12 Amazing Breweries to Visit in the Margaret River Region

Nearly twenty years ago that brewery was a lone trailblazer and now the Margaret River Region is home to countless craft breweries serving up down to earth experiences for beer lovers – and ice cold brews, of course.

Ready to drink? This comprehensive list of the region’s incredible breweries should help satisfy the thirst.

Brewhouse is the town´s brewery and an absolute local favourite. Drive or walk down Bussell Highway on the edge of Margaret River town centre and look for the sign with a six armed mermaid — representing the six owners of the Brewhouse. Backing onto the bush but walking distance from town, Brewhouse offers an airy indoor space with large windows opening out onto a wraparound deck, an open kitchen and fireplace for keeping cosy in winter. It´s worth staying for more than beer as the food is far from boring and full of Asian-inspired flavours.

This place gets extremely busy – which is only a good sign. If there are no open tables, staff will give you a picnic blanket so you can sip your beer and dig into your food on the lawn. Live music is on Fridays and Sundays from 4:30pm with mostly solo acoustic performers. Pooches are welcome too!

The Brewhouse has eight core beers available on tap, serving everyone from lager and pilsner lovers to those who like their beers big: the hop-heavy brews are kind of their thing.

Red IPA (6.2%) – this beer is inspired by America’s northwest. Mosaic is the star hop in this smooth IPA, with its tropical, stone fruit and citrus flavours. The crystal and Red X malts give it its deep-red colour while leaving a full body to balance out the bitterness beautifully.

Stout (5.8%) — a traditional, big-body stout, this is a full-bodied, creamy bev brewed with oats, chocolate malt and roast barley. It’s rich, smooth and dark, giving off roasted chocolate and coffee flavours that linger on the palate with a slight sweetness.  It is balanced out by the earthy and spicy EKG hops.

Big, bold and bootleg.  Drive through the forest, past century old trees, and you´ll find Bootleg Brewery nestled inside.  Pull up to the front and you can´t miss the bold white “BOOTLEG” slabbed onto the big blocks of dark wood, waiting for you. It’s easy to get comfortable and feel at home in this scenic and spacious brewpub, which is exactly what those serving you want. Take the time to pause, sip and soak in the Margaret River vibes.  There’s also a lake out front, a children´s playground, giant chess and even laser tag. Or, wander upstairs to the viewing window which allows you to peek into the goings on of the working brewery.

On Saturdays, Bootleg host live bands with plenty of space to dance outside with your mates.

Bootleg serve up food with big portions, but more importantly, naturally-brewed boutique beers. Standouts include:

Raging Bull (7.1%) — a bold ale brewed from wild stock, the Raging Bull is complete, full and unique.  It gets its name from a Raging Angus Bull that resided at Bootleg way back when and terrorized anything and everything that got in its way. Taste-wise, it begins with intense flavours of crystal malts (toffee, toast and popcorn) and the coffee flavours of the roasted barley, but has a slightly bitter, warm body.  It finishes with a chocolate-style sweetness.

Tom’s Amber (3.5%) – this is a traditional malty, profoundly aromatic Australian Ale, copper in colour and lightly carbonated, and the favourite of Bootleg’s owner and founder, Tom Reynolds. Need more be said?

The name says it all. The Cheeky Monkey Brewery is all about letting loose and celebrating fun with a little bit of mischief.  Located just off of Caves Road in Wilyabrup, the slightly smirking monkey at the gate invites you inside to the sneaky world of Cheeky Monkey. Featuring high ceilings with a mix of modern and rustic decor, the brewery has an unpretentious, cool and casual vibe. Enjoy panoramic views overlooking the picturesque lake and vineyard, plus plenty of space to roam. You can also wander and take a peek at the production facility.

With the new production facility in Vasse now open, you can also enjoy the Cheeky Monkey experience in a new way. This spot is an industrial bar located inside the actual production facility. Enjoy their award-winning beers, other refreshments and food at the Monkey Bar in Vasse.

