This was published 1 year ago
Breweries to visit in Margaret River: How beer is taking over the famous wine region
They don't bottle or can any of their beers at Wild Hop.
Why are there so many microbreweries in Margaret River? I've asked several people this same question now, and received exactly the same answer.
I've asked bearded brewers and tattooed bar staff and bearded, tattooed brewery managers, and all have shrugged their shoulders like they've never really considered it before and then said in typically laconic fashion: "We just love beer."
There must be more to it than that, though for now let's run with it. We just love beer. Everyone in Margaret River, this surfie West Australian enclave that has become known globally for the quality of its wine production, is also obsessed with beer.
Beer Farm.
And you can't argue with the numbers: there are 14 independent breweries in the region. That's almost as many as Perth, with a slim fraction of the population. They really do love beer here: buying it, drinking it, and most importantly honing the craft of brewing it.
Forget the wineries. You could come to Margaret River for a long weekend and drink nothing but ale and consider it time well spent.
But where do you begin? How about Wild Hop, a family-run brewery set out in the bush behind beautiful Yallingup. They don't bottle or can any of their beers at Wild Hop, so if you want to sample one of their brews you'll have to come out here to sit in the cosy dining room or out on the big wooden deck overlooking the dam and sip in situ.
They do things differently at Wild Hop, clearly. There's no "core range" of beers, nothing you'll expect to find every time you turn up, nothing that resembles Swan Lager.
Everything is seasonal and usually experimental, small-batch brews created on site, beers that travel a maximum of 10 metres or so from brewery to bar.
During my visit, sitting on that deck surrounded by happy punters, with kids messing about in the playground and dogs curled at drinkers' feet, I'm treated to a New England IPA, a pale ale, a West Coast IPA, a red IPA, and a deadly serious Russian Imperial Stout. If none of those things mean anything to you, fear not: all you need to know is that the beer here is created with consummate skill, and it tastes delicious.
Pair it with one of the Wild Hop kitchen's rotisserie chickens – order in advance, a half chook or whole – and you have yourself pretty much the perfect afternoon.
It's time to move on though, to Beerfarm, a local Metricup outfit that's operated out of an old dairy farm. It's not hard to spot that heritage either, from the rolling green meadows to the old milking station that leads into the shabby-chic barn housing the bar.
Beerfarm is another Margaret River classic, a friendly brewhouse with beautiful views and laidback vibes. If the wine industry tends to strike you as being a little pretentious, a little stuffy (which is not entirely fair, particularly in Margs), then the breweries here are the perfect antidote. In fact, if you know who you're looking for, you'll find plenty of Margaret River winemakers propping up the bar at its local breweries.
Beerfarm is all about sustainability, as well as producing high-quality brews. Unlike Wild Hop, the product here is canned for take-home convenience: however, there's nothing better than settling into a large glass of Beerfarm Milk Stout while staring out over the rolling hills, watching as kids scream around the playground, as big kids kick footies at the goalposts, and as even bigger kids who should know far better strip off their clothes and launch themselves down a giant slip-n-slide.
The beer here is serious; the activities are not.
Though, the beer in this region doesn't always have to be so high-falutin. Consider Shelter, a large brewery set right by the beach in beautiful Busselton, an impressive operation that feels like a Bavarian beer hall, such is its cavernous nature and undeniable popularity.
None of the beers at Shelter are too challenging, too experimental. They're easy-drinkers, lagers and pale ales and sours that are meant to pair well with a pizza and a view of the sea.
They love beer here, too. Clearly. It's just a different type of beer.
THE DETAILS
VISIT
Wild Hop is open daily; see www.wildhopbeer.com.au; Beerfarm is also open every day; see www.beerfarm.com.au; Shelter, too, is open seven days; see www.shelterbrewing.com.au
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Ben Groundwater was a guest of Tourism Western Australia
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