Canberra breweries have quietly built one of the best craft beer scenes in Australia, and the city’s small-batch distilleries are just as good. This is a small city with a big drinking culture. You can walk into a brewpub in Braddon, taste a beer that has won national awards, then drive ten minutes to Fyshwick and sip a gin made with lemon myrtle and strawberry gum. No other Australian capital packs this much flavour into such a short drive. This guide covers the breweries and distilleries worth your time, the bars and bottleshops that stock them, and how to plan a tasting day without driving. For the bigger picture on the capital, start with our guide to things to do in Canberra, and the team at Australia City Guide has covered the city’s food, stays and day trips in the same simple style.
Canberra sits in the Australian Capital Territory, and its beer story goes back further than most visitors expect. The Wig and Pen opened in the 1990s as one of Australia’s first proper craft brewery pubs, and it poured for 24 years before closing in 2018. The brewers who learned their trade there went on to start the breweries you will read about below. Locals often credit Canberra’s clean water for the quality of the beer, and the brewers here tend to agree. What you get today is a scene built on that history: a handful of serious breweries, a growing set of gin and spirits makers, and a lot of friendly local bars where the person pouring your drink probably knows the brewer by name.
Why Canberra Punches Above Its Weight for Beer and Spirits
Canberra has about 400,000 people, which makes it a small city by Australian standards. Yet it has more breweries and distilleries per person than Sydney or Melbourne. Part of the reason is the city’s layout. Canberra was planned around local shopping centres, so nearly every suburb has a small bar or bottleshop within walking distance. That local habit grew into a real beer culture, and the brewers responded by opening taprooms that feel like part of the neighbourhood.
The other reason is quality. BentSpoke’s Crankshaft IPA has topped the GABS Hottest 100, the biggest beer poll in the country. Capital Brewing has built a national following of its own. On the spirits side, The Canberra Distillery now makes more than 20 different gins, whiskies, vodkas and liqueurs. You do not need to be a beer expert to enjoy any of this. Most taprooms pour tasting paddles, which are small glasses of four or five beers, so you can try a lot without committing to a full pint. Most distilleries do the same with spirits. If you are new to craft beer or gin, that is the best way to learn what you like.
Best Breweries in Canberra
These are the breweries you can actually visit. Each one brews on site or pours its own beer at a taproom you can walk into. They are listed in no strict order, but if you only have time for two, start with BentSpoke and Capital Brewing.
BentSpoke Brewing Co, Braddon
BentSpoke is the brewery most visitors hear about first, and it earns the attention. It opened in Braddon in 2014, founded by Richard Watkins and Tracy Margrain. Watkins had spent years brewing at the Wig and Pen before that, so the new brewery arrived with serious skill behind it. The Braddon brewpub has close to 20 taps, which means you can try nearly every style of beer in one visit. There are pale ales and IPAs, stouts, Belgian styles, and real ales poured through a traditional English hand pump. There is also a custom-built hopinator, which pushes beer through fresh hops or coffee beans or spices for extra flavour.
The beer to try first is Crankshaft, a West Coast IPA that has topped the GABS Hottest 100. If you want something lighter, the Barley Griffin pale ale is a safe pick. The food menu is worth a look too, because the kitchen cooks with BentSpoke beers as an ingredient in several dishes. If you do not drink alcohol, ask for the Drifters range, which includes a non-alcoholic IPA, a brewed ginger beer and an apple cider. The brewpub sits at 48/38 Mort Street in Braddon, with entry from Elouera Street, and it is open from 11am to 11pm every day. It is an easy walk from the City West light rail stop, and it is right in the middle of Braddon, so you can pair it with dinner at one of the suburb’s restaurants. Read our Braddon Canberra guide before you go.
Capital Brewing Co, Fyshwick
Capital Brewing opened in Fyshwick in 2016 and quickly became Canberra’s second big name in beer. The taproom is a large warehouse space with wide lawns outside, and on a sunny day it is one of the best places in the city to sit with a drink. You can see the brewhouse from your table, and the venue often hosts bands, community nights and fundraisers. It has the relaxed feel of a park with great beer, which is why locals keep coming back.
