Craft Beer Sydney Pub Crawl: 5 Inner West Breweries

Welcome to JetSetting Fools, here you will find our best travel tips for destinations worldwide. Some of the links on this site are Affiliate Links and if you use them to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. For more information, read our Disclosure Policy.

Well-known for iconic landmarks and a laid-back culture, something else is brewing in Sydney, Australia…quite literally. Multiple craft breweries have taken up residence in warehouses of the Inner West Sydney suburbs – which are just a short train or bus ride from the city center.

These Inner West breweries are defining the craft beer Sydney movement. As craft beer junkies, we were eager to get a taste of the latest Aussie brews. The highest concentration of craft breweries in Sydney are in Marrickville, a mixed residential and industrial neighborhood. Enthusiastic about their close proximity, we created a Sydney Pub Crawl walking tour to 5 Marrickville craft beer tap rooms.

Craft Beer Sydney, Australia

Like many cities around the world, Sydney is experiencing a craft beer boom. Although some classic Sydney hotel pubs seem reluctant to get on board, craft beer bars in Sydney are popping up for customers eager to support the craft beer revolution. These Sydney craft beer bars allow patrons the chance to sample beers from various local Aussie brewers.

We believe the best craft beer in Sydney comes straight from the source. There are more than 10 Inner West breweries making fresh beer on site – all of which have accompanying tap rooms for customers. Venturing to these Marrickville brew pubs offers the absolute best opportunity for a craft beer tasting in Sydney.

Sydney Pub Crawl: Our Inner West Craft Beer Tour

There is no better place for a Craft Brewery Sydney Pub Crawl than Marrickville. Several Sydney walking tours explore the Inner West pubs and offer beer tastings. Joining a guided Inner West brewery tour can be a fun way to taste-test the brewery offerings and make some new friends.

However, we wanted the flexibility to linger longer in the pubs in Marrickville. Therefore, we created a self-guided brewery tour of Sydney where we could walk from one brewery to the next at our own pace. Our craft beer Marrickville brewery tour includes 5 Inner West bars where delicious craft beer is brewed on site!

Sydney Inner West Breweries

We are sharing our route – and our recommendations – for fellow beer lovers to follow in our footsteps to the best Sydney pubs in the Inner West crafting small-batch brews.

To help others plan a Marrickville Brewery Tour, we include each stop’s website, address and hours of operation. It’s important to note that many of these Sydney brewery tap rooms have limited hours. We have also included a helpful Beer Tour Sydney Map. Now off we go…Cheers!

#1 The Grifter Brewing Company

Website | Address: 1/391-397 Enmore Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204

Taproom Hours: Weds-Thurs 4pm-10pm | Fri 4pm-12am | Sat 12pm-12am | Sun 12pm-10pm

Our Sydney pub crawl tour starts at The Grifter, where they have been brewing since 2012 and opened at the current location in 2016. The spacious, open-concept brewery is bright with a shabby chic interior and ample seating. The bar and food truck sit in the center of the warehouse, with the brewery tanks against the back wall.

Grifter offers 12 beers on tap, including their core lineup, as well as a few seasonal selections. We recommend kicking off a craft beer tasting in Sydney with a Grifter beer tasting paddle, which can be filled with four beers of your choice. Our favorite brews at Grifter are Big Sur West Coast IPA and Daisy Hazy Pale Ale.

#2 Sauce Brewing Company

Website | Address: 1a Mitchell St, Marrickville NSW 2204

Taproom Hours: Weds-Thur 4pm-9pm | Fri-Sat 1130am-10pm | Sun 1130am-9pm

Next up on our craft beer walking tour in Sydney is Sauce. The industrial interior of Sauce Brewing ensured us that making craft beer is the top priority of this Sydney beer company. Unadorned tables stand alongside the tall tanks and patrons line up for fresh beer from the tap.

Another great thing about Sauce is that it’s one of the Inner West pubs with a beer garden. The outdoor space at the back of the brewery is fitted with picnic tables and room for a food truck. Being complete hop-heads, we recommend trying the West Coast IPA or Hazy Pale Ale.

#3 Stockade Barrel Room – CLOSED

Website | Address: 25 Cadogan St, Marrickville NSW 2204

Taproom Hours: Thur 12pm-9pm | Fri-Sat 12pm-10pm | Sun 12pm-8pm

New to Marrickville, the Stockade taproom just opened in June 2018, but they have been in the business (and winning awards) since 2015. In fact, we would have missed the Stockade Barrel Room if it wasn’t for the tip from our fellow, beer-loving friend – and we are stoked we were let in on the secret!

Hop Tip: Since they’re now closed, we suggest swinging by Philter Brewing instead!

