feels simultaneously indulgent and entirely deserved after a day of exploring. From whale-watching up north to moodily lit bushwalks and pastry pilgrimages, we’ve mapped out your new favourite season.

    a beach winter in nsw
    From coastal walks to tasty delights, winter in NSW is a time to get out and about.

    The Tweed

    In winter, the NSW north coast has a front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest migrations. From May to November, humpbacks cruise past the Tweed coast between Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef. Spot them from the Cabarita Beach headland or get up closer with a boat cruise.

    Inland, find the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, which is home to a rotating cast of big-name exhibitions (including Monet).

    Later, grab a table at Bistro Livi, where the modern Spanish menu features whipped salt cod on toast and spanner crab with curry butter and spelt flatbread. Stick around to poke through the artist studios and indie boutiques of M|Arts Precinct.

    visitors at Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
    Browse the art. (Image: Destination NSW)

    The next day, jump aboard the Indigenous Lunch Cruise with Tweed Escapes. You’ll cruise upriver listening to yarns from local Indigenous guides, stop at the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Museum and tuck into lemon myrtle-crusted snapper.

    Next, drive out to Farm & Co to pull apart some juicy smoked lamb shoulder with green olive tapenade while gazing out over the macadamia fields and avocado groves of this working farm.

    End the day at Mantra on Salt Beach where you’ll enjoy beach access, a heated rock spa and a lagoon pool.

    dining room at Bistro Livi
    Taste modern Spanish at Bistro Livi.

    Blue Mountains

    The cold season is hands down the best time to visit the Blue Mountains. Temperatures are perfect – sunny enough for hikes, and crisp enough at night for snuggling up.

    For a trip that equally soothes and stirs, start with a meditative meander through the national park’s eucalypts and Australian wildflowers. Brave the steepest passenger railway in the world, Scenic Railway, then hop the Skyway aerial cable car for unrivalled Three Sisters views.

    Thaw out at the Japanese Bath House in South Bowenfels. Soak in steamy outdoor onsens filled with natural mineral water and mountain views, wander the rose and zen gardens, or sip hot drinks in the tea house.

    group leader at Blue Mountains Stargazing
    Rug up for Blue Mountains Stargazing. (Image: Destination NSW)

    Afterwards, head to Ates in Blackheath, where everything revolves around a 150-year-old ironbark-fuelled oven – like the wood-roasted duck with nectarines and Szechuan spice. Or visit Tempus Katoomba, which leans experimental and sustainable, serving up dishes like braised fennel with cumin, spiced yogurt and Aleppo pepper.

    Rug up and head into the night with Blue Mountains Stargazing. Sessions are guided by astrophysicists, helping you understand what you’re looking at as you look into deep space.

    Wrap it all up at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains – MGallery Collection. There’s a whiskey bar in the basement (and crackling fires that make a dram taste even better), indoor and outdoor pools and a day spa. Kids will love the mirror maze and ice rink, too.

    dishes laid out on table at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains
    End the day with delicious meals at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains. (Image: Destination NSW)

    Southern Highlands

    Good food and wine by the fire, experienced between sifting through second-hand treasures, is a winter vibe in Bowral.

    Start with a lap around Dirty Janes, an antique and vintage market. Recover from your shopping frenzy at Bendooley Book Barn, where floor-to-ceiling shelves and a roaring fire set the tone for an afternoon of red wine or hot coffee.

    When it’s time to eat, head to Hickory’s Restaurant & Bar, Peppers Craigieburn Bowral’s onsite restaurant. Try the crispy pork belly with Granny Smith crisps and apple gel, or ocean trout with wakame, lemon gel and pickled radish.

    couple looking through Dirty Janes in bowral
    Wander the antiques at Dirty Janes. (Image: Destination NSW)

    Another option, Onesta Cucina, does Italian with flair. For something more casual (with cocktails), Flour Bar swings between brunch and dinner, with an onsite bakery, over 400 wines and a hidden deli in the old bank vault.

    Later, clamber Mt Gibraltar, where trails wind through eucalypt forest to views over Bowral and Mittagong.

    Stay at Peppers Craigieburn Bowral, a century-old estate with open fires, elegant lounges and a nine-hole golf course.

    woman and her dog winter in nsw at Peppers Craigieburn Bowral
    Stay cosy at Peppers Craigieburn Bowral.

    Penrith

    Shake off winter inertia with an adrenaline boost out in Penrith. Kick things off with a kayak paddle on the Nepean River with Horizon Line, or head to Cables Wake Park, where cold-weather wetsuits take the edge off a wipeout.

    For something a bit more cruisy, opt for the Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler for slow-floating views and a hot cuppa.

    kayakers on the nepean river in penrith
    Head out on the Nepean River. (Image: Destination NSW)

    Refuel at Marcel Bar & Bistro, where reimagined European comfort food – like seafood risotto in bisque with little neck clams and Moreton Bay bugs – is king. Then check in at the Pullman Sydney Penrith, the area’s first international five-star hotel, to enjoy your well-earned rest.

    Pullman Penrith
    Set yourself up at Pullman Penrith.

    Start planning your NSW winter getaway at all.com.