The core range includes the Trail Pale Ale, an American-style pale ale with pine and citrus notes, plus a Coast Ale, an XPA and the RockHopper West Coast IPA. There are also pilot brews and limited releases that you can only try at the taproom, so it is worth asking what is new. Food comes from Brodburger, a food truck parked at the brewery that serves burgers many locals rate as the best in Canberra. The taproom is at Building 3/1 Dairy Road in Fyshwick. It opens at 11:30am every day and stays open late on Fridays and Saturdays. Fyshwick is an industrial area, so you will need a bus, a rideshare or a tour to get there. The good news is that several other drink makers share the same streets, so you can visit more than one in a single trip.
Zierholz Premium Brewery, Fyshwick
Zierholz has been brewing in Canberra since 2005, which makes it the city’s longest-running brewery. It is a family business run by brewer Christoph Zierholz, and the beers follow German tradition. Expect a kolsch, a witbier, a hefeweizen, an amber ale in the old altbier style, and a porter with notes of peanut and rocky road in winter. The brewery also makes Wild Polly, a gluten-free beer, so coeliacs and gluten-sensitive drinkers are looked after here.
There is one thing to know before you visit. The brewery at 7/19-25 Kembla Street in Fyshwick is not open to the public. Instead, Zierholz runs a roving taproom on wheels that pops up at markets, festivals and lakeside spots around Canberra. The beer is poured by the brewer himself at these pop-ups, which makes it a fun way to meet the maker. Check the brewery’s social media pages before your trip to find out where the taproom will be that weekend. You can also find Zierholz beers in bottles at good bottleshops around the city.
Cypher Brewing Co, Gungahlin
Cypher is one of Canberra’s newest breweries, opened in 2023 by a group of locals in Gungahlin. The brewpub has a dozen taps pouring the core range and fresh limited releases, brewed on a 15-hectolitre system you can see from the bar. Two beers to try first are Plainsight, a crisp pilsner, and Lore, a smooth Munich helles. Both are easy drinking and show off the clean style Cypher aims for.
The venue is built with families in mind. There are regular gigs, a play area for kids, and a menu of classic pub food. You can also join the Collective, the brewery’s membership club, which gives you access to exclusive releases. Cypher sits at Unit 3/35 Hinder Street in Gungahlin, right in front of a light rail stop, which makes it the easiest brewery in Canberra to reach without a car. It is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 11pm, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so plan around that.
Ambush Brewing, Mitchell
Ambush Brewing is a small brewery in Mitchell, founded by Tim Boxall and Sam Axelsen, two brewers who like to push the limits of what a beer can be. The taproom has a busy but relaxed feel, and the brewers are usually happy to chat about what is pouring. The beer to try first is the Low Carb Hazy Pale Ale, which is crisp, clean and easy to drink. If you want something richer, the Relaxalotyle Pale Ale is smooth and full of flavour.
Ambush is a good stop to pair with The Canberra Distillery, which is just around the corner in Mitchell. Visit on a weekday or earlier in the day if you want a quieter visit and a better chance to talk with the brewers. The brewery is at Unit 2/30 Grimwade Street in Mitchell.
Ale Mary Brewing and the Durham Castle Arms, Kingston
Ale Mary is a small Canberra brewer whose beers pour at the Durham Castle Arms, a classic English-style pub in the Kingston shops at 52-54 Jardine Street. The pub has 15 taps, and Ale Mary’s beers take up most of them, with European styles well represented. The rest of the taps pour beers from other craft brewers around the country. The setting is part of the charm: floral fabric booths, antlers on the wall, and proper pub food. It is a great place to wind down at the end of a tasting day, especially if you are staying in Kingston or nearby. Ale Mary also has its own venue at Paragon Mall Lane in Fyshwick, so you may spot its beers in both places.
Smaller Names Worth Knowing
Canberra’s beer scene keeps growing, so a few smaller names are worth a mention. Pact Beer Co in Fyshwick pours small-batch experimental beers and has built a loyal local following. Keep an eye out for limited releases from the city’s smaller brewers at the bars and bottleshops listed below, because the range changes often and the best way to find new favourites is to ask the person behind the bar what has just landed.
Best Distilleries in Canberra
Canberra’s gin and spirits makers are newer than its breweries, but they have grown fast. Most of them cluster in the same Fyshwick and Mitchell streets as the breweries, which makes it easy to visit a brewery and a distillery in one trip. Gin is the most common spirit, and many makers use Australian native botanicals like lemon myrtle, strawberry gum and davidson plum. Whisky, vodka, rum and liqueurs are on the rise too.
