Canberra: home to 400,000 people, including the Ngarigo, Ngunawal and Walgalu mobs, known as "the bush capital", and the place where politicians increase the tax on beer.
Despite the tension between pollies and indie brewers, however, the nation's capital certainly bats above its weight when it comes to craft beer, and it does so with its own style that seems fitting for a place that can be the butt of countless jokes from Melburnians and Sydneysiders.
Previously, my thoughts of Canberra were of the sort 'Berrans have heard all too many times. It’s cold, full of politicians, and everything you want always seems to be 20 minutes away (by car). I had thought that Canberra was Exhibit A in the argument for why Melbourne should have just let Sydney be the capital.
Unlike those two cities, however, Canberra has an undeniably unique food and drink culture. Life in the bush capital is symbiotic with going out and spending the exorbitant salary you've received from relocating to Canberra on fine food and drinks. Diplomats are in all the time, some of them are important. Do they deserve to be disappointed by what they eat and drink just because they were sent there for work? The good news is they won’t be.
Canberra is not new to craft beer either. Even before BentSpoke opened in 2014, co-founder Rich Watkins had already spent more than a decade-and-a-half at the Wig & Pen, brewing a more diverse and impressive lineup of beers than you'd find in any other Australian capital city. In the years since, alongside partner Tracy Margrain, Rich and BentSpoke have helped put Canberra on the map for beer lovers, while Capital Brewing have since joined them in spreading their wings beyond the natural wonderland they've always championed.
The city may be home to fewer breweries than the capitals of its neighbouring states with ten times the population but new breweries and venues are popping up alongside the well-established.
Simply, when it comes to craft beer, Canberra has no need to prove itself.
As if to prove the point, this update to our Crafty Crawl is now a Crafty Sprawl – one that comes in two parts. So sizeable is the city's good beer scene now that you can't walk between more than a handful of venues, or take them all in over a day or two with transport to hand.
There's also no easy way to geographically divide Canberra's crafty breweries and bars either, so we figured we'd start in the city's west and north then work our way towards Braddon. It means BentSpoke and Capital – the city's two best-known operations – won't feature until part two, before anyone decides to start yelling at us for an oversight...
Herbert’s at Evatt
Located in a local shopping precinct in the northern suburb of Evatt, Herbert’s – like the suburb – is named after the former deputy prime minister, high court justice and UN charter amender, Herbert "Doc" Evatt. How very Canberra.
Run by Kristin and Dino (who also own the café next door) Herbert’s at Evatt is a modern and homespun bar that's a quintessential example of that local-focused style of Canberra watering hole that makes the city so special. The food menu, from mains to desserts and bar snacks, are all house-made, with my personal favourite the spicy mac and cheese croquettes.
Herbert’s proudly fill their six taps with craft beer from all over Australia, purchasing them one keg at a time to ensure that change comes far faster than Doc Evatt's time at the top of the Labor Party.
When it comes to the lineup, there's usually one lager, a pale ale and a hazy with two taps "exclusively reserved for something weird". Dino also has a penchant for barrel-aged and mixed culture beers, while there are takeaway tins available if you think your night is ending too early, or if you need something for when you pop home for a quick food coma.
Meet the Doc at 2/21 Heydon Place, Evatt.
The Pot Belly Bar
When was the last time you went to a divey, live music venue and received a history lesson?
At The Pot Belly, they don’t just tell you their history, it is carved into the walls. The dramatic wooden arches that house the bar in this dark and lively venue sit on curved balustrades that were carved to represent a pregnant woman. Why? The area, specifically Weedon Close, was once the infamous underage drinking district (nicknamed Sesame Street) and The Pot Belly was one of the first venues to warn of the dangers of drinking while pregnant, as well as being a safe bar for women.
All this I learnt as my beer was being poured. Owner Guv isn’t just loved because he runs every type of open mic event and passes all of the door earnings directly to the bands that play here every weekend. He’s loved because he’s a storyteller who brews a good beer as part of his passion project, Wignall Brewery: a tiny setup that puts the "micro" in microbrewery.
