Overview
Behold the liquid gold at craft breweries, cideries and distilleries in the Goldfields.
Beer aficionados, make a beer-line for Australia's craft beer mecca, Ballarat. The regional city is home to an ever-growing stable of craft breweries, from stalwarts Red Duck Beer to relative newcomer Cubby Haus Brewing. Plan a visit around the Ballarat Beer Festival in January, and keep an eye out for upcoming opening of the Australian Craft Beer Centre of Excellence.
If gin is your thing, make your way to Kilderkin Distillery, which shares its cellar door with Red Duck Beer, for the signature Scoundrel and Larrikin gins.
Beyond Ballarat, make your way to The Taproom in Castlemaine, home to Shedshaker Brewing Company, producers of small-batch handcrafted beers. Settle in at the bar to sample the range as well as local ciders and ginger beer.
For more local cider, make your way to nearby Harcourt, the region's apple capital. Call in to local cideries Henry of Harcourt, Bress, and Harcourt Perry & Cider for tastings, tours, and chilled cider made from locally grown fruit.