The Cheeky Monkey team are known for brewing up fun, approachable and full-flavoured beers. All of their beers are made with fresh Margaret River rain water, hops, malts and yeast. There are no preservatives, no additives and they are all unpasteurised. They offer both seasonal and core offerings, while notable favorites include:

Cheeky IPA (6.5%) — a hard-hitting, West Coast Indian Pale Ale. Take a sip of this West Coast IPA and you´ll find it exploding with tropical fruits like orange zest, passionfruit and mango. With a generous malt backbone, there is a strong bitterness and resinous feel.

Cheeky Pale (5%)  — an American style Pale Ale with tropical fruit aromas. Expect passionfruit and peach on the palate and a crisp finish with low, clean bitterness. This one may quickly become your go-to beer.

Generous, bold and wild at heart, Black Brewing Co. is housed on Caves Road, also home to Dune Distilling – producing boutique gin – and Ground to Cloud Wines. The brewery was originally inspired by the world’s largest freshwater crayfish found only in Margaret River: the critically endangered Black Hairy Marron. These guys are in the business of making memories, with live music, great specials and events regularly rostered. Looking out onto a large lake, the venue has deck seating and plenty of lawn for kids (or adults) to enjoy, as well as a bridge over to a secret island. Chef Hayden Vink’s menu has a strong pan-Asian influence: no pub-grub here, but an atypical sophistication without the price tag to match. The vibe is casual with a touch of class.

The Fresh and Pale Ales, Lager, IPA, Bao Bao, and Cider make up the brewery´s core range. They also offer one-off, seasonal and large format releases with interesting collaborations that the adventurous drinker may be tempted to try. Local favourites include:

Hazy Pale (5%) — Heaven in a can. There is so much to love about the Hazy Pale Ale. Its fluffy white head, hazy golden body and expressive aromatic notes.
Juicy tropical pineapple and berry flavours balance with a luscious mouthfeel and delicate citrus peel bitterness. Smooth and sessionable. A beer you can enjoy all year around.

Session Ale (3.5%) — A refreshing ale with melon and citrus, this beer is super easy to drink. Denali, Calypso, Mosaic and Melba hops give this esky-filler a light lemon and grassy note, all leading to a subtle bitterness that finishes crisp. The light body and tight carbonation ensure that it’s a crowd-pleaser, especially on a warm summer day.

Always uncomplicated. CBCo. was one of the first breweries in Margaret River, the special corner of the world in which their beer story began. Their ethos has always been about brewing small batches of unique hand crafted beers and sharing their love of the simple lifestyle with the community.

The brewery is housed at the edge of the Bramley National Park, so you can imagine the view while sipping your favourite new brew. Walk in and you will instantly feel at ease. The space is just like their brand – uncomplicated.  There is so much space to relax, you´ll be tempted to stay all afternoon.  Enjoy their carefully crafted beers, pizzas and other treats from their menu of upscale pub classics.  And when you can´t drink, eat or just plain chill anymore, feel free to chip a few golf balls into the lake.

CBCo. offer classic, well-done ales brewed in smaller batches, including several award-winning varieties which are sold both on the domestic and international markets.  Standouts include:

Pale Ale (4.4%) — a classic golden pale ale showcasing tropical Australian and American hops.  Artfully brewed to sit between traditional American and Australian pale ales. It is bursting with tropical fruit aroma and piney resin. A smooth and approachable beer, but packed with aromatic hops.

Draught (4.8%) — The Crafted Draught, but not as you know it. A clean, crisp ale that’s refreshingly uncomplicated, this is the easy-drinking beer that can go with anything. It has a light body and is straw in colour. Australian-grown Melba hops deliver a subtle background of passionfruit and citrus: it’s smooth, with just a hint of floral hops.

A small, family-run boutique brewery and restaurant dedicated to serving its local community, Cowaramup Brewing Co. is one of the town’s longest-running breweries. It was founded by Jeremy Good, who, originally from the UK, has surely won over the locals. The beer’s logos feature the purple crowned lorikeet, which is a symbol for the town due to its Aboriginal name: the Cowara. At the entrance to the brewery, you can look through the viewing windows and into the brewhouse to see the entire brewing process up close and personal. Continue through to the bar and restaurant, where you can sit out on the deck with a beautiful view of the valley and surrounding countryside. It´s peaceful here. They even have their own hop garden in which nine different varieties are grown, and visitors can stroll through it to learn more about the ingredients that produce their favourite brews.