The Skippy Australian XPA is suitably “full of hops”, an effortlessly crushable session beer with plenty of flavour after you've watched the death metal band Futility play; you may also find an oud bruin with the same name. Beyond the Wignall beers, you'll also find their own spirits as well as beers pouring from craft breweries further afield too, including from a handpump.
Enjoy them all while experiencing the somewhat quirky experience of watching a metal band while sitting next to a fire.
Learn from The Pot Belly by heading to 5/26 Weedon Close, Belconnen.
Page Bottler
Page is a residential suburb made up of little other than houses. Indeed, you could be forgiven for driving past the small precinct that contains Page Bottler and barely giving it a second glance.
But this local liquor store is more than first meets the eye. Much more. Between stacked shelves and a jam-packed cold room, the tiny shop seems able to hold more incredible beer than it should, including local stars, treasures from the States and Europe, fresh-as-anything hoppy beers from around the country, and just about every limited release that catches owner Tim Rasheed’s eye.
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And “what you see” is 30 to 40 new beers a week, the option of buying “Mystery Cubes” curated by Tim, and a super-passionate approach to beer and customer service. Not too shabby for little ol’ Page.
It may not look like much, but head into Page Bottler at 2/4 Page Place, Page. You won’t regret it.
Crafty Cabal Member offer at Page Bottler: Save $20 On Page Bottler's Subscriptions
To All My Friends
As the name suggests, To All My Friends is an emphatically community-minded venue, built in what I’m calling the "Classic Canberra style": a small venue on a shopping strip, great beer and food, customers that know each other’s names, and owners that also earn day trade with the café they own next door (Little Oink).
Named after a toast from Mickey Rourke in the 1980 film Barfly, the space is visually inviting; with flowery wallpaper and a curved tiled bar, TAMF is the sort of place you could meet for a catch-up or Hinge meet, but it’s also an ideal spot for a date with a beer.
There are eight taps of Aussie and New Zealand beer, as well as a can list so long it doubles as an eye test. The staff are well-versed at guiding beer geeks types (including journos), which you have to be when you consistently rotate through beers and collect tap art as eagerly as that mate who brags about their PhD collects books.
Soak up the alcohol with the huge (and delicious) pizza menu (with lots of vegan options) and don’t worry if you don’t have any friends to share it with, you’ll make some before you leave.
Become a friend of To All My Friends at Shops, 24 Cook Place, Cook.
Crafty Cabal Member offer at To All My Friends: 2-FOR-1 Pints!
10 Yards
We're continuing a bit of a running theme here: 10 Yards also has a close connection to a café; during the day it's Two Before Ten, a cosy yet expansive eatery that's dedicated to building a local community around the food they produce and serve, including their house-roasted coffee and mushroom growing rooms.
That dedication is carried over as the sun drops with 10 Yards serving excellent wine from the small producers that surround Canberra. But what really makes 10 Yards break out of the mould is their beer selection: ten taps that feature almost entirely their own beers.
The house beers are brewed by a friend of the Two Before Ten team and, at the time of writing, they aren’t available anywhere else, which in my mind justifies the trip alone. If you can only have one, try the signature 4.6 percent ABV Aranda Ale; it's a great place to start with sweet floral and citrus flavours alongside some pilsner sensibilities. Speaking of pilsners, the Red Pilsner has a nutty balance of Saaz hops, caramel and the feeling of wanting to dance.
At any time, there are usually three to four seasonal beers – often more old world styles – that sit comfortably alongside a plate of local and international cheeses.
Find it all at 68 Bandjalong Crescent, Aranda.
Cypher Brewing
Craft beer is still a mystery to some but that's not true for the folks at Cypher Brewing. A group of locals opened the doors to the brewpub in the northern suburb of Gungahlin in 2023 and they've been unlocking the secrets to quality beer ever since.
The space is very much built with locals and families in mind: the venue hosts regular gigs and houses a play area for young ones, who are equally catered for – along with big kids – thanks to a menu filled with classic pub fare.
The beer is all brewed on a 15-hectolitre system you can gaze upon as you enjoy one of the core range or fresh, regularly-changing limited releases that pour through Cypher's dozen taps.
Thanks to the light rail sitting right out front, once you've enjoyed a few, the tram will get you close enough to your next stop too.
Unlock Cypher's secrets at Unit 3/35 Hinder Street, Gungahlin.
