Newstead Brewing Co.’s Castlemaine Street headquarters is a multifaceted hub of beery activity. The location, which opened to the public in 2017, is not only where the pioneering craft-beer maker’s frothy ales are made, but where they’re best enjoyed. After being inundated by flood waters in early 2022, the site has been reinvigorated and refreshed. A street-facing tasting room gives punters a cellar door-style experience, with Newstead beers, new-wave wines and quirky cocktails on offer. The larger brew house area inside is where you’ll be able to sip Newstead’s full range of beers, as well as a host of ales from Newstead’s brewing mates. head chef Peter Swatton has crafted a menu of share-style eats that go great with beer – we’re talking fried zucchini pickles with herbed creme fraiche, beer-battered pumpkin scallops with coconut labneh, flat-bread pizzas, Reuben sandwiches and braised-lamb pithiviers with goats cheese. Moving forward, the Newstead Brewing team will look to activate its upstairs function area as an art and music space, while the main brew house will also receive a cosmetic sprucing. Exciting times are ahead!