There are many reasons to visit Wanaka on your New Zealand road trip, but we’re not going to talk about these obvious reasons now. This blog post will focus on what happens late afternoon or evening in Wanaka. When it is time for some tasty NZ craft beer.
Once you’ve seen the famous Wanaka Tree, hiked up Mt Iron, jumped out of a plane and got your adrenaline kick on the jet boat ride – yes there is a lot to do in Wanaka – it is time to relax. Time for some tasty food and maybe a few craft beers. So the big question is: are there any breweries in Wanaka that we can visit? YES YOU CAN!
Tasting craft beer and visiting breweries in Wanaka is definitely possible. There’s one street where you can find two great craft beer breweries. Easy to reach – leave your car or campervan at your Wanaka accommodation – and walk, ride a bike or get yourself an Uber.
So let’s go to Gordon Road in Wanaka to check out these craft beer breweries.
Ground Up Brewing in Wanaka
Let’s start at Ground Up at 4 Gordon Road in Wanaka, which is my favourite Wanaka brewery. Their Punks in the Barrel Brett IPA was epic and has landed Ground Up the top spot on my Wanaka breweries list.
Ground Up is relatively small but cosy. They’re open daily from 2pm with plenty of beers to choose from, including some experimental & new brews: 10 to 15 taps. Food is available as well. The atmosphere is super relaxed and the staff fun & friendly. It’s a great place for a relaxed afternoon while enjoying tasty food and great beers.
Ground Up’s brews are always spot on. They offer a variety of styles, from IPAs to stout. Punks in the Gym is a tasty IPA, which formed the basis of the famous Punks in the Barrel – aged in ex-Pinot barrels containing Brett. Unfortunately, the Punks are no longer in the Barrel, but only in the Gym, but as fanboy you can’t stop hoping that maybe one day the Punks will ditch their gym membership and move to the barrel for one more round of awesomeness. But no worries, Punks in the Gym is great IPA.
Rhyme & Reason Brewery in Wanaka
Across the street you’ll find Rhyme & Reason Brewery at 17 Gordon Road in Wanaka. Their taproom is much bigger and they have an outdoor beer garden. They have 14 locally brewed beers on tap. Of course, food is also being served.
Rhyme & Reason has some great core beers but have also ventured into more experimental brews, for example some collabs with Craftwork in Oamaru. Not all of these sour or barrel aged beers worked out perfectly but they were tasty for sure. For example their Tripel Treat – a whisky barrel aged Belgian Tripel – was so boozy that it overpowered the spices & subtle tripel flavours. But their Don’t Wine It’s Beer – oak aged farmhouse ale – was awesome, it combined the buttery floral flavours of the Chardonnay oak with the biscuitty flavours of the golden sparkling ale.
Their flavours are always bold and some are a hit while others are more of a miss. But there are also lots of IPA styles being brewed and served. There will be something for everyone.
Wanaka is also the place to be for tasting craft beer
Gordon Street in Wanaka, keep that street name in mind. It’s the place where all the breweries in Wanaka are located. And when you’ve visited these breweries, feel free to leave your feedback below in the comment section. Can’t wait to hear which craft beer brewery and which brew you favoured on your visit to Wanaka.
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