New-world takes on classic European beer styles, by way of the surf coast’s rugged landscape. Drop in for a tasting paddle and tuck into the menu of pub classics, pizzas and salad bowls. Or go completely coastal with a refreshing lager and a platter of cold seafood.

The result of some engineering mates coming together to apply their skills to beer brewing. Sample craft beers made with the Surf Coast in mind, in a hidden Torquay tap room with live music and sport on the big screen.

Malt-forward beers and barley-fed beef burgers, in a cosy cabin-like room overlooking the town’s popular mountain bike trails.

Jetty Road's vast red-brick factory space is primed for long and lazy afternoons. Come for beer-matched pub grub in the dining room, live music in the beer garden, and plenty of brewery-only seasonal styles.

A bohemian brewery hidden in the back of an historic theatre. It’s a fortuitous pairing – the theatre’s kitchen slings pizza, perfect for soaking up the booze in some of those big beers you’ll be sipping on in front of the roaring fire.

Grand Ridge is one of Australia’s original craft breweries. Established in 1989, it’s set within the town’s old butter factory, with a charming rural pub upstairs and a solar-powered brewing operation downstairs.

The experimental sibling to craft beer giant Little Creatures has its own buzzing brewery in South Geelong. Aged ales are the specialty here, and there's a short menu of European-influenced bites to go with them.

A peaceful, low-key spot that specialises in easy-drinking European-style beers.

Sample 10 different brews at this rustic, timber-panelled taproom, complemented by excellent pizza made on site.

Pies and craft beer in a bluestone pub that dates back to 1857.

Loch has the lot: farmhouse beers, native botanical gin, rum, brandy and fantastic single-malt whiskies. Find your favourites through its tasting flights and pints at the cosy weekend-only cellar door, which is set up in Loch’s century-old former bank.

From classic to experimental, these ales and lagers are all made at Phillip Island’s very own micro-brewery.

The laid-back energy is strong at this rustic Ballarat brewery. Mismatched furniture, pub grub and quality brews abound.

This colourful brewery-slash-distillery is intent on breaking the brewpub mould. Visit for experimental beers styles, spirits loaded with native botanicals from a nearby volcano, and a spicy menu of Asian-leaning drinking fare.

This one’s for the modern-day Vikings. Valhalla’s cosy Geelong taproom is a hub for live music and easy-drinking brews.

An Aireys Inlet icon. This sprawling, hilltop pub was almost lost to a housing development more than a decade ago. Now its future is in good hands, with live music and a craft beer microbrewery ticking away inside.

Just outside Ballarat, one of Australia's smallest micro-breweries is producing some of Victoria's finest ales using low-intervention brewing methods.

Enjoy cold cider, Yarra Valley style, from the family behind Punt Road Wines. This family-friendly bar offers tasting flights of cider and cider-driven cocktails, alongside local beers and wines. Plus, you can build your own picnic hamper and bring your furry friends.

This cosy cidery specialises in French-style cider made from apples and pears grown on-site. Hit the cellar door for a tasting paddle or blueberry wine paired with French cheese and local charcuterie.

Sample biodynamic apples and their many liquid expressions.

Take your tasting paddle out on the lawn.

A 10-hectare working farm on the Mornington Peninsula that uses apples from its sprawling orchard to brew a range of seasonal ciders. It also has a boutique studio that’s made for weekends away.