Bring a designated driver, the road ahead is paved in liquid gold! Whether you’re looking for a hydration station as you take in the spectacular landscape of the Great Ocean Road, a beer-matched long lunch or a weekend pub crawl you’ll be delighted by the beautifully crafted beers and small-batch spirits from the region’s best microbreweries and distilleries.
Pull up a stool and enjoy a paddle at the #1 craft beer destination on the Great Ocean Road – a tasting room serving over 100 Australian beers. The mission of Great Ocean Road Brewhouse is to help locals and tourists alike to get ‘Tastes of the region’ promoting fellow makers in the Otway and Great Ocean Road region. The friendly staff love a chat and sharing their knowledge about Australian craft beers (pouring 15 on tap), the brewing process and their tips for the best local produce.
Sample them for yourself with a choice of three delicious tasting platters or head into the brewery’s award-winning bistro for a pub classic meal. This is one of the oldest hotels on the Great Ocean Road and the seasonal menu features local farmers and producers too.
Over 700 ill-fated voyages give name to The Shipwreck Coast, the treacherous stretch from Cape Otway to Port Fairy. Toast these lost vessels with the nautically inspired handcrafted gins created in their honour at Apollo Bay Gin Distillery – SS Casino Dry, Speculant Grapefruit, Captain Chapmans Navy Strength & Amphitrite served with a 2ooml Fever Tree Tonic, ice and garnish.
Whatever tipple takes your fancy you’re helping Apollo Bay Distillery keep the nautical spirit of Apollo Bay and the Shipwreck Coast alive. All gins are distilled onsite using local botanicals that pair perfectly with a freshly made woodfired pizza and the ocean to mountain views.
Venture off the Great Ocean Road to the quaint Irish village nestled on the slope of a dormant volcano of Tower Hill. Here you will find a craft brewery, distillery, cafe and event space tucked away in a refurbished motor garage.
Noodledoof was created by two mates – Noodles and Doof, with a love of making quality, creative craft beer and spirits. The tap list is constantly evolving with exciting small batch brews and adventurous spirits. Their unique flavour profiles are born from the collaboration with local Aboriginal Corporation, Worn Gundidj using their expert knowledge of the native local botanicals such as correa alba, lemon myrtle and mountain pepper.
The cafe menu and daily specials of this brew-pub are equally exciting and a celebration of produce from the surrounding area and the nearly Southern Ocean. Tuck into a share plate of crab croquettes, a medley of locally farmed carrots followed by a spicy chilli dumpling and noodle soup. A cheeky (and tasty) nod to the pre-opening rumour mill about Noodledoof being a noodle shop.
Casterton is a historic rural town situated on the banks of the Glenelg River in a valley surrounded by rolling hills. Situated 352km west of Melbourne and 63kms west of Hamilton and 45mins to Mount Gambier just over the SA border.
Famous for being the ‘Birthplace of the Kelpie’ breed, Casterton has a new attraction – the recently launched Casterton Distilling Co. A small batch craft gin distillery located in the historical Albion Hotel. Taste the range for yourself in freshly built tasting rooms, the lovingly, hand-crafted spirits already rival some of the most established gin brands.
Spend time talking with head distiller Nicholas Cleave and from the viewing area see how his premium gins come to life. Hand-crafted onsite from start to finish, using local ingredients – just the way Nick believes they should be. To discover more of his spirit making secrets join a Distilling Master Class and craft your own unique blend of gin while sipping on a gin cocktail or two.
Let a gin flight transport you to the secret garden and tasting room of the Great Ocean Road. The Surfcoast sourced botanicals of kelp, salt bush, coast daisy, honey and gums will take your tastebuds through native forests, sparkling rockpools and to the tops of windswept cliff. All while you sip on gin cocktails, snack on cheese, dips and olives whilst sitting in the lush hidden garden of this vintage treasure trove.
A pub crawl to the greatest breweries and distilleries on the Great Ocean Road. That’s a Great Call.
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Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Great Ocean Road region the Wadawurrung, Eastern Maar & Gunditjmara. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their unique cultural heritage and the connection to their traditional lands. We commit to building genuine and lasting partnerships that recognise, embrace and support the spirit of reconciliation, working towards self-determination, equity of outcomes and an equal voice for Australia’s first people.
