A good beer is enjoyed in any weather.
But we think out in the open air and with a bit of sunshine is best. (Featured image: elmarsinthevalley)
This is why we’re looking to the outskirts of Perth for a good brew this summer where we can feel the wind on our faces and look out onto nature’s spectacular views instead of being holed up inside, which we’ll reserve for the cooler months of the year.
On our little list, you’ll find the newest brewery in Perth that just happened to open as well as a few others around which are just around the corner, meaning that you could hop from one to another so long as you know how you’re getting home safely.
1. Bailey Brewing Co., Henley Brook
Say hey to Perth’s newest brewery, Bailey Brewing Co., which threw open its doors just last Wednesday. The above shot from their Instagram is actually a couple of months old now, but what we like about it is that we can see the amount of work that was being put into the premises that in a past life belonged to Toppy, a Swan Valley beekeeper that sold honey from this very property and whose relics now decorate the yard.
The brewery is a family affair, owned by dad and two sons who just really, really, like beer. And after talking about opening a brewery for yonks, they have finally gone out and built the type of brewery they would take their own families to—one modeled on the classic Aussie backyard.
The idea behind the beer they brew is fairly simple: find the best hops about and combine it with the freshest of WA ingredients to produce tasty, sessionable, easy-drinking beers.
Sounds good to us.
Find Bailey Brewing Co., at 9861 West Swan Road
2. Mash Brewery, Henley Brook and Bunbury
From the new boys on the block to one of the older craft breweries just next door, Mash Brewery who in their time brewing beer on the west coast have been named WA’s best brewery twice as well as being crowned Best Australian Beer for their Copy Cat IPA.
How do they do it? Never trade quality for money, don’t be serious, and brew what you love.
Seems like their recipe to success has worked, but they’re not resting on their laurels. It’s best you get out there and see what the boys and girls in the brewery are getting up to.
Find Mash Brewing Swan Valley at 10250 West Swan Road, and Mash Brewing Bunbury at 2/11 Bonnefoi Boulevard
3. Elmar’s In The Valley, Henley Brook
If Elmar’s In The Valley wasn’t made for a sesh in the sunshine, then why put in two acres of lush green lawn and shady gum trees?
Perth’s biggest beer garden and Perth’s largest German restaurant Elmar’s In The Valley has been brewing beer the Bavarian way since it opened in 2005. That means adhering to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 and renouncing the use of colourings, flavours, preservatives or chemicals which we’re big fans of.
Hell, even the hops and malt are imported from Germany, and so to has the computer system that controls the brewing to German perfection so you know this place is serious about being authentic and true to their word when saying this brewery and restaurant is German, not German-themed.
Find Elmar’s In The Valley at 8731 West Swan Road
4. Feral Brewing Co., Baskerville
If you’ve been living in Perth for longer than a minute and you haven’t yet been to Feral, then what have you been doing?
And if you’ve just arrived or been on a journey into outer space, then Feral Brewing Co., is one of Australia’s best craft beer brewers, but don’t tell them they brew craft beer. In their eyes, it’s just beer, and in our eyes, it looks like damn-good beer.
They’ve also got a damn-good beer garden filled with picnic tables and gum trees overlooking the Swan Valley with a special Beer Garden burger menu for lunch on weekends.
Find Feral Brewing Co., at 152 Haddrill Road
5. Whitfords Brewing Co., Hillarys
Despite being located in Westfield Whitford City, Whitfords Brewing Co. by Beerland has got some spectacular views of the Indian Ocean once you get up onto the Sky Deck.
The beers themselves, well, they’re hard to beat. They have five core beers in their range, all award-winning, and another 50 seasonal beers produced in small batches by their team led by Master Brewer Ken Arrowsmith, who has been perfecting his brews for longer than many of us have been drinking.
Find Whitfords Brewing Co. at Westfield Whitford City
6. Indian Ocean Brewing Co., Mindarie
We already think that Perth has the best sunset in Australia but when you’re sitting at Indian Ocean Brewing Co. with a beer in hand and you can hear the water in the marina lapping against the boats, you get the feeling that you’re right.
If you don’t believe it, then it’s best you get down to Indian Ocean Brewing Co., to find out and while you’re there, you may as well taste some of their excellently brewed beers produced from quality ingredients sourced worldwide. We say excellent because the crew at Indi brew their beers using manual valves and hoses, meaning that the end product is a true reflection of their skill.
We’ll drink to that.
Find Indian Ocean Brewing Co., at 33 Ocean Falls Boulevard