The Best Adelaide Breweries: Self Guided Tour + Map

Discover the best of the South Australian craft beer scene with this guide to Adelaide’s best breweries – including the perfect route for a self-guided breweries tour!

An afternoon left to my own devices in Adelaide while my partner’s at work? The perfect time to escort myself around Adelaide’s suburbs and drink some beers. All in the name of research, of course.

Tasting my way through Adelaide’s beery delights, I discovered there’s a welcoming and creative craft beer scene in the city and its suburbs.

Designed as inspiration for exploring Adelaide’s vibrant brewing scene, I’ve put together the perfect self-guided tour of Adelaide’s breweries. I’ve accounted for allowing at least one drink in each spot, but if you want to slow things down, you can choose your destinations from the list. My personal top picks would be: Pirate Life, Shapeshifter, Crafty Robot and Mismatch.

One of the best parts of this tour is there’s no need for a designated driver! All of these are connected via public transport, or within walking distance in the Central Business District (CBD). The first section of the tour uses the 118 bus route for the quickest journeys between Pirate Life, Big Shed, Shapeshifter and the CBD breweries. Check the Adelaide Metro website for up to date timetables and fares.

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Pirate Life, Port Adelaide

I started my self-guided brewery tour of Adelaide by hopping on a 20-minute train from the CBD to Port Adelaide. I’d enjoyed Pirate Life previously in some Adelaide pubs, and was pretty excited about drinking it from the South Australian source.

The taproom is a huge space, with classic wooden bench tables and a view of the tanks behind the taps. There’s also a lively merch corner, a shuffleboard table, and plenty of colourful corners to tuck yourself away in. For the sunny days, the beer garden is also massive, with plenty of seating – covered and uncovered.

What to order:

• South Coast Pale Ale – 3.5%. Light, sessionable pale – the perfect start to a day on the tastings.
• South Coast Ultra Low – <0.5%. Low alcohol interpretation of the flagship South Coast Pale.
• Haxy XPA – 5%. Fruity, hoppy and hazy.

Big Shed Brewing, Royal Park

This Royal Park microbrewery keeps its beer options more traditional, but also experiments outside of the beer-o-sphere with unique cider and hard beverage offerings. With a focus on sustainable brewing methods, the brewery uses solar power and rainwater sources, as well as redirecting heat within the building.

The wood-panelled, light-filled taproom has a modern feel, and for sunny days, there’s outside seating too. Dogs are welcome in the beer garden. The food menu here is also the most extensive of the Adelaide breweries in this list, ranging from pizza and burgers to BBQ meats.

What to order:

• Shed Lager – 4%. Clean and crisp low-carb everyday lager.
• F-Yeah APA – 5.5%. Big Shed’s take on the traditional American Pale Ale.
• Golden Stout Time – 5.4%. Rich chocolate dessert stout with honeycomb.
• Straight Up Apple Cider – 4.8%. Crisp, fresh cider made with Adelaide Hills apples.
• Cherry Popper Cider – 8.5%. For a stronger cider with a fruity hit, try this one over ice.
• Alcoholic Ginger Beer – 4.5%. Vibrant brew with real ginger.

Shapeshifter, Findon

When I arrived at this ‘middle of nowhere’ taproom early on a quiet Friday afternoon, I was the first person through the doors. The bartender almost looked surprised to see me.

Reminiscent of some of my favourite spots back in the UK, Shapeshifter is an absolute classic warehouse-style taproom. Think industrial metal ceilings, concrete floors and wooden furniture. They’ve jazzed it up with some colourful street art, a pool table and a fun merchandise stand for the perfect afternoon hangout with a group of friends.

The beer selection focuses on experimental, creatives and forward-thinking blends. This includes plenty of stronger ABV options, and often leans into oat-y blends with Oatmeal IPAs and Stouts on the menu. To balance things out, they also have a solid hard lemonade offering, with a core Lemon Haze plus seasonal and limited special flavours.

What to order:

• Party Shirt Session Hazy – 4.2%. Easy, fun hazy pale ale to complement an upbeat afternoon session.
• Tropicabana Oat Cream IPA – 7%. Delicious but dangerous, serious fruity holiday vibes.
• Hoodie Weather Oatmeal Stout – 5%. A comforting, oaty stout.
• NYX Black IPA – 7.6%. Dark malt meets tropical fruit in a heavy hitter for slow sipping.
• Findon’s Finest Helles Lager – 4.5%. Sweet and malty German style lager.
• Lemon Haze Hard Lemonade – 4.5%. Tart and refreshing, the perfect palate cleanser.

Brightstar, Thebarton

If you like your beers with a European flavour, Brightstar Brewing pays homage to traditional brews from the continent. Using authentic brewing methods, the range crosses the European continent and plays with different flavour palates, from crisp and clean to fruit and spice.

The modern and minimalist taproom is located in a historic building, with a colourful mural nodding towards vibrant European art styles.

What to order:

• Helles – 4.8%. The Munich classic, a crisp refreshing taste.
• Baltic Porter – 7.9%. Full-bodied dark lager with complex flavours.
• Rauch Weizen – 5%. Oak smoked German wheat beer.
• Italian Pilsener – 5%. Clean, hoppy and sessionable.
• Beetroot and Ginger Berliner Weisse – 3.4%. Traditional German sour with a local twist from fresh beetroot.

