Why the Sunshine Coast is Australia’s craft beer capital

Beyond the beaches, the Sunshine Coast is home to a growing group of brewers and distillers who collectively have earned the region the title of Australia’s Craft Beer Capital.

Over the past five years, exciting things have been brewing, with the Sunshine Coast’s craft beer scene exploding to feature more than 24 brewers and several boutique distillers who use the region’s natural landscape as their inspiration. On the Sunshine Coast, every beer has a story, and the locals here are more than happy to share it with you over a couple of cold ones. We invite you to drink it all in and start planning your ultimate Sunshine Coast craft beer adventure.

Moffat Beach Brewing Co

Moffat Beach is all about laid-back vibes, good surf and great beer. Moffat Beach Brewing Co, with views over the iconic surf break, took out first place in the 2021 Champion Brewpub in the Royal Queensland Beer Awards, and their local brews have won numerous awards including several Golds at the 2021 Royal Queensland Beer Awards. Their onsite brewery is in full public view so you can sit back, take in the warm sea breeze, and watch the masters at work. They also have really delicious food, turning happy hour into a dinner to remember.

Brouhaha Brewery

Ever had a beer brewed with strawberries? Neither had we until Brouhaha Brewery opened in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland - and aren’t we glad they did. This popular brewpub uses local ingredients as their inspiration, and their award-winning Strawberry Rhubarb Sour is a crowd favourite. They also work closely with local producers on their menu, for example, the spent grain used to brew their beer is passed on to Maleny Wagyu to feed their cattle, with the Wagyu back on the menu at Brouhaha where nothing goes to waste. Sustainability at its finest!

Your Mates Brewing Co

Pulling a beer at Your Mates

Our mates at Your Mates Brew House have created a good ‘ol fashioned beer company where the emphasis is on having a good time with your mates over a great beer. And when we say great we really mean it, with Your Mates’ Larry pale ale voted the fourth best craft beer in Australia in the 2021 GABS Hottest 100 awards. Now the largest local beer wholesalers on the Sunshine Coast, the guys invite anyone in their neck of the woods to drop in and share a yarn and a beer with them on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday arvo.

Land and Sea - Noosa Brewing Co

Land & Sea

A firm favourite with locals, Land and Sea serves up a range of ale, IPA and lager, along with crowd-pleasing meals such as burgers, BBQ spareribs and a delicious ‘local plate’ antipasto. Their Japanese Rice Lager has won Gold at the Indies (Independent Beer Awards) and the beachy asthetic at the brewery is hard to beat.

Copperhead Restaurant Brewery

Copperhead is a small-batch bespoke brewery in the picturesque Noosa hinterland. Here they have seven beers on tap that form their core range, with the addition of ever-changing experimental batches for the craft beer aficionado. Make sure to stay for lunch, with their a la carte menu offering fresh local seafood, delicious share plates and a memorable dessert menu.

Eumundi Brewery

Crafting Eumundi Distillers Folktale Gin cocktails

The Imperial Hotel has been welcoming locals and visitors alike to the charming town of Eumundi since it first opened in 1911. Their impressive beer garden is a must-visit in itself, and home to their own beer: the Eumundi Lager - which won a Bronze Award in the 2021 Australian Independent Beer Awards. This year, they added to their offerings with the launch of the Eumundi Distillers Folktale Gin label. The small batch gins are crafted on-site in a custom-built copper still, and every bottle combines the finest traditional and local botanicals with a large dash of Eumundi quirk. The Folktale Navy Strength Eumundi Gin combines fresh local ginger, limes and lemon myrtle, giving a real taste of Eumundi.

Heads of Noosa Brewing Co

Heads of Noosa opened its doors in early 2019 and is an independent, family-owned brewery. The beers here are inspired by the nearby rocky headlands of Noosa Heads and include a Japanese style which is great for the coast climate, and an Amber lager called Summer Dusk.

