Until Wildflower came along, Tasmania’s Two Metre Tall was the only Australian brewery making a decent go of wild-fermented beers (i.e. those made sans lab-grown yeasts and tank sterilisation). Texan expat Topher Boehm roams around NSW collecting wild yeasts and bacteria to ferment different batches of beer, which are then blended to achieve the desired flavour profile. This isn’t a gimmick: Boehm’s beers are some of the most complex, balanced and drinkable we’ve yet encountered.

The trio behind Grifter understands its local constituency. The big, relaxed site packs a pool table and a range of sessionable beers anyone can enjoy. It’s one of the most relaxed breweries on this list, but if you want to drink a fruited sour, juicy IPA or oatmeal stout, they’re also likely to be on tap.

The brand’s nostalgic HQ is a celebration of ’80s-era Australiana in industrial Marrickville. Come for the beer, prawn toast and deep-fried Viennetta at the Chinese bistro, the Lucky Prawn. Stay for a free knock-around in the pool room, which doubles as a loving tribute to late co-founder and former PM, Bob Hawke.

Philter was founded in a Marrickville backyard in 2017, and following two years of gypsy-brewing and forever-home searching, it returned to the neighbourhood. And there's no better place to enjoy Philter's award-winning XPA, or something more experimental, if you're game. Now with it's own pastel-hued, slushie-slinging rooftop bar, Marrickville Springs.

The name Batch isn't arbitrary. The brewery’s two big sellers are an American pale ale and an IPA, but the range changes roughly every two weeks, which is how long it takes to make a new batch. Past releases include a nut-brown ale made with 10 kilograms of roasted pecans; a sour named Pash the Magic Dragon; and a nitrogen-carbonated milk stout (made with lactose, not real milk).

This brewery has made quite a name for itself since opening a permanent home in mid-2017. Its easy drinking pale, Hop Sauce, is popular with just about everyone, while beer geeks recognise Bubble and Squeak as one of Australia’s best examples of the so-called “juicy” New England IPA category.

The name Stockade (a fortress made of upright wooden posts) gives you an inkling of what this brewery is all about. It has a penchant for barrel-aged beers, and has several hundred barrels on site for just that purpose. Try some alongside easier-drinking a pale, XPA (extra pale ale) and lager.

Visit this low-key Warehouse for a who’s who of indie craft beer, 50-plus natural wines and plenty of whisky. To eat, it’s drinking food’s greatest hits: kimchi dumplings, buffalo chicken wings and pizza.