Bowden Brewing

The classic desk-job-to-beer-tap story is at the heart of Bowden Brewing, within easy walking distance of the previous stop. Using fresh, local ingredients across the range, this is a real homely spot with a heart in the community.

Enjoy a range of beer styles from core classics to quirkily-named specials in the open and airy taproom.

What to order:

• Bowden Draught – 4.6%. Keep it simple with a local classic.
• Horse Code Session Hazy – 4%. Great name, great hazy session IPA.
• Squid Gone Pro Hazy Pale – 5%. Biscuit malts join melon hops for a fruity, fun pale ale.
• All The Beer, No Idea – 3.5%. Leisurely, hoppy mid-strength beer.
• Seasonal Sour – changes with the seasons, currently bursting with apricot goodness.

Lady Burra Brewhouse, CBD

This charming, fully-functional taproom can be found at the heart of Adelaide’s CBD. Established in honour of female brewing pioneer Elizabeth Lilian Oliver, at Lady Burra Brewhouse the beers speak for themselves! Including eight core beers and limited edition specials, their thoughtfully produced range explores caramel, fruit and spice flavour palettes.

What to order:

• Irish Red Ale – 4.9%. Creamy, medium-bodied red ale.
• India Pale Ale – 6.3%. Classic and drinkable IPA.
• Pilsner – 4.7%. A crisp, clean and refreshing classic.
• Nitro Stout – 4.8%. Dark grain flavours in a light and creamy stout.

Crafty Robot, CBD

You can approach this Adelaide taproom and the next in whichever order you like – I’d hit up Crafty Robot first, as the beer garden is perfect for the day’s last rays of sunshine.

Run by a husband and wife team, Crafty Robot take a scientific approach to brewing, experimenting with small batch brews in a variety of styles and flavours. The taproom features clean white decor with pops of neon colour, giving this spot a real personality of its own.

When we visited, the brewery was just gearing up for a Saturday evening, with a lively buzz in the air. The outdoor space is perfect for a sunny day, and I enjoyed sipping my sour outside while befriending a local four-legged taproom visitor!

What to order:

• Sir-Veza Lager – 4.5%. Mexican style lager with lime notes and a crisp dry finish.
• Strava Sour – 4%. Tart and refreshing kettle sour.
• ‘The Red’ Nitro Irish Red – 4.8%. Rich and sweet red ale with a creamy nitro finish.
• ‘El Hefe’ – 5%. Silky hefeweizen with banana and clove.
• Hopic Thunder Hazy IPA – 7.1%. Pineapple, citrus and a hint of coconut.

Mismatch, CBD

Open until late on weekends, Mismatch is the perfect final destination for your brewery day out!

Housed in a historic-style brick corner building, the Mismatch brewhouse has an elevated feel, with exposed brickwork and sleek furniture. Combining a taproom atmosphere with a chic city pub, it’s a great place for evening drinks – especially if you get a table in the stylish, semi-open rooftop terrace area.

We were lucky enough to grab the last chairs going along the high top table at the front, a prime location for a bit of people-watching.

As for the beers – an ever-evolving range brings out the diverse brewing experience behind the business. From straight-up classics done well to heavier brews packed with flavour, there’s plenty to dig into here. As a brewhouse outpost from their main brewery in the Adelaide Hills, the Whitmore Square site often features specialist, small-batch beers made in-house.

What to order:

• Session Ale – 4%. Refreshing and easy for school-night drinks.
• Enigma IPL – 5.5%. Blends the vibrance of an IPA to a clean, lager finish.
• Draught – 4.2%. A classic, no-nonsense Australian Draught.
• Strawberry Sour – 3%. Lush and refreshing kettle sour using locally sourced strawberries.
• Triple Crush IPA – 10%. For serious IPA heads, this powerful brew is full of hazy, fruity flavour.
• New York Cheesecake White Stout – 9%. Bringing delicious dessert flavours to a creamy stout.

Bonus Brews: More Adelaide Breweries

AKA the ones that didn’t fit onto my self-guided brewery tour as they’re a ways out of town! Also worth checking out if you have the chance:

Little Bang, Stepney

It’s a little out of the way for a day’s tour, but I just couldn’t leave it out as the vibe at Little Bang is unmatched. We actually stayed very close by when we worked in the city, and it’s probably my favourite of all the Adelaide breweries I’ve been to!

We were actually taken here by a local friend, and I was immediately impressed by the super friendly welcome and great range of drinks. The brewery has a great community feel, with regular events including the Trivia Night we accidentally ended up taking part in!

What to order:

• Sun Bear – 4.2%. Easy drinking pale ale.
• Face Inverter – 5%. A properly sour sour beer with a tart, tangy punch. I LOVED this, btw.
• The Naked Objector – 6.5%. Bold West Coast IPA with lots of flavour.
• Geezer Pleaser – 4.8%. British-inspired Extra Special Bitter.
• Undercover Fashion Police – 6.2%. Soft, fruity and hoppy Hazy IPA.

Coopers Brewery, Regency Park

Did you know that the largest Australian-owned brewery is based in Adelaide? Coopers range of beers can be found all over Australia – with their Pale Ale being my go-to in the liquor stores! As well as visiting the taproom, you can book a guided brewery tour of their home site in Regency Park. For $50pp, enjoy a tour and guided tasting.

The Suburban Brew, Glynde

Everything about this brewery, from the community-focused ethos to their can designs, is inspired by suburban life. Even the beers themselves are inspired by real-life locations!