The region is now home to a staggering 24 breweries from the coast to the hinterland, each with its own unique beer style and story to tell. And no one knows the region’s beer scene better than local expert Josh Donohoe, who runs Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours.
To put his knowledge - and his taste buds - to the test, we asked Josh the ultimate question: what are your top 10 ‘must try’ craft beers on the Sunshine Coast? The task, unsurprisingly, proved a difficult one (how can you pick just 10?) but for the love of beer, Josh has narrowed down his top recommendations for a cold one next time you’re on the Sunny Coast.
Cheers to that!
The beer: Japanese Lager
The brewer: Heads of Noosa, Noosaville
For the easy-going drinkers, the lager purists, and those just looking for an exceptionally made beer, you can’t go past the Japanese Lager from Heads of Noosa. Clean, crisp, and perfect for an afternoon knock off beer while watching the sun go down on Hastings Street.
Heads of Noosa, Noosaville
The beer: Strawberry & Rhubarb Sour
The brewer: Brouhaha Brewery, Maleny and Aura
Sour styles have taken the industry by storm, and this gem from Brouhaha will take your tastebuds on an amazing ride. Light pink in colour with strawberries on the nose, this tart and refreshing beer is anything but sweet. The ‘Strawbarb’ as it’s known locally, tastes like summer in a glass!
Brouhaha Brewery, Maleny and Aura
The beer: Pipeline
The brewer: 10 Toes Brewery, Alexandra Headland
An award-winning pale ale that is a hit with the locals. Freshly cut tropical fruits are balanced against a clean malt profile. This full flavoured pale ale is bursting with new world character. Enjoy this one fresh on tap at the brewery if possible.
10 Toes Brewery, Alexandra Headland
The beer: Trilogy IPA
The brewer: Moffat Beach Brewing Co, Moffat Beach & Caloundra
The most awarded brewery on the coast, and with a passion for hop forward beers, you have to try the Trilogy IPA (India Pale Ale). A hefty amount of West Coast hops creates a big, luscious beer, exploding with pine and tropical aromas.
Moffat Beach Brewing Co, Moffat Beach & Caloundra
The beer: Bat Migration
The brewer: Boiling Pot Brewery, Noosaville
This dark lager often surprises the unsuspecting drinker who swears they don’t like dark beers. Enjoy the chocolate and coffee notes of a dark beer and the easy drinking nature of a lager.
The beer: Larry Pale Ale
The brewer: Your Mates Brewing, Warana
Voted the #4 beer in Australia, but who is Larry you ask? Larry is a tasty pale ale that showcases a range of hops with tropical fruit notes. It’s nicely balanced with a touch of light crystal malt and designed to be an easy drinking crowd pleaser.
Your Mates Brewing, Warana
The beer: Juicebox Hazy IPA
The brewer: Land & Sea Brewery, Noosaville
The name says it all. This New England style IPA packs a juicy punch from the generous amount of hops added throughout the brewing process. Mango, lychee, and pineapple notes balanced with a clean and smooth finish.
The beer: Irish Red Ale
The brewer: Copperhead Brewery, Cooroy
Known for its unique malty taste and ruby red colour, the Irish Red Ale draws its flavours from the three featured barley varieties. Some slightly sweeter toffee notes and dried fruit flavours give this beer a nice balance with hop bitterness.
The beer: Hopeless Romantic
The brewer: Blackflag Brewing, Mooloolaba & Coolum
The first in the Troublemaker series is the Hopeless Romantic. Sitting at 8%, this IPA is not for the fainthearted but will reward the brave with a solid amount of malt body with NZ hops hitting you with Autumn orange and a restrained, balanced bitterness. Enjoy in moderation!
The beer: American Brown Ale
The brewer: Morts Brewing Co, Nambour
Showing size doesn’t matter, the smallest brewery on the Sunshine Coast makes some amazing beers. Try their American Brown Ale for flavours of caramel, nutty, biscuit, and dark fruit flavours. Be sure to head to their cool back lane taproom too!
Meet Josh:
Josh Donohoe is the owner of Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours, which offers a range of personalised tours and event experiences across the Sunshine Coast and Noosa. The tours take you behind the scenes to meet local growers and producers, stopping in at local craft breweries, wineries, distilleries, markets and bars (making sure to take in the spectacular scenery along the way!)
Josh Donohoe is the owner of Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours
