If appearances and general health weren't an issue, I would drink beer all day and have a huge belly. They'd crane me out of my house and roll me down to establishments such as Newtown Growler Depot to get my "medicine" and I'd write about it all in some sort of booze tainted beer blog or something while eating buffalo wings on a comfy couch outside with my dogs.
Alas, this is the real world where I need to be on my best behaviour. That being said; it is always good to indulge a bit when on holidays.
Sydney has changed a bit since my last visit a few years ago, with all sorts of craft breweries being on my radar this time. Young Henry's, 4 Pines, The Rocks, Batch Brewing Co and more are all punching above their weight and providing much needed flavour in the NSW beer scene.
While visiting the breweries is recommended - and I did visit a few while in Sydney; places like the Newtown Growler Depot are worth popping into to get your "Growler" filled - especially for Sydney locals.
"What is a Growler?" I hear the voices of the uninitiated in my head asking... A Growler, my beer guzzling friend, is a giant bottle of beer (usually 3L) with a clasped rubber stopper on the top (think of a giant Grolsch bottle) to keep the beer fresh. The Growler is a thing of beauty and will instantly make members of the opposite sex "want" you and members of the same sex "want to be you", if that's how they swing. I have a Growler or two from my local at Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills, and it's bloody great.
The Growler depot does Growler refills with local faves such as Batch Brewing Co, 4 Pines, Wayward, Grifter, Young Henry's and more. You can find lists of what they're pouring on the now tapped website or their facebook.
They also have a great range of bottled and canned beers such as Rogue, Sierra Nevada, Nomad, Pirate Life (from SA) and more, to take to one of the restaurants nearby as BYO. Fantastic. read more