Auckland's craft beer scene is one of New Zealand's deepest, and the best part is how easily it splits into a day's worth of trails. You can walk between taprooms in Kingsland, settle into a heritage alehouse in Mt Eden, or drive 20 minutes for a country brewery with a beer garden and a playground. Here's a self-guided trail built entirely from real, working breweries and taprooms.
Start with the pioneer: Galbraith's Alehouse
Any Auckland beer trail should begin at Galbraith's Alehouse, housed in the grand former Grafton Library at the top of Mt Eden Road. When it opened in 1995, Galbraith's was New Zealand's first producer of cask-conditioned real ale in well over half a century - effectively the spark for the modern scene. Expect hand-pulled English-style ales and European lagers brewed without sugars or preservatives, plus hearty pub food in a high-ceilinged, heritage room. It is as much a piece of brewing history as a great pub.
The Kingsland walk: Urbanaut & Garage Project
Kingsland is the most walkable cluster on the trail, both stops sitting on New North Road near the train station.
Urbanaut Brewing Co.
Urbanaut has been brewing grain-to-glass in Kingsland since 2017 and pours from 22 taps in a vibrant, family-friendly taproom. There is an onsite smashburger kitchen (Burgernaut) with meat, vegetarian and vegan options, walk-ins are welcome, and the space is set up for groups.
Garage Project Kingsland
A short walk away, the Garage Project cellar door is the Auckland home of the famed Wellington brewery - a reimagined bottle shop and bar with 13 ever-changing taps, fridges of cans and bottles (including treats you won't find elsewhere), and crowlers and flagons filled on the spot.
Mt Eden: Brothers Beer & Behemoth
Back across to Mt Eden, two more names anchor the inner-city scene:
- Brothers Beer brews in Mt Eden and runs a central City Works Depot bar and bottle shop, with rotating house taps, a huge bottled range and a dog-friendly courtyard.
- Behemoth Brewing pours its prolific, ever-changing range at its bar-restaurant-brewery, Churly's, in Mt Eden - a must for anyone who likes their tap list to change every visit.
City centre: Vultures' Lane, 16 Tun & The Brewers Co-operative
If you would rather stay central, three taprooms keep the CBD covered:
- Vultures' Lane on Vulcan Lane - rotating taps and a deep bottle list in a lively laneway bar.
- 16 Tun in Wynyard Quarter - an independent free house with around 70 rotating NZ craft beers on the waterfront.
- The Brewers Co-operative on Victoria Street West - a taproom and fish-and-chip eatery with around 24 rotating taps near the Sky Tower.
Make a day of it: country breweries
For the full experience, point the car out of town.
Hallertau Brewery, Riverhead
Hallertau has been brewing since 2004 and is the quintessential Auckland brewery day trip - about 20-25 minutes from the city. The biergarten, wood-fired grill and pizza oven, gardens, live music and playground make it genuinely family- and dog-friendly. It is the kind of place you arrive at for lunch and leave at dinner.
Sawmill Brewery, Matakana
An hour north in Matakana, Sawmill Brewery is an award-winning brewery with its Smoko Room eatery and a strong sustainability ethos - the perfect anchor for a day exploring Matakana's Saturday farmers' market and hillside wineries.
Tips for the trail
- Pick one hub, not all of them. Do Kingsland on foot, or commit to a country brewery for the afternoon - trying to hit both makes for a rushed day.
- Nominate a driver or take the train. Kingsland and the CBD are well served by rail; the country breweries are not, so plan transport before you taste.
- Pace and eat. Almost every stop on this trail does proper food. Use it - long brewery sessions go much better with a burger or a wood-fired pizza in the mix.
Beyond the beer
Round out the day with our bars and nightlife guide for the city's rooftops and cocktail dens, or the dog-friendly cafes guide if your four-legged friend is along for the brewery garden. Travelling further? Our sister site covers Wellington's craft beer scene, often called the country's craft capital.
All breweries and taprooms above are real, operating Auckland venues verified at the time of writing. Tap lists, hours and opening days change frequently - check each brewery's own site before you visit, and please drink responsibly.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Which is Auckland's oldest craft brewery?
Galbraith's Alehouse in the former Grafton Library opened in 1995 as New Zealand's first producer of cask-conditioned real ale in over half a century. It's widely regarded as the pioneer of Auckland's modern craft beer scene.
Where can I do a brewery crawl on foot in Auckland?
Kingsland is the easiest walkable brewery hub - Urbanaut Brewing and the Garage Project cellar door are both on New North Road within a short stroll of each other and Kingsland train station.
Are Auckland breweries family and dog friendly?
Several are. Urbanaut in Kingsland is family-friendly with an onsite kitchen, and Hallertau in Riverhead has gardens, a playground and welcomes both kids and dogs, making it ideal for a day trip.
What's the best brewery day trip from Auckland?
Hallertau in Riverhead (about 20-25 minutes from the city) is a classic with a biergarten and wood-fired food, while Sawmill Brewery in Matakana, an hour north, pairs award-winning beer with its Smoko Room eatery and the wider Matakana foodie scene.
