Australians love their beer. In 2004, according to the Kirin Research Institute of Drinking and Lifestyle statistics, Australia ranked fourth in international beer consumption per capita. Each person drinks about 100 litres of beer every year.
Melbourne has more than 30 independently owned breweries. Every week they produce up to 15,000 litres of quality beer with unique flavours.
Get a taste and see how the beer's made at some local breweries. The Coldstream Brewery is just 5 minutes drive from Punt Road Wines and Napoleon & Co Cider. With your Melbourne car rental, you can then drive for about 40 minutes to Mornington Peninsula Brewery – just make sure you have a sober driver to get you safely from one place to the other!
Coldstream Brewery
This old brick building has charm, good food and beer. You can see the brewer Alan Harding making a batch of Coldstream beer before you have a tasting of a range of the products on offer. The list includes wine and hand-crafted cider, and can be paired with the simple but high-quality food on the menu.
Punt Road Wines and Napoleon & Co Cider
Established in the 1850s, Punt Road Wines has been in the game a long time. Its range of products covers all of the classics from sauvignon blanc to shiraz. But wine isn't the only thing to drink – their cider line was launched in 2008. The apples and pears that make this cider special are grown right on the estate. You can have a tasting to try all of the flavours they have on offer.
Mornington Peninsula Brewery
This is one of Australia's leading craft breweries and is sure to be worth the drive. They have 10 beers on tap, six of which are award winning. Their selection of beer includes pale and brown ale, India pale ale and Witbier, or wheat beer. Enjoy your beer in the laid-back garden with a view of the brew house and a wood-fire pizza.