The menu focuses on local produce, which you can get matched with a tasting paddle of beers.  There is also ample area for a friendly game of footy, cricket, pétanque or jenga if you feel like burning off a few of those beers.

The brewery offers a range of six hand crafted ales and lagers along with a selection of local wines. The beers are more traditional, some even brewed in the English style which is unique among the region’s brewery. Standouts include:

Cowaramup Pilsener (5%) — a German style Pilsener moderately bitter with a crisp refreshing finish. This is the most popular beer at Cowaramup Brewing Company: pale gold in colour with a dense white head, a German noble hop aroma and a hint of graininess.

Cowaramup Porter (5.4%) — an English-style malty, dark ale, this porter is complex and substantial, with flavoursome roasted characters. The nose is on the sweet side, with chocolate, caramel and distinct smoky wood, while the palate has dark caramel malt flavours.

Tucked away on a sixty-six year old working farm, Eagle Bay Brewing Co. is a family-owned and run restaurant, microbrewery and vineyard located in the northwestern corner of the Margaret River Region. With sweeping views over the rural landscape of Cape Naturaliste and the Indian Ocean, this is the perfect place to while away summer afternoons with friends and family. It all expands into an organic kitchen garden, giving life to aromatic herbs and fresh vegetables picked daily by the kitchen team to create some of the delicious options they have on offer at the restaurant. There is also an orchard with a variety of citrus fruits and flowers just a short stroll away. Food-wise, sharing platters are the way to go if you are looking to graze for a while and enjoy their beers, plus – pizza!

Eagle Bay Brewing Co. crafts and brews their beers in small batches, made with only four ingredients — harvested rainwater, malted barley, yeast hops and a little sunshine.  They offer a year-round range of five beers — a Kolsch, Lager, Amber Ale, Pale Ale and Black IPA.  Don´t be surprised if they don´t taste exactly like you´d expect, as their brews are their own, original interpretations of these styles.  Noteable brews include:

Pale Ale (5.1%) — a refreshingly tasty brew. This beer features bold aromatics of citrus, stone fruit and pine needle from the hops, paired with caramel, malty characters and a “drink-me more” bitterness on the finish. This is an easily drinkable, go-to everyday ale.

Black IPA (5.5%) – expect a deep, dark color with a rich taste to match.  Rich and robust coffee flavours enhanced by a blend of dark malts for caramel and cacao nib characters. The hops also pack a punch, with hints of citrus and pine upfront and a firm bitterness to finish.

Enjoy some down south hospitality at Occy’s, Dunsborough’s ground zero for good vibes and even better brews. This funky, laid-back spot offers a spacious and conveniently located beer garden, always buzzing and full of life. On the menu, find solid pub fare, done well. Look for the octopus and outdoor murals decorating the entire building. Occy´s is super casual, often busy, brightly coloured and decorated to the fullest. Get ready to have some fun and meet plenty of locals here.

The brewery’s beers – or as they call it, “Liquid Gold Goodness” – are brewed with filtered rainwater on a real working cattle farm, run on solar power. Hop in and get settled into their Dunsborough pub to find twelve hand crafted ales & lagers, with no preservatives or artificial colours, exclusive to Occy’s.  Notable brews include:

Mexican (4.8%) – a very drinkable lager you can sit on and enjoy all day. It´s referred to as “The OG.”  Pride of Ringwood, Northern Brewer & Cascade hops with Pilsner and Flaked wheat malts mean citrus fresh and easy drinking.

Nitro Stout (5%) – an easy drinker in the world of stouts. Smooth and creamy texture with strong chocolate flavours. Notes of rum and raisin. Mildly bitter finish. Black in body with light tan head, good stout characters in the taste.

Real beer, real food and genuine experiences. That´s what Beerfarm is all about. A real dairy farm converted into a brewery, set in the rolling pastures outside Cowaramup, they say that everyone is welcomed here with a smile and a schooner (except for the kids of course). Their brand is built on grit, determination and a desire to do better with what we have around us: by that logic, Beerfarm team turned their hay shed into a tavern, then built a brewery in the round house. The venue is big and boisterous, known for its live music and late nights. It’s extremely casual, fun and inviting in a great natural setting. The entire farm here runs on solar, beers utilise native ingredients, and the menu is stacked with generous, hearty portions.