The Canberra Distillery, Mitchell
The Canberra Distillery is the easiest distillery in the city to visit. It is in Mitchell at 1/70 Dacre Street, and the cellar door is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. You can just walk in, with no booking needed for small groups of up to six people, and entry is free. Inside you can taste from a range of more than 20 spirits, including gins, vodka, liqueurs, whisky and rum. The team is happy to talk you through how each spirit is made and answer questions about the stills and the botanicals.
The distillery started in 2015, when founder Tim Reardon turned a home distilling hobby into a business. The range has grown from a single gin to nearly 20 products. Two to try are the French Earl Grey Gin and the Summer Gin, which is best with a simple tonic. The distillery also runs private experiences, including Gin and Tonic tastings and Spirits and Chocolate pairings, if you want something more structured. Bottles are available to buy at the cellar door, which makes it a good place to pick up a gift or a souvenir of your trip.
Ambrosia Distillery, Fyshwick
Ambrosia is a small distillery at 1 Dairy Road in Fyshwick that focuses on premium gins and flavoured vodkas. The owner came to distilling from a science background, and the focus is on careful purification and flavour infusion. The gin uses classic Australian flavours like lemon myrtle, strawberry gum and davidson plum. On a guided tour you can expect to taste around five gins and a vodka, and learn how each one is made. The distillery is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 5pm, and it is a regular stop on the full-day brewery, winery and distillery tours that run from the city.
Big River Distilling Co, Fyshwick
Big River Distilling Co has been making spirits in Fyshwick since 2017, from the same Dairy Road area as Capital Brewing and Ambrosia. The range covers gins from a classic dry gin through to apple and cinnamon flavours, and the team is known for small-batch care. It is a good stop if you are already in Fyshwick for the breweries, and it shows how much of Canberra’s drink-making now sits within a few streets of each other.
Antipodes Gin Co, Mitchell
Antipodes Gin Co is based at 1a/70 Dacre Street in Mitchell, right near The Canberra Distillery, and it holds a notable title: it is Australia’s first certified organic and carbon neutral spirits company. The gins are made on Ngunnawal country, and the range includes a classic Pink Gin and a Chai Gin for those who like something different. If you care about how your drinks are made, this is the maker to visit. You can pair it with The Canberra Distillery in the same Mitchell trip.
Underground Spirits, Kambah
Underground Spirits is a boutique distillery in Kambah, in Canberra’s south, and it has been going since 2017. It was started by a scientist and a group of friends who wanted to make a better spirit using medical-grade equipment and a patented submicron, subzero distillation technique. The result is a modern take on vodka and gin, made with local ingredients and bottled by hand. The spirits are 100 per cent Australian made and owned. Underground Spirits is open Tuesday to Friday, and it is a good stop if you are exploring the southern suburbs or heading out on a day trip south of the city.
Two More Gin Makers Worth Knowing
Local Spirit Group makes colourful gins, including an Elderflower Blue Gin that changes colour when you add tonic. It is a fun bottle to buy if you want something different for your home bar. Poncho Fox Distillery comes from Patrick Dillion, who also ran the Sly Fox Coffee pop-up, and it offers two gins made after 11 years of practice. Both makers show up at Canberra markets, so keep an eye out for their stalls if you visit the Old Bus Depot Markets on a Sunday. Read our Old Bus Depot Markets guide for times and tips.
Best Craft Beer Bars and Bottleshops in Canberra
You do not have to visit a brewery to drink well in Canberra. The city has excellent craft beer bars, and the bottleshops stock local beers and spirits you will not find in a supermarket. These are the best of them.
Brew Nation, Civic
Brew Nation is in the centre of Canberra at 1/102 Alinga Street, and it is the city’s go-to bar for Australian craft beer. It has 12 taps pouring nothing but Australian beer, from classics like Coopers Sparkling to small releases from brewers you may not have heard of. The tasting paddle of four is one of the best-value ways to try new beers in the city, and there is a takeaway section if you want to buy cans to enjoy later. It is an easy walk from the light rail and a good first stop on a night out.
The Pot Belly, Belconnen
The Pot Belly is a Belconnen institution at 5/26 Weedon Close. It is a dark, lively pub with live music, open mic nights and a strong community feel. The owner brews his own beer under the Wignall Brewery name, including the Skippy Australian XPA, and the bar also pours beers from craft brewers around the country, some through a handpump. It is the kind of place where the history is carved into the walls and the regulars know each other by name. If you are staying in Belconnen or the north, this is the pub to visit.
