Craft Beer Trail

Craft beer is its own pleasure. On this brew trail, take in some 135 kilometres of the Margaret River Region scenery in a line stretching from Geographe Bay, across to Eagle Bay, a haul down Caves Road, and a detour past Cowaramup, to finally arrive at the banks of the Margaret River. There is the possibility of making this a full-day itinerary. But for those seeking a slightly more leisurely crawl, pick a skipper, pack the kids and select two or three stops – with time, then, to settle in a little. In any case, this trail isn’t going anywhere. The brewer’s barrels are always tapped.

Make this Margaret River Region Craft Beer Trail yours.

Shelter Brewing Co

Occupying prime real estate overlooking the Busselton Jetty, Shelter Brewing Co is a popular hangout with locals and visitors. It is the result of a five-year development process between the Credaro brothers: Jason, Matt, Chris, and Mike, and the Packard-Hair brothers, Zeb and Asher, all fourth-generation locals. Beers are brewed on-site with a core range that takes in a classic lager, an India Pale Ale with their take on a classic West Coast IPA, a juicy and refreshing XPA and a crisp, fruity Summer Sour. The corner kiosk is open daily from 7am, serving coffee, cinnamon scrolls, bagels and ice cream choc tops, or wash away the salt of the day with a cold beer and a big feed.

Rocky Ridge Brewing

Five generations on the farm have taught the family behind Rocky Ridge Brewing more than most about the land. The decision to divert from cattle and dairy to begin growing hops was one based on instinct for what could grow, and the decision wasn’t wrong. Highly focused on sustainable practice, Rocky Ridge uses mostly WA cultured yeast, organic malt, homegrown hops and plenty of local nous and acquired beer-making skill to produce out on their Jindong farm, with delicious results that can be tasted at the craft brewery’s Busselton-based cellar door. This is a true beer tasting experience – the refurbished 1930s home has a license to pour 100ml tastes and any size of takeaways. Beers are all can-packaged in a nod to the Rocky Ridge commitment to quality and best environmental practice: sunlight and oxygen negatively affect beer, two elements easily eliminated by brewing into cans, while aluminium is both lighter to freight and more easily recyclable than glass. As for the beers themselves, Rocky Ridge serves up everything from a session ale to a white coffee stout or a citrus IPA. Plenty of space, in other words, for the keen craft beer enthusiast to enjoy a little experimentation.

The Sophisticated Beast

While other breweries on this craft beer trail are renowned for their expansive properties and capacity to house a crowd, The Sophisticated Beast offers a different kind of experience. As intimate as it gets, this family-run labour of love is expertly producing farmhouse-style beers that will challenge your palate – there are zero boring, flavour-free options on this menu. A visit to their tiny cellar door tucked away in Vasse is a chance to meet Ryan, the brewer, and have a chat about the wild and unusual combos they are experimenting with. Along with beers, they also grow gourmet mushrooms from their brewery waste, and make a funky hop-infused cold brew coffee. Hot tip: If you are in Margaret River on a Saturday morning, you can also catch The Sophisticated Beast at the Margaret River Farmers Market.

Eagle Bay Brewing Co

Eagle Bay is a paradise of West Australian white sand beaches, turquoise waters, small peeling point breaks and – behind the coastline, just a little – the area’s namesake brewery. The family-owned Eagle Bay Brewing Co. is set on a working farm over seventy years old, and since opening in 2010 has built up a vineyard, restaurant, garden bar and an impressive range of beers that veer from a classic Kolsch or Pale Ale, into seasonal examples like a Cacao Stout, through to sours made with fruit from their onsite orchard. Head Chef Josh de Caen has a rotating list of seasonal specials as well as all your brewpub staples – woodfired pizzas, fish & chips, and their best-selling cheeseburger. Kids will have a ball on the pirate ship playground and have acres of space to run wild, too.

Wild Hop Brewing Company

Wild Hop opened in February 2019 in the Yallingup Hills – a boon for Yalls locals. Like many regional businesses, Wild Hop is a family affair. Husband. Wife. Mother. Daughter. Son (in-law). And now a baby, to boot. The emphasis is on presenting beer and the food that connects with a sense of place: the trail hop yard was planted in 2016 from rhizome cuttings that came courtesy of Rocky Ridge Brewing Co, while agricultural plans are afoot to produce for the brewery’s small commercial kitchen. This back-of-house commitment results in a front-of-house friendliness and ease that speaks volumes about what it is to showcase successful hospitality in the South West. Beer-wise, expect surprises: brewers Matthew Scott-Malcolm and Andrew Caldwell studied together at the Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology in Chicago. As brewers go, they take a fluid approach to beer styles, working at the forefront of flavour to ensure an always-interesting pull that doesn’t hang its hat on a single signature style. The kitchen serves beer-friendly food focussed on cooking over flame. And that wild bush of Yallingup is the ideal frame.

Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co

Located on Caves Road, Cheeky Monkey’s original Brewpub is the mischievous monkey of the beer world. This place knows how to tickle your taste buds and bring a smile to your face. From bold and flavourful IPAs to refreshing and easy-drinking session ales, Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co. has the perfect alcoholic beverage to quench your thirst and ignite your cheeky spirit. With a rustic ambience, a fantastic kids’ playground and a relaxed outdoor area, you can settle into the afternoon, sip on their delightful concoctions, and let the laughter flow. The family-owned brewery also has a production facility in nearby Vasse, Cheeky HQ Taphouse, which is open to the public and is the South West’s largest production brewery. Same ethos applies – ease, good food and a whole lotta Cheeky Monkey beer love.

Beerfarm

Beerfarm was born in 2015, when five misfits stumbled upon a little slice of heaven in Metricup, Western Australia. Once an old dairy farm, they converted the hay shed into a tavern, built a brewery in the round house, and created a name for both a destination and a brewery that would serve straight-up beer. With a focus on being a family-friendly stop, their slip’n slide operates during the summer months for the kids, alongside a playground and plenty of grass to kick a footy. Their range of beers is brewed for all occasions and palates, from smashable lagers to complex IPAs, silky milk stout, and fruited sours. If beer isn’t your jam, they also make a cider packed with fresh Manjimup apples. Still a fully operational farm today, they’ve swapped dairy for beef and run a herd of around 160 Black Angus cattle, which are part of their paddock-to-plate dining experiences. They’re ed a diet of grass and spent grain from the brewing process. With a Seasonal Eats menu and gourmet BBQ menus, Beerfarm has something for everyone.

Cowaramup Brewing Company

Getting behind your pint is an exciting option at this regional and family-owned microbrewery, where the brewing process takes centre stage as part of the visitor experience. The brewery’s production is visible from the entrance, but real aficionados would be wise to book ahead for the behind-the-scenes tour, where the craft brew art is explained in detail, and the session ends with six beers matched to food. Beer wise, the Cowaramup Brewing Company takes drinkers on a trip from Germany to England before heading back to our Aussie shores – from the unfiltered wheat beer of the Bavarian-style Hefeweizen and the clean, pale gold German-origin noble hop Pilsener, to the English style IPA, all the way back to a fruity, low bitterness Lightsign Summer Ale that’s all light and easy WA style. There’s even an alcoholic ginger beer. The property has a playground and ample space for kids, while the restaurant runs from vegetarian salad bowls to IPA-braised Harvey beef focaccias and chicken slaw tacos. There’s a ‘Little Grazers’ board for kids and pizzas available on the other side of lunch service.

CBCo Brewing

Nothing like a little bush road diversion to peak both thirst and interest for what might be at the end of this country road. CBCo Brewing has two locals – Port Melbourne, in Victoria, and this sprawling venue that spreads itself across a bush-surrounded flat expanse of land replete with sun-covered playground and enough outdoor tables to ensure most punters can come and enjoy their own patch of beer-soaked sun. Beers fall into a few categories, from a core range that takes in classic draught, I.P.A and ale styles, to regional-specific styles like the South West Sour featuring pale, wheat and Munich malts with hops from both hemispheres that provide a vibrant, tropical aroma. There is live music on Saturdays, tasting paddles and daily food specials. CBCo has been pouring since 2004. It was one of the first breweries to open in WA’s ‘down south’ region, and its opening in Victoria in 2015 has done nothing to dilute the dedication to quality. The beer is still handcrafted. Ciders made using only cold-pressed Australian apples. And the glow of pleasure gained from an afternoon under the Margaret River sun remains golden.

Brewhouse Margaret River

When the Brewhouse opened its doors in 2016, the celebration from town-living Margaret River beer-lovers was audible. Run by three local families, this is a town brewery with the same serene feel of any of its bush-block counterparts. Trees are tall and shading. The lawns are green and rolling. The beer house itself opens to a veranda-shaded timber deck that spills out onto said lawns. And the beers? Think everything from US West Coast-style pale (Inji Pale Ale) and workingman’s burnt biscuit and toffee-style malts (Bastard Brown), to an all-Aussie classic lager (Black Duck). Take it all in with a paddle that’ll give you a taste across the board, and then match this with food from the kitchen that doesn’t subscribe to a single cultural origin so much as a devotion to punchy flavour: think Freo sardines with pickled onions and cress, beef tacos with ancho hot sauce, crema, onion and coriander, or the brewery’s signature chilli salt squid. Local wines get some play on the menu, and kids are amply catered for with pizzas, a kids’ menu and a knockout playground within table view. All this a two-minute walk from the bank of the Margaret River, and a further three-minute walk up the hill into town. Also, keep an eye out for the live music calendar, more often than not featuring local talent.