From smashable lagers and complex IPAs to sours, plus saisons packed with flavour — The Beerfarm makes beers for everyone.  There are seven beers in their core range, plus heaps of rotating experiments and collaborations. What to try?

India Pale Ale (5.6%) — a well-balanced, resinous American style IPA, using Mosaic & Citra hops for a pineapple and stonefruit aroma. This is complemented by the citrus spice of NZ Motueka, combining to produce pleasant but assertive bitterness on the palate, and a light toffee malt character.

Milk Stout (5.5%) — the beer that the regulars look forward to when it starts getting cold outside. This is a rich and rounded milk stout with all the bitter chocolate and coffee flavours you want in a stout. Milk sugar, or lactose, gives this a velvety texture.

Located in Jindong, outside Busselton, Rocky Ridge Brewing Co. is a ‘Paddock to Plate’ or ‘Ground to Glass’ brewery where all of the core ingredients used for their beers are grown right on their family farm. Using a variety of soil types ranging from red loam to coastal sands, their beers have a flavour entirely unique, distinct, and local. Everything they grow is done so in a sustainable, ecologically friendly manner according to organic principles.

After two years of operation, Rocky Ridge opened their Busselton cellar door, set in the family’s original 1930s home, refurbished and renewed. It’s a laidback place to sit around and learn more about their beers and the brand’s story. Their license currently only allows for tastings of 100mls and any size takeaways – but they do guarantee to always have their latest beers on one of their 25 taps for tasting.

The brewery crafts three core beers: the Ironstone Pale Ale, the Granite IPA and the Quartz Session, named after some of the prominent rock-types found in the region. They make even more special, limited edition beers sporting personality-filled logos and geometric patterns. All brews are worth noting, but there are a couple of local favourites.

Peach Invasion IPA (6.3%) —  This is a light, hazy and creamy Indian Pale Ale. Masses of peach and stone fruit aromas with a full, creamy mouthfeel delivers a tropical kick, ending with a very light bitterness to finish.

The family-owned and run Wild Hop Brewing Co. is housed on a gorgeous 50-acre property on a winding and woody, charismatic country road that twists through the Yallingup Hills. This country setting is infused with some modern digs and an urban industrial feel, making for a very cool place to come and chill for an afternoon. There is a huge wooden deck overlooking a pond, and some tables are shaded by a sprawling tree. Park it on a wooden bench for a long-table lunch, cozy up on one of their tufted leather couches, or even just pull up a picnic rug.

The menu and the beers change frequently, so there is always something new to taste, from chargrilled vegetables and farm fresh salads to rotisserie chicken and tomahawk steaks. For something classic, opt for their Brewer’s Buns – simple, delicious rolls containing roasted, smoked or braised meats, served with hand-cut chippies. This place fills up quickly so come early or leave enough room in your schedule to stop by, sip and enjoy the view without rushing the experience.

Wild Hop Brewing Co is a small, boutique brewery that brews small batches of seasonal beers full of character and flavour. There is no core range at Wild Hop, so things may be different each time you visit.

Founded in 1995, the Grove Distillery & Brewery is best known for its award-winning boutique spirits, but their handcrafted ales are absolutely not to be overlooked. Their difference? They concentrate on creating highly specialised beers, not necessarily in high volume, with taste reigning supreme.

Head down the windy driveway past the chateaus to find the brewery’s unique location secluded in the forest, overlooking a dam. The Grove Café serves up stone-fired pizza, scones and coffee, along with cocktails and their craft beers from the distillery and brewery.

The craftsmen at The Grove are running a small, independent and traditional brewery, so prepare to change gears a bit when tasting here, and be sure to ask questions.

House Red Ale (5.4%) — a rounded red ale derived from the American Pale Ale style, containing Cascade hops from New Zealand and Australian Galaxy hops. This beer is well balanced, producing passionfruit and citrus overtones.

Gangster Stout (4.9%) — the oatmeal stout that has it all. The complexity of roasted malts gives way to balanced coffee and chocolate overtones.  Experience the change in flavours as the glass warms up, tasting even better when you cup your hands around the glass.