Wellington is widely known as being the capital for craft beer in New Zealand, with breweries spread across central Wellington, Upper Hutt, and the Kāpiti Coast. With a focus on local produce and a wide range of styles, it is easy to find a vibrant spot to enjoy a beer.
You can begin your quest for the perfect microbeer by taking a self-guided trek through Wellington’s specialist craft beer bars. You can download a map from Craft Beer Trail to navigate your way around the many craft beer bars, craft beer breweries, and bottle stores in the area.
The trail is divided into north and south sections, which are ideal for jogging or walking on foot. The local buses run frequently for people who want to travel further between venues.
Beer Events in Wellington
Beervana
Beervana is the biggest one being a four-day beer festival in Wellington, New Zealand. It is held at the Sky Stadium and, features over 70 international and New Zealand breweries with some outlandish beer creations.
Brewday
You can find Wellington’s finest brews and brewers under one roof. Beer and cider creations, live music, food trucks, and festival atmosphere make Brewday an event not to miss.
Beers at the Basin
Grab your mates and a picnic blanket and head to Beers at the Basin. This is held, as the name suggests, at the Basin Reserve. It is a single-day event full of beer, cider, cocktails, and street food.
Oktoberfest
Don your dirndl or lederhosen, because you’ll be partying at the annual Barvarian at the Wellington waterfront in October. There are many German things, including German food, German oompah bands, and some excellent German beers.
Hopstock
This is a celebration of the new season of fresh hops. Up to 30 bars around the city centre and in some suburbs, are allocated a single brewery from Wellington and other parts of New Zealand. You can do a crawl from one bar to another tasting the different fresh-hopped beers. The difference with fresh hops is astonishing. The event takes place over a five-day period, so you can get to a good number of bars to test out new brews.