Dickson Taphouse, Dickson
Dickson Taphouse sits at 30 Woolley Street in Dickson, a suburb known for good food and drink. The bar has 18 taps of Australian craft beer, with six regular pours and 12 that change all the time. The canned range runs to more than 100 options, all listed on an easy-to-read chalkboard. The menu covers pub staples with a few gourmet twists, and the cheeseburger with bacon is a local favourite. Dickson is also a good suburb for dinner before or after your drinks, so this works well as part of an evening out.
Old Canberra Inn, Lyneham
The Old Canberra Inn is a National Trust-listed pub from 1857, which makes it older than Canberra itself. It started as a coach stop between Yass and Queanbeyan, and today it is a cosy pub with a wrap-around verandah, fireplaces and exposed wooden beams. The ten taps rotate constantly but always include an approachable ale from Capital Brewing, along with seasonal releases from respected Australian brewers. Non-beer drinkers get local spirits and mulled wine, and the menu is surprisingly modern. It is at 195 Mouat Street in Lyneham and is well worth a visit for the history alone.
Where to Buy Bottles to Take Home
If you want to take Canberra beer and gin home with you, head to a bottleshop. Plonk at the Fyshwick Markets has one of the biggest selections of craft beer, wine and spirits in the city. Blackhearts and Sparrows on Lonsdale Street in Braddon is a Melbourne-based chain with a well-chosen range and helpful staff. Page Bottler in the small suburb of Page is a tiny shop with a huge range, including 30 to 40 new beers a week and Mystery Cubes chosen by the owner. All three are worth a visit if you want to stock up before you leave.
How Many Days Do You Need?
You can get a good taste of Canberra breweries and distilleries in a single day, but two days is better. A half day covers Braddon and Civic, where you can walk between BentSpoke, Brew Nation and the Braddon bars. A full day lets you add Fyshwick, where Capital Brewing, Zierholz pop-ups, Ambrosia and Big River sit close together. A second day covers Mitchell and Gungahlin, where The Canberra Distillery, Antipodes and Ambush sit near each other, plus Cypher a short light rail ride away. If you are visiting Canberra for a weekend, plan one tasting day and one day for the city’s museums and lake, so you get the full trip. Our day trips from Canberra guide can fill a third day if you want to head out of the city.
Best Time to Visit
Canberra’s breweries and distilleries are open all year, but the best time to visit is spring or autumn. Spring brings Floriade, the city’s flower festival, and the weather is warm enough to sit outside at Capital Brewing’s lawns. Autumn has mild days and cool nights, which suit both beer gardens and cosy pubs. Summer is hot, so plan your tasting for the late afternoon and drink plenty of water. Winter is cold, but the pubs are warm, and it is the best season for dark beers like stouts and porters. Weekends are the busiest time at every taproom, so visit on a weekday if you want a quieter tasting and more time to talk with the staff. Some venues close on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check hours before you set out. Cypher, for example, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and The Canberra Distillery is closed on Sundays.
Where to Stay for a Brewery Weekend
Where you stay shapes how easy your tasting weekend will be. Braddon is the best base for beer lovers. You can walk to BentSpoke, the Braddon bars and the light rail, and you are close to the city centre. Staying in Civic, the city centre, puts you near Brew Nation and the light rail line to Gungahlin, which is handy for Cypher. Kingston is a good pick if you like pub dinners and a village feel, and it puts you near the Durham Castle Arms and the foreshore bars. If you want a quieter stay with good food nearby, Manuka is worth a look. Read our where to stay in Canberra guide for the full breakdown of areas and hotels, and our Canberra City Centre guide and Manuka guide for more on those suburbs.
Getting Around Without Driving
Do not drive between tastings. Canberra makes it easy to get around without a car if you plan a little. The light rail runs from the city centre through Braddon and Dickson to Gungahlin, which covers BentSpoke, Brew Nation, Dickson Taphouse and Cypher. Buses run to Fyshwick and Mitchell, though they are less frequent on weekends, so check times in advance. Rideshares work well in Canberra and are the simplest way to reach Fyshwick and Mitchell, where the venues sit in industrial streets with no light rail. Braddon itself is very walkable, and you can cover several bars on foot in one evening. If you are travelling with a group, think about hiring a designated driver or booking a guided tour, which solves the transport problem completely. Our getting around Canberra guide covers light rail, buses and MyWay+ fares in detail.
