A boozy boutique trail

When it comes to homegrown brew, the Central Coast packs a punch with a handful of craft breweries and counting. But beside frothy beer, we are also home to an organic fruit winery, award-winning distilleries and a platinum cold brew producer. Take a tipsy trail around the Coast to sample these boutique tipples (BYO designated driver).

Hawkesbury Brewing Co, Lisarow

Located just seven klicks up the road, Hawkesbury Brewing Co. opened its taphouse in late 2022; the sleek vast space is filled with comfy chairs and booths, with a big screen playing big-ticket sports events and local musicians providing the tunes. Gulp down a frothy from the classic range, which includes a Pacific Ale, Lager, Pale Ale and Stout, sample the ginger beer, and there are food trucks every weekend, with a permanent kitchen on its way.

Firescreek Botanical Winery, Holgate

Take a break from beer and head into the leafy suburb of Holgate, just a 10-minute drive from here. Nestled in a pocket of rainforest, Firescreek Botanical Winery practises regenerative organic farming on its two-and-a-half-acre property, producing 25 different botanical-infused drops to linger over. Enjoy a complimentary tasting of flavours such as Rose Petal and Apple and Elderberry and Vanilla wine or join in one of the unique experiences on offer: there’s an indulgent Chocolate and Wine Pairing, Aboriginal Storytelling and Wine Tasting where you’ll visit a sacred site and join a cleansing ceremony, and Foraging and Mixology where you’ll forage in the gardens for ingredients and garnishes to create artful cocktails.

Six Strings Brewing, Erina

Now it’s time to head to Central Coast’s OG brewery: Six Strings. Opened in 2012, Six Strings Brewing was our first homegrown craft brewery and has created waves with its ‘amplified ales’ for the past decade. Located at Erina, the industrial-style taproom is the place to sample from 12 beers on rotation, including an award-winning core range featuring a Coastie Lager, a Pale Ale and a Dark Red IPA, as well limited-edition beers, cider, lemonade and ginger beer. Join a tour on a Saturday morning to see behind the scenes, take home a growler of your favourite brew, or stop for a feed from the kitchen, which is run by Moobi Valley. Enjoy dry-aged wagyu beef steaks, burgers and other comfort food that goes hand-in-hand with beer to the soundtrack of good tunes.

Distillery Botanica, Erina

Let’s shake things up with a G&T. Take a short windy drive from Six Strings past rural properties to Distillery Botanica. Founded by horticulturalist and herbalist turned gin distiller, Philip Moore – who is the only Australian inducted into the Gin Magazine Awards Hall of Fame – Distillery Botanica is a destination in its own right. Set within The Fragrant Garden, a charming three-acre property that has been delighting locals for almost 50 years, you’ll find a newly built distillery door, where you can sample renowned Moore’s Dry Gin or the delicious Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur and more, a gin garden filled with herbs and botanicals used in the beverages, and Bar Botanica where you can enjoy a tipple along with bar bites in the picturesque garden setting. 

Block N Tackle Brewery, Kincumber

Block N Tackle is small-batch brewery and taproom is located just 15 minutes south in a quiet industrial estate in Kincumber. The family-friendly and dog-friendly space offers brewery tours on Saturday, live music every Sunday, and – as well as occasional food trucks – an on-site kitchen pumping out house-made pizzas and grazing boards that feature the Coast’s own Little Creek Cheese, the perfect accompaniment to a tasting paddle of brews. The brewery produces Pale Ales, American IPA, an English Bitter and a Porter in its core range, the latter two of which are a nod to the Coast’s shipbuilding history plus our very own Kinny lager.

Bay Rd. Brewing, Gosford

We start our thirst-quenching journey at Bay Rd. Brewing, a microbrewery at the heart of the Central Coast. This light and bright space is the engine room for producing hip brews including the Space Rocket Central Coast IPA, the Motor Boat Pale Ale and Passionfruit Pool Party Sour Ale, packaged in eye-catching psychedelic cans. The taphouse is kid-friendly and dog-friendly so you can bring the whole gang to sample the goods and enjoy a rotating menu of street food from different vendors such as burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, baos and other tasty morsels from around the globe. The space is decked out in local artist Grant Molony’s unmistakable murals and keep an eye out for the regular comedy club nights for a laugh with your lager.

Amber Lane Distillery, Yarramalong

Amber Lane Distillery is a malt whisky distillery in the Central Coast Hinterlands in the Yarramalong Valley.  Using traditional European distilling techniques and large premium barrels, the National and Global award winning whiskey is refined, complex, balanced and not to mention delicious. Offering bespoke tasting experiences for the whiskey novice and expert this distillery is a must visit when come to the Central Coast. 

Goons Brewing, Toowoon Bay

The Coast’s newest brewer, Goons Brewing is based in Toowoon Bay and owned by a trio of community-minded mates. Goons has created the Not Bad Aussie Lager and the Good Thanks Japanese Rice Lager, which are currently available in independent bottle shops and restaurants around the Coast including Upstairs Wines in Long Jetty and Ettalong, The Entrance Social Club, Bellyfish Café in Terrigal and more. There are future plans for a taphouse, so watch this space.