Terella Brewing

The Farmyard at Terella

Terella Brewing is the new sustainable farm-style brewery located in North Arm in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The brewery is integrated with a neighbouring vertical farm system, which grows fresh produce in indoor growing booths under UV lights. Fresh water is created as a by-product of this process, which Terella Brewing then uses as a water supply to produce their beer. When brewing the beer, the fermentation process creates Co2, which is captured and re-injected back into the vertical farm to help grow the green produce. It is a fully enclosed sustainable cycle. Incredible, huh? The seasonal beers on tap aren’t bad either and their Mango XPA is a summer favourite! Making additional use of their space, Teralla has installed a petting farm with a mixture of farm animals ranging from goats, pigs, chickens, sheep, ducks and even miniature horses - perfect for the kids to explore.

Sunshine & Sons

The Big Pineapple precinct has welcomed their latest edition with the opening of CAVU Distilling; the proud makers of Sunshine & Sons Original Dry Gin and Original Vodka or ‘The Coast Spirit’. Their Original Dry Gin is infused with native botanicals while the pure, clear vodka is filtered through Sunshine Coast sourced volcanic rock to add extra depth, texture, and uniqueness. To top it off, they are currently barrel-ageing organic molasses rum for release in 2022. Visitors are welcome every weekday 10am-5pm and at their Cellar Door each Saturday 10am-5pm for a tour, tastings, and bottle sales.

Pomona Distilling Co

Pomona Distilling Co is located in the Noosa Hinterland region and full of rustic charm and heritage. Built on the site of the old 1900’s Pomona bakery, the venue is full of surprises as you pass the bistro and head out onto the deck to the highlight of the stunning outdoor timer arbour, garden gin bar and shipping container art gallery. Choose from a selection of organic botanical gins including Signature Dry, Pomona Pink, Blue Pea Flower Gin, and a Vodka, or treat yourself to all three gins with a Spirit of Pomona tasting paddle.

Matso's Sunshine Coast Brewery

Matso's Brewery

New kids on the block, Matso’s Sunshine Coast have moved into “Joe’s Waterhole”, the classic Queensland pub in Eumundi. Inspired by their original home in Broome and focussed on retaining the inherited heritage of the iconic pub, the entire range of Matso’s beers is brewed fresh on-site. From their originals, including Matso’s Ginger Beer and Matso’s Mango Beer, to new limited releases and seasonal brews, you’ll find something you love on tap.

10 Toes Brewing

10 Toes Brewery, Alexandra Headland

Make tracks to 10 Toes Brewery, a local hotspot so popular you’ve got two venues to choose from! At the Buderim Taproom, you’ll find local live music on Sundays, trivia on Wednesday nights, and a moreish menu of pub classics like fries, wings, burgers, and pork riblets. Meanwhile, over at the OG Sugar Road venue, you can enjoy a great beer, bring along your furry friend, and make the most of the food trucks that set up across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Other breweries you should add to your Sunshine Coast brewery adventure include:

Sunshine Coast Brewery near Maroochydore
Noosa Hinterland Brewing
2020 Distillery Cooroy
Boiling Pot in Noosaville
Dacelo Distilling in Coolum

Discover it all on a guided beer tour!

Get on-board with Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours for a half-day or full-day brewery tour
of the Sunshine Coast. Go behind the scenes and see brewing in action - sampling the beer as you go along – and enjoy lunch at one of our many brew-pubs. The business is run by local beer expert Josh Donohoe, who offers a range of Hinterland Brewery tours - including a Farm to Fork tour that connects brewers with local producers - as well as a costal hop experience visiting the beachside establishments.

Craft Beer Tours and Events

Guide

Discover the thriving craft beer scene on the Sunshine Coast

Craft beer is all the rage right now and the Sunshine Coast is busy brewing its way to dominance.

Guide

10 Sunshine Coast craft beers you MUST try (according to a local expert)

The Sunshine Coast has been dubbed the ‘Craft beer Capital of Australia’ – and for good reason.

Guide

12 best Sunday sessions on the Sunshine Coast

Cocktails, cold beer, good friends and you.

Link

Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Trail

The craft beer scene is booming here on the Sunshine Coast and there is no shortage of options to quench your thirst. With the breweries spread all over town, from Caloundra in the south up to the Noosa Hinterland and everything in between, it makes the perfect spot for a brewery tour.

Tour