This champion "medium" brewery is a stalwart in NZ, distributing their kegs and cans to select…read moretaprooms and liquor stores, with nothing but the best IPA's. The alpine brewery and taproom is located on the shores of Lake Whakatipu, views from the boat dock of the Remarkables in full view, making this one of the most scenic breweries. It is clearly a brewery worth visiting and just outside of hectic downtown QTN which, paving the way for a frictionless visit. I loved their Cones of Gratitude IPA, which unfortunately is only available on draft (no cans). However, their Handshake Hazy Pale Ale, made with fresh hops from Garston Hops in Kingston, was a worthwhile take away souvenir. Garston Hops, which grows some of the world's southernmost hops, are unique, these Southern hops grown at lower altitudes in the hotter summer sun being grittier, more hardy. It produces a hop that is more layered with a sharper bitterness accompanied by unique spiced herbal notes. Despite its pale ale designation, the Handshake was bursting with flavor. You honestly cannot go wrong with anything from them though, so long as you're a hop head as many an IPA they will have though their Queenstown Lager is another, much lighter favorite.

Great brewery right outside Queenstown with a fantastic vibe and list of beers, ales, ciders etc…read more Sort of a hidden place that if you know you know but I would recommend you seek them out. A huge bonus are the food trucks that provide food for the location: Both the pizza truck and the burger truck will blow your mind with the quality of food served up. Worth a journey when in Qtown

We were looking for a brew pub away from all the trendy tourist spots in the CBD. This was a…read morewinner! We had fun conversations with the staff and enjoyed sampling some delicious bears. Highly recommended.

Great craft brewery offering brewery tours with an off licence. Excellent line up of 10-15…read moredifferent beers with complimentary tastings available and a line up of beers on the rigger station with chance to fill a take out rigger of your favourite beer. Great to chat to and be served by the brewers themselves. A must do if you want to try award winning They have a great cellar door with great range of beers.

Search, Seek, Evolve…read more In Queenstown, my other half booked some outdoor activities while I set out to visit a brewery. In Queenstown proper, a large tourist area, there are only two one of which was closed. That brought me to Searchlight Brewery, and I'm happy it did! This was a bit too far to walk, so I used a ride-share. It's located north of the town in an industrial area. Tucked behind some buildings, you'll easily find it with the posted signs. The area is kept really cozy. Outside they have seating areas that look over the mountains and forests all around. It was a bit too cold during my visit, so I headed inside. They had a fire pit, many small tables, games, and the bar. The majority of the space is taken up by the working brewery. The beers are posted behind the bar and on the tap handles. I told the bartender I was there to try them all and she helped me organize my flights. I sat at a nice table looking outside to the top of the mountain. I indulged in two soft pretzels to ease my tasting; water is also available. I was also happy for the free wifi while being parked there a while. As it got darker, the twinkle lights over the outdoor seating area turned on. I did try all the beers; it wasn't expensive. I liked the focus on New Zealand hops and styles, while having a great selection for all. If you're a beer lover, it's worth the journey.

Find gold off the beaten path! I had found this brewery while searching places for our trip. It…read morewasn't a far walk from our hotel, and we got a nice scenic view of the suburbs of Queenstown. It was nice to get away from the tourist scene. This little brewery is located in a small business park. It was nice because everyone there seemed like locals. The beer was excellent! We really enjoyed it! They have board games and a very nice outdoor seating area as well. This is a hidden gem. Don't be afraid to walk and discover it :)

First night in queenstown and was looking for some food and drinks for our jet lagged selves…read more Smiths did not disappoint. My partner had the lamb burger, we shared the poutine, and I had the venison pot pie. Portion sizes are huge so I had to take away some of my pot pie and some leftover poutine in a box. Taste wise, my partner enjoyed his burger, we both loved the poutine, and the venison pot pie was good but a little too sweet for my liking. The poutine, while used mozzarella instead of cheese curds, was our favorite and would just come here to order a few orders of that. We also got a flight to share to try some local brews including 3 sours, 1 ginger beer, 1 cider, and 1 lemonade. They were all good and I especially liked the ginger beer on the menu. The alcoholic lemonade was also quite nice and better than any alcoholic lemonades I've had in the states.

Unlike most beer bars in NZ, this one seemed to carry more Stouts than others... but plenty of…read moreHIPA's on tap at this upstairs beer bar in downtown QTN. The adjoining balcony was great for watching life pass by down below with our 6x200mL taster flight for 45 NZD. For some reason, this beer bar and the last made a big deal about having Sculpin on tap. And little did they know, these San Diegan's cared not! Plenty of fresh hops selections were eyed instead, brews from Garage Project and Behemoth the MUCH better selections. The beer bar is huge with plenty of places to post up. Despite it's location in touristy QTN, Smith's keeps it laidback with its rougher environs that are not overdone or cringey like some of the places in QTN. Didn't have a food, but it looked to be of good value in expensive QTN, that is, if you aren't tired of pub food.

Decided to join this tour last minute after original plans were cancelled due to weather…read more Not only were the beers really good but Lewis simply made the tour. He was extremely personable, knowledgeable and made the tour very personalized in a group setting. Adding a stop between the breweries also added to the special nature of his tour. Would recommend to anyone visiting with a free 3-4 hours.

From the owner: Great day out trying Queenstown's best Craft Beers. Enjoy 13 tastings over three different stops…read morewith an included beer and food matched lunch. Visit at least 3 breweries over three stops on your afternoon out. Try a brew with a view today!!

Decent place to try some local beers. It was popping when we came here after picking up the car…read more It is 20 minutes north of downtown Queenstown. We sat indoors because it was very crowded outdoors. Parking is a little confusing but just park at the public parking area on the right as you enter the downward slope and then walk down. Came here as I saw there had sours, but unfortunately when we went they only had one sour in the beer fridge but my partner liked it. I had the cider but I did not like it (but to note: I didn't like any ciders in NZ and loved their ginger beers). We ordered 2 pizzas to share - pork and fennel sausage, spinach cream, pecorino, crispy sage and pulled lamb, pomegranate molasses, toum, pistachio dukkha. These were very unique flavors and enjoyed them both.

Amazing beers, great food, and a beautiful location. I was most impressed by their alcoholic ginger…read morebeer (4% ABV), so delicious! Not too sweet and you can't taste the alcohol, overall therapeutic. But all of their beers are incredible, including Vacation IPA and their cold IPA. Even edit Pilsner (from someone who doesn't like pilsners).

Yum. After flying into town and walking to the gondola we were hungry! I started with the…read moreGinger Vodka drink to mix things up and it was mighty fine. I'm always in search of the perfect ribeye steak and this one was pretty fine. Chips were nice and crispy and the salad was nice and cold. Overall an excellent meal.

On a cold rainy day, stopping in for pub food, smooth beer, and warm vibes was the perfect idea to…read moreraise our traveling moods. In a previous town, I had a taster of Speights Old 5 Dark Mild Ale-enjoying the mild roasty creamy blend, but didn't have time for a full pour- so I was delighted, when walking through Queenstown, to discover Speights Alehouse, realizing this was my opportunity for a full pour. We dined during the lunch hour, in which we were able to choose from a lunch hour $15 plate special; ordering a fish & chips- and an off-special regular menu lamb shank w.mashed potatoes & peas \ Inside, the building has a quaint historic feeling, like going back in time to the local 1876 pub. We sat in front of a woodburning fireplace, enjoying the warmth and ambiance..along with our full pours Our dishes were hearty; food for the belly and soul- the meats melted in our mouths, everything tasted like home cooking (like we were visiting a friend cooking NZ specialties for us, versus more takeaway). Well-seasoned, large portions. Would recommend a lunch-time visit.

This was another favorite on our tour of the wine country. The grounds are simple but stunning. An…read moreold church serves as the tasting room and the outdoor seating is just so relaxing. Sitting under a giant poplar with a cool breeze.... I went outside the box and ordered a flight of their brews which they plan on putting a brewery right on site in a few old shipping containers. I liked them so much, I bought a 6 pack which now makes my backpack weigh a few extra pounds. Their cider was sweet and refreshing after pedaling all day. I also really enjoyed their lager....light and a hint of sweetness. The porter was robust but not thick. Service was friendly and engaging. Another must on the wine tour.

A cellar door in a restored stone church? Sounds about right…read more Look, I'm not going to go into details about microclimates and soil profiles that make Gibbston one of the most splendid wine growing regions in the world, you'll just have to trust that drinking this wine, in this location, inside the walls of an old church is pretty damn amazing. Plus, the food is delicious! Of all the wineries in the region (trust that I've been to quite. a. few.) this was my favorite. It had as much to do with the friendly, helpful, non-pushy staff as it did the immensely drinkable wine. If you happen to be lucky enough to be there during Christmas time, grab as many of their Christmas cakes as they'll let you. You won't be sorry.

Fun spot for a brew in the area! The murals and decor in this place are awesome, as is the…read morebartender service. Sadly there aren't any NA options, so I'd love to see that added. My partner got the flight and enjoyed it. They have some hilarious decor and signs, and often bring in a food truck. They offer some cool swag, and my partner got a sweet hat here!

Love this gem we found right in Wanaka after visiting the Wanaka tree. Doesn't look like much, but…read moreit is great! Good beers, nice ambiance indoors and outdoors, pet friendly, meat sticks and olives for snacking, and the service is awesome! Get a pint or a flight, some merchandise as well. The outside is adorned with nasturtiums around a small courtyard. Inside you will smell the ingredients of the beer as it's being brewed. Fun place off the tourist track. Cheers

We were looking for top-rated breweries in the area and found B Social! Here's our experience:…read more SEATING One of our favorite things about the place! There is a ton of seating inside (2 floors) and lots of awesome patio seating - with great shaded options. SERVICE Super friendly and great with offering recommendations! BEER My partner got a beer flight, and said that it was good not great compared to other spots we'd visited in town and in NZ. NOT BEER They offer kombucha and cocktails here, too! The cocktails are more like kombucha and gin mixes, and I liked the variety. I got one of those, and again - good not great but definitely enjoyable! I appreciate the non-beer options they offer. FOOD We got a "fries with drink" coupon from the hotel bar we drank at the night before, so we got an order. Good fries that held us over until we went to dinner later. ATMOSPHERE The decor was really cool - some unique art on the walls, and lots of greenery inside. But something about the space felt a bit...sterile? Maybe it was just so clean (which is a good thing) and maybe we were there too early before the bustle of the crowds, but it didn't have quite the same charm as other spots.