Three Easy Itineraries
These are simple plans you can follow as they are, or mix and match to suit your tastes. Each one keeps the driving to a minimum and groups venues that sit near each other.
Half-Day Braddon and Civic Crawl
Start at BentSpoke in Braddon around midday. Order a tasting paddle and try the Crankshaft IPA first, then work through the other taps. Stay for lunch, because the food menu is good and eating first makes the rest of the day much better. From there, walk to the Braddon bars along Lonsdale Street, and finish at Brew Nation in Civic for a final paddle of Australian beers you have not tried yet. This plan needs no car at all. It is the best option if you only have an afternoon, and it works well for first-time visitors.
Full-Day Fyshwick and Mitchell Run
Start at Capital Brewing in Fyshwick for a late morning tasting on the lawns, and grab a burger from Brodburger for lunch. Then walk or take a short rideshare to Ambrosia Distillery and Big River Distilling Co on Dairy Road for gin tastings. In the afternoon, head to Mitchell for The Canberra Distillery cellar door and Antipodes Gin Co, then finish at Ambush Brewing for a final beer. This is a big day, so pace yourself, drink water between stops, and use rideshares between Fyshwick and Mitchell. If that sounds like too much planning, the guided tours below cover a similar route with transport included.
A Gin Lovers Afternoon
If gin is more your thing than beer, spend an afternoon in Mitchell. Start at The Canberra Distillery, where you can walk in and taste from more than 20 spirits. Then visit Antipodes Gin Co next door for its organic gins. Finish with a gin and tonic at a Braddon bar on the way back to the city. If you have a full day, add Ambrosia and Big River in Fyshwick, and book a Spirits and Chocolate pairing at The Canberra Distillery for a proper treat.
Guided Brewery and Distillery Tours Worth Booking
A guided tour is the easiest way to visit several venues without worrying about driving. These are the main options, and each one suits a different kind of traveller.
The Capital 3in3 tour visits three craft beer hotspots in three hours, starting and ending at BentSpoke Brewing Co in Braddon. A local guide leads the group behind the scenes at each brewery, and the group is capped at ten people, so it stays personal. The tour starts at 2pm, which makes it a good afternoon plan.
The four-hour brewery, winery and distillery tour starts at BentSpoke at 1:30pm and finishes around 5:30pm. It visits a brewery, a winery and a distillery in one afternoon, with transport in an air-conditioned minivan, snacks and tastings included. It runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with other days available on request, and the group is capped at ten people. Prices sit around $112 per person at the time of writing, so check the operator’s site for the current price before you book.
The full-day brewery, wineries and distillery tour runs for nine to ten hours and visits five venues, including Jeir Creek Wines, Eden Road Wines, Four Winds Vineyard, Ambrosia Distillery and BentSpoke Brewing Co. Lunch is included, and pickup is from the Jolimont Tourist Centre outside the Novotel Hotel between 9am and 9:20am, with a second pickup at Abode Murrumbateman. The minimum age is 24, and prices sit around $175 per person at the time of writing. This is the best option if you want a full day out that mixes wine, beer and spirits with a scenic drive through the Canberra wine region.
Canberra Brewery Tours runs small-group tours with local guides who know the makers. The CanBEERa Explorer is a seven-hour full-day tour, the Capital Triple Treat covers beer, wine and spirits in four hours, and the Vin and Gin tour pairs wineries with a gin distillery and a long lunch. Most public tours sell out two to three weeks ahead in summer and over Floriade, so book early if you are visiting in those seasons.
What to Order First
If you are not sure where to start, these are safe first orders. At BentSpoke, try the Crankshaft IPA, then the Barley Griffin pale ale. At Capital Brewing, try the Trail Pale Ale, then the Coast Ale. At Zierholz, try the kolsch or the amber ale. At Cypher, try Plainsight or Lore. At Ambush, try the Low Carb Hazy Pale Ale. For gin, try a classic dry gin with tonic first, then a flavoured gin like Ambrosia’s lemon myrtle gin or Antipodes’ Pink Gin. A tasting paddle is the smartest order at any brewery, because you get four or five small glasses and you can find what you like before ordering a full pint.
