Byron Bay Breweries and Distilleries: A Guide to Drinking Local
Byron Bay’s drinks scene has grown up alongside its food culture, and today the region pours some of the most interesting beer, spirits and natural wine in the country — much of it made within a few kilometres of the beach. Here is your guide to drinking local in Byron, from rainforest breweries to hinterland distilleries.
The Breweries
Stone & Wood
The big name, and deservedly so. Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale — cloudy, tropical, dangerously sessionable — put Byron brewing on the national map. The Byron Bay brewery and tasting room runs tours, tastings and a kitchen, and their winter Festival of the Stone is a calendar highlight. An essential stop.
Wandana Brewing
The craft scene keeps growing — smaller operations around the industrial estate pour limited releases you will not find in bottle shops. Ask at the cellar doors what is new; half the fun is the hunt.
Seven Mile Brewing
Down the coast at Ballina, this family-run brewery overlooking the airport runway has a loyal local following and a tap list worth the twenty-five minute drive.
The Distilleries
Cape Byron Distillery
In the hinterland hills, the makers of Brookie’s Gin distil among 96 acres of rainforest and macadamia orchard that the family regenerated themselves. The rainforest tour and tasting — ending with gin among the trees their botanicals come from — is one of the region’s best experiences. Book ahead.
Lord Byron Distillery
In town, Lord Byron crafts rum, vodka and liqueurs in small batches, with a tasting room that tells the story of the region’s sugar cane history.
Wine, the Byron Way
The subtropics are not classic vineyard country, but Byron’s bottle shops and bars have become a showcase for Australian natural and minimal-intervention wine. Look for lists championing small producers from the nearby Granite Belt and New England regions.
Doing the Rounds Responsibly
The smart way to tour is to leave the car behind: most breweries and the in-town distillery are an easy ride-share or cycle from the town centre, and tour operators run hinterland distillery trips with transport included — see our experiences page. Pace yourself with the food offerings; Byron’s brewers feed you as well as they water you.
Stay Within Strolling Distance
Base yourself in town and the tasting rooms, bars and bottle shops are all walkable. Hotel Marvell puts you two minutes from Byron’s best bars, while The Sunseeker on the edge of town is a short pedal from the brewery quarter. Browse all options on our accommodation page or search every Byron Bay stay here.