#4 Batch Brewing Company Marrickville

Website | Address: 44 Sydenham Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204

Taproom Hours: Mon-Tues 2pm-8pm | Weds-Thurs 12pm-8pm | Fri 10am-9pm | Sat-Sun 10am-8pm

The fourth stop on our craft beer tour is Batch Brewery Marrickville. The communal tables and overstuffed couches create an inviting atmosphere where patrons can savor a range of tasty beers. Beyond the laidback bar, fermenting tanks are hard at work doing what they do best.

The tap list at Batch includes a rotation of 17 beers, with most of their own coming with fun names. We are huge fans of the Batch West Coast IPA, but with their selection of inventive and unusual brews, we recommend getting The Crate – a tasting of six select beers.

#5 Willie The Boatman

Website | Address: Precinct 75 Suite 601, 75 Mary St, St Peters NSW 2044

Taproom Hours: Weds-Thurs 12pm-9pm | Fri 12pm-11pm | Sat 10am-11pm | Sun 12pm-7pm

Continue beer tasting in Sydney at one last bar: Willie the Boatman Brewery. The brewery was started by two friends in 2012 – and the taproom (located just outside Marrickville, actually) opened to the public in 2015.

The taproom, brewery and bottle shop has more of a pub feel to it than the other breweries, with an impressive wooden bar and nautical themed decorations. It’s a casual and fun spot for one last beer on an afternoon Sydney pub crawl. Featuring rotating taps and heaps more in bottle and cans, we recommend the Nectar NEIPA and the Crazy Ivan WCIPA.

Sydney Craft Beer Pub Crawl Map

Use this link to Google Maps with turn-by-turn directions to plan your pub crawl Sydney route. There is ample public transportation to the pubs in Inner West of Sydney, as well.

More Craft Breweries in Sydney, Australia

We designed our craft beer Sydney pub crawl as an on-foot adventure through Marrickville to multiple breweries. However, there are more craft beer pubs in Sydney and the Inner West for beer lovers to explore!

BlackFont Brewhouse

Touted by many as the best Sydney microbrewery, BlackFont Brewhouse is only open for a few hours on Friday afternoons. Adding this brewery to a Sydney pub crawl takes some planning. That being said, it is totally worth it! The small taproom is sure to be packed with locals and in-the-know tourists.

Top Tip: If you want to add Blackfont to your Sydney Pub Crawl, we recommend starting there and reversing our above route.

Young Henry’s

The Newton brewery began creating beers in 2012 and quickly expanded. They offer a core range of beers and a selection of seasonals. Website.

Wildflower Brewing and Blending

With a focus on mixed fermentation, the brewers at Wildflower create a unique lineup. The Marrickville tasting room has limited hours – Thursday 4pm-9pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 12pm-9pm and Sunday 12pm-6pm. Website.

Top Tip: When open, wildflower Brewing can be easily added into your Marrickville brewery crawl; it’s located between Sauce and Grifter.

Rocks Brewery Alexandria

The founders of Rocks Brewery Co Sydney began brewing as early as 2008. The current brewery in the Inner West suburb of Alexandria – which is open 7 days a week – was opened in 2014. Website.

Lord Raglan Hotel

Beginning in 2018 as a multitap for the Rocks Brewery Company Alexandria, Lord Raglan has recently undergone an extensive renovation. The Redfern craft beer bar still features a fabulous tap list of 12 craft beers from other microbrewers, but appears to be no longer associated with Rocks. Website.

4 Pines Brewing

4 Pines Brew Pub is located in the Northern Beaches Sydney suburb of Manly. It is the original – and still operating – site for the very popular and ever expanding 4 Pines Brewery. Visit the upstairs brewery, take a tour or try one of their beers at the new Izakaya downstairs. Website.

Squire’s Landing

James Squire is craft beer on a large scale. One of the first craft beers to emerge in the 1980s, their Squire’s Landing Brewhouse is in one of Sydney’s prime locations. The spot at Circular Quay has incredible views of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. What really thrills us is that they are creating small batch brews right on site, we suggest trying the Trickster XPA! Website.

Aussie Brewery Tours

Want to meet and mingle with fellow beer drinkers on one of the Sydney pub tours? Join a highly-rated craft beer tour in Sydney for a night of beer drinking fun. Get the details!

Start planning your trip to Australia! Search for the lowest airfares, the best accommodations and fun things to do…then start packing! Want more travel advice? Head over to our Travel Planning Page for tips on traveling – and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides Page!

More Australia Travel Guides

We’ve traveled the Land Down Under from coast to coast and have heaps of helpful travel articles for you to plan your amazing vacation to Australia!

Pin it! See all of our travel pins on our JetSetting Fools Pinterest Board.