If you do not drink alcohol, you still have good options. BentSpoke’s Drifters range includes a non-alcoholic IPA, a brewed ginger beer and an apple cider. Zierholz makes Wild Polly, a gluten-free beer. Most taprooms also pour local soft drinks and sodas, and the food at places like Capital Brewing and BentSpoke is worth the visit on its own. If you are gluten-free, ask the staff before you order, because not every beer is safe for you.
Good to Know Before You Go
The legal drinking age in Australia is 18, and venues will ask for photo ID if you look under 25. Bring your passport or driver’s licence. Most taprooms are family-friendly during the day, and kids are welcome at places like Cypher and Capital Brewing, but check with the venue if you are unsure. Some venues are 18+ only in the evening.
You do not need to book at most breweries and distilleries, but it helps on weekends. The Canberra Distillery takes walk-ins for small groups, while its private experiences need a booking. Guided tours always need a booking, and they sell out in summer and during Floriade, so book two to three weeks ahead in those seasons. Eat before you start tasting, and drink water between stops. Most venues serve food or sit near a food truck, so plan a proper meal in the middle of your day. If you buy bottles to take home, pack them carefully, and check your airline’s rules if you are flying, because liquids in carry-on bags are limited.
One more tip: Canberra’s beer and gin makers change their ranges often. Limited releases come and go, and tap lists change with the seasons. Ask the staff what is new, because the best drink of your day might be a beer that was brewed last week and will not be there next month.
FAQs About Visiting Canberra’s Breweries and Distilleries
Can you walk between the breweries in Canberra?
Some of them, yes. In Braddon you can walk between BentSpoke, the Lonsdale Street bars and the city centre. In Fyshwick, Capital Brewing, Ambrosia and Big River sit within a short walk or drive of each other on Dairy Road. But Fyshwick and Mitchell are industrial areas with no light rail, so you will need a bus, a rideshare or a tour to reach them. Plan your day around one area at a time.
Do you need to book a brewery visit in Canberra?
Most breweries and distilleries take walk-ins, and you do not need to book for a small group. Book ahead if you are visiting on a weekend, if your group is large, or if you want a private tasting or a guided tour. Tours sell out in summer and during Floriade, so book those two to three weeks ahead.
Are kids welcome at the breweries here?
Many are, during the day. Cypher in Gungahlin has a play area and a family-friendly setup, and Capital Brewing’s lawns suit families. The Canberra Distillery welcomes small groups including families at its cellar door. Evening visits are more adult-focused, so check with the venue if you plan to bring kids after dark.
What is the best brewery in Canberra?
BentSpoke is the most awarded, and its Crankshaft IPA has topped the national GABS Hottest 100. Capital Brewing is the best for a relaxed afternoon on the lawns. Cypher is the best for families and for reaching by light rail. The honest answer is that it depends on what you like, so try a tasting paddle at each one and decide for yourself.
Can you visit a distillery in Canberra without a tour?
Yes. The Canberra Distillery in Mitchell welcomes walk-in visitors Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm, with free entry for small groups. You can taste and buy bottles at the cellar door. Other distilleries are smaller and may need a booking or a tour visit, so check their websites before you go.
Is there non-alcoholic beer in Canberra?
Yes. BentSpoke makes a non-alcoholic IPA as part of its Drifters range, along with a brewed ginger beer and an apple cider. Zierholz makes Wild Polly, a gluten-free beer. Most taprooms also stock local soft drinks, so non-drinkers are well looked after.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Canberra’s Breweries and Distilleries
Canberra breweries and distilleries punch well above their weight, and that is the honest truth of this guide. A small city has built a beer scene with national award winners, a gin scene with organic and small-batch makers, and a set of bars and bottleshops that tie it all together. The best way to enjoy it is slowly: pick one area, order a tasting paddle, eat well, and talk to the people pouring your drinks. They love this stuff, and it shows.
If you have a weekend, spend one day tasting and one day seeing the rest of the city. The museums, the lake and the food scene are just as good as the beer, and our guide to things to do in Canberra will help you plan the rest. For food, read our guides to the best restaurants in Canberra and the best cafes in Canberra, and if you want to see how Canberra’s beer fits into the national picture, our guide to the best breweries in Australia covers the rest of the country. If you are travelling with kids, our Canberra with kids guide has family-friendly ideas for the rest of your trip.