The Old Canberra Inn
In a city that's very much about the future, the Old Canberra Inn is a cosy and enduring throwback. Hiding beneath a wrap-around verandah, this National Trust-listed pub from 1857 is so old it predates Canberra itself, originally serving as a coach stop between Yass and Queanbeyan. Beneath the natural, exposed wooden ceiling beams, local and visiting time-travellers huddle by the fireplaces, soaking in the historical surroundings and independent craft beers.
Beers on the ten taps are constantly rotating although always feature an approachable ale from locals Capital. Another Canberra venue that adopts a one-and-done keg system, expect seasonal releases from a variety of revered Australian brewers; non-beer drinkers will enjoy plenty of local spirits, mulled wine and a surprisingly modern pub menu which features words like lasagne, sriracha and gochujang.
An historically wholesome experience, the Old Canberra Inn is a bucket list pub that should get tourists as excited as Old Parliament House and that lake Canberrans love talking about.
Soak in that history 195 Mouat Street, Lyneham.
Dickson Taphouse
As I was sitting in the grand, welcoming and uniquely Australian living room that is Dickson Taphouse, I marvelled at the 18 taps of beer and tried to pen a semi-original sentence about how this place was like daycare for adults. Then a group came in with their children and I was humbly reminded that this is a venue for everyone who cares about good beer.
Dickson is a swanky suburb known for good food and drinks, which means the titular taphouse needs to aim for perfection. Across their 18 taps of Australian craft beer, six remain the same and 12 are ever-changing.
Among the canned range (of which there are reportedly more than 100) expect to find every style known to humankind, and perhaps a few known only to dogs, all explained on an easy-to-read chalkboard (if you find it hard to read you are surely cut off).
The menu is made up of pub staples with some gourmet twists, but nothing beats the classic cheeseburger with bacon.
Check yourself into adult daycare at 30 Woolley Street, Dickson.
Other Venues
Look out for part two as we hit Braddon then head south of the river. In the meantime, there's more options worth a look in the parts of the city we've already traversed...
- Stonehouse Amaroo: A taste of Scotland in a sleek suburb, inspired by the heritage and history of the nearby Southern Highlands and complete with beer from Southern Highlands Brewing. Pouring from the ten taps you’ll also find Tennent's from Scotland in a cosy, alpine-esque venue.
Marquee/12 Pioneer St, Amaroo. - Casey Jones Pub: Don’t ask me why there’s a good sports bar in a shopping centre, there just is. Boats, cricket bats and Mal Maninga’s jersey adorn the walls of this party palace where local and coastal brews flow aplenty alongside Australian whisky, live music and some seriously good cheeseburgers.
15 Kingsland Parade, Casey.
You'll find other Crafty Crawls from around the country here and all of the above venues and hundreds more, plus beers, events and special deals in the free Crafty Pint app. If we've missed anything, or you know of new operations on the horizon that should be included above, let us know.
Thanks, once again, to Mat at CanBEERra for his assistance in drawing up the itinerary for these articles.
Benedict "Benny" Kennedy-Cox is a comedy/travel writer and craft beer enthusiast from a lovely little harbour village called Sydney. His dreams include opening his own taproom, hosting his own travel beer show, and to one day be able to pay someone to write these for him instead of doing it himself in third person.
The beer(s) or moment (s) that turned you onto good beer:
One two punch of receiving a Beer Book for Christmas when I was just about to be 18 and getting a mixed set of international beers from my aunt for my 19th birthday.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
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Serpents Kiss by Grifter – This will help me figure out if they like sweet. A pilsner with a bit of watermelon, lovely, perfect one to start off an arvo at the pub, refreshing and tasty.
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Pale Ale by Mountain Culture – Lots of big juicy and floral flavours. If they don't like this we might be out of luck!
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Roast Pear Sour and Salted Caramel IPA Beer Blender by Urbanaut – Some people don't like these but, in my opinion, even non-beer drinkers can have the time of their life with a beer blender, and I reckon this one is the best.
The last beer you enjoyed:
RocknRoada Imperial Pastry Stout (14.6%) by Bacchus.
Three things that represent you:
- Being a smartarse and answering questions incorrectly
