Our beer tasting adventure around the world continues with a tour of the breweries on Australia’s Mornington Peninsula! Mornington Peninsula is southeast of Melbourne and is known for its beautiful beach views, nature hikes, and wineries. It is the perfect weekend getaway from the urban life of Melbourne, and the ideal setting for our first community brewery tour. So grab a glass and settle in for a trip to the Mornington Peninsula breweries!
Mornington Peninsula Breweries
- Hickinbotham of Dromana
- Jetty Road Brewery
- Mornington Peninsula Brewery
- Red Hill Brewery
- St Andrews Beach Brewery
Hickinbotham of Dromana
Hickinbotham of Dromana is definitely more of a winery than a brewery. The restaurant is surrounded by farmland and vineyards, complete with lawn games and farm animals. The restaurant is upscale with lovely decor, white tablecloths, and quality cuisine. However, it is also family friendly; when we were there, we saw parents out playing with their children, and what we think was a toddler birthday party.
As part of our Mornington Peninsula breweries adventure, we ordered an $11 USD paddle. It came with five 100 ml tasters from a good sized collection of prize winning brews. We tried the Hix Summer/Aussie Pale Ale, Pilsener, Pale Ale, Wheat Beer, and Irish Stout. All of the beer received our top marks, but the Summer Ale in particular was amazing! We even purchased a $7 USD “stubby” (bottle) to take home and it was just as delicious a few days later. Josh and I both agreed that the Hix Summer/Aussie Pale Ale is one of the best brews we have ever had. So yummy!
Jetty Road Brewery
Jetty Road Brewery is tucked away in an industrial zone, which is one of my favorite styles for a brewery. The slogan at JRB is “By Locals, For Locals” and they seem to be living up to that, with a laid-back, blue collar feel, mixed with an upscale hipster decor. It definitely had the feel of a neighborhood hang out spot for those with an appreciation for fine food and good beer.
We ordered the $11 (USD) paddle of four tasters. Each paddle comes with the Pale Ale, Amber Ale, IPA, and a choice of either the Northern English Brown or Apple Cider. We selected the cider, which was crisp and delicious, but I think we should have had the brown instead. The beers were all quite tasty, but the pale ale stood out above the rest. Of the Mornington Peninsula breweries, Jetty Road’s collection seemed to have a bit more carbonation, giving their beers a nice, crisp flavor. I also wish I had ordered food because their farm-to-kitchen menu looked amazing!
Mornington Peninsula Brewery
We weren’t able to visit all of the Mornington Peninsula breweries, and in an unfortunate twist of fate, the one we missed is actually named “Mornington Peninsula Brewery”. However, we did pick up a selection of their beer from the local bottle shop, and thoroughly enjoyed them. The brewery is located in the city of Mornington, at the Northern end of the shire. They have a large selection of brews which are distributed widely across the country.
It’s a shame we weren’t able to visit in person, because the Brewery Bar looks amazing! Their kitchen specializes in wood-fired pizza, complimented by a selection of Mornington Peninsula wines (in addition to their beer, of course). Check out their website for specials and a schedule of live music events.
Red Hill Brewery
Our tour of the Mornington Peninsula Breweries continues with a trip to Red Hill Brewery. The city of Red Hill is surrounded by rolling hills, windy roads, and their famous vineyards, perfect for cruising with the top down on a sunny day. Just past the Red Hill Vineyard lies the collection of buildings which houses Red Hill Brewery and their attached restaurant… which specializes in American Southern food. These guys know the key to my heart.
We ordered a $9 USD paddle that came with four 130ml tasters. The paddle included their Golden Ale, Pilsner, A Crazy American Lost in Belgium, and Red Bike Session IPA. My favorite was the Golden Ale, but I really enjoyed the unique flavoring of the Belgian. It was described as a fruity and yeasty Belgian that was “dangerously hopped” with USA-style hops. We also grabbed some Mac n’Cheese and cornbread to compliment our liquid treats, and were not disappointed. Red Hill was the smallest location we visited, but they are punching above their weight when it comes to delivering great food and drink.
St. Andrews Beach Brewery
If I lived here, St. Andrews Beach Brewery is absolutely the kind of place I would take my friends on every sunny weekend. It is located on the grounds of an old horse racing stable, with 92 acres of tracks that have been turned into gardens and farmland. The restaurant gates let into the open-air stables that have been refitted with tables, lighting, and televisions. I could have easily spent all day there… and nearly did. As it was raining during our visit, we opted to enjoy our brews inside next to the fire.
For our Mornington Peninsula breweries adventure, we ordered the $9 USD paddle that included four pre-set tasters. The set included their 6 Furlongs Pale Ale, The Strapper Australian Lager, Box 54 Golden Ale, and Race Day Pilsner. I appreciated that each brew had a unique logo and name; it shows that the brewer really took some time and care with each one. It’s a simple, professional touch that blended well with the overall atmosphere. Our favorite was the Pilsner, which had a nice, crisp flavor with just the right amount of hoppy bitterness.
Wrapping Up
And thus concludes our tour of the Mornington Peninsula breweries! All in all, we had a great time exploring the local beer culture and getting the chance to spend some time mixing it up with the locals. We found the people of the peninsula to be warm and inviting, and had a great time at each and every stop along the way. If you’re planning to visit the area, you would do well to plan some extra time for exploring the booming beer scene on the Mornington Peninsula.
The Places We Live 
Loved the brewery tour! Wish I could have been there. Why werent you able to get to the Mornington Peninsula Brewery? I also need to get back on my Untapped app!
LikeLike
I noticed your falling a little behind on there. haha! It was silly. I thought the brewery was closer to our third house sit, so I kept putting it off so that we would have something “important” to do when we got there. Turned out, it was very challenging to get to from that sit, so we weren’t able to make it. 😦
LikeLike