8 family-friendly breweries in and near Brisbane

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By Celeste Mitchell

Despite what some people will tell you, life doesn’t end when you have kids. While your socialising hours may be reduced and you might suddenly find yourself hunting down venues that offer high chairs and kids menus as a first priority, when it comes to visiting your favourite craft brewery, you’re well catered for in south-east Queensland.

Even though a bar may not be the first place to spring to mind for a day out with the kids, these family-friendly breweries are shaking up preconceptions and allowing you to balance your interests and theirs (you sip, they slippery dip!). And don’t worry, fur babies are usually welcome too.

Sunshine Coast

Terella Brewing, North Arm

When word got out about a craft brewery that also happened to have a petting zoo and lawn games, Sunshine Coast families quickly became devout fans of Terella Brewing in North Arm, five minutes from Yandina.

The Farmyard is open every Saturday and Sunday morning with feeding and photo opportunities with cute rescue and orphan goats, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs and miniature ponies. It’s a fitting warm-up to a full day of beer tasting, food trucks, live music, and picnic-ing on the sprawling property (read: plenty of room for kids to run wild).

Gimmick this is not; the beer itself is worth the drive out, whether you have kids or not. Terella, which means “little earth” was founded on the idea of a scientific and sustainable, circular production model. With a Vertical Farm sharing shed space with the stainless steel beer vats, the brewery uses the water produced from the farm to produce its beers and in turn, is able to re-inject the CO2 by-product from its fermenters back into growing fresh greens.

Order a tasting paddle to sample a selection from the 22 taps and grab a cheese platter from the fridge. Not a beer fan? Take the Mad Dog Hard Lemonade or Ginger Beer for a whirl. And if your kids are of the furry kind, you’ll be glad to know Terella is also dog-friendly with leash hooks and dog water bowls throughout the venue.

Land & Sea Brewery, Noosa

Land & Sea can be credited with starting the swell of Noosa breweries that have since opened in the region, throwing open the doors to their stylish warehouse space at the beginning of 2018. Now also home to Fortune Noosa Heads Distillery, this is a cracking spot to bring the whole crew with mini picnic tables for the littlies, and giant Jenga and pinball to keep them entertained.

Grab yourself a tasting paddle or join one of their tours before tucking into a grazing board or bowl of chicken wings. Their ‘For the groms’ menu has little tummies sorted with spaghetti, fish and chips and cheeseburgers. Pets in tow? You’ll be happy to know this brewery is dog-friendly too.

Your Mates, Warana

The guys from Your Mates know having a good time doesn’t have to end when a baby arrives, which is why there’s a special spot in their Warana Brewhouse especially for the groms. You can let them loose in the indoor playground while you kick back at one of the tables opposite for easy supervision.

There’s high chairs on hand for bubs and toddlers and the ‘Larry’s Little Mates’ kids menu mixes up the usual chicken nuggets and chips options by adding in mac and cheese and a ‘picnic plate’ with crunchy carrot sticks, cheese, grapes and a milk bun. Oh, the beer’s top notch, too.

Brisbane

Felons Brewing Co

Does life get much better than sitting on a bar stool overlooking the Brisbane River, while sipping on an ale made within eyeshot? Felons Brewing Co is a behemoth of a brewery and adjoining barrel hall, taking pride of place at Howard Smith Wharves.

And while the brews and chews are incentive enough to visit – and you can even drop by for beer yoga – outside on the lawn is where you’ll find families mingling. The biggest attraction beyond the beer, is the epic pirate playground for your mini adventurers, set up in easy eyeshot of the outdoor tables where you can order from the traditional fish n’ chipper. Doggos are welcome on the lawn too.

Slipstream Brewing Co, Yeerongpilly

Slipstream Brewing Co has long been known as a family-friendly spot to catch up with friends and enjoy a quality brew or three but since the unveiling of their new-look brewpub in February 2021, you can now enjoy a Californian-style menu of in-house eats (replacing the rotation of food trucks that used to visit the site).

Out front there’s a shaded beer garden – where dogs are welcome too – and a play area with kid-friendly cubby houses. Inside you’ll find 20 shiny taps pouring out creations like a Peach Sour and a Barrel Aged Smoked Chocolate Porter alongside their solid core line-up.

Ballistic Salisbury

You might be focussed on the craft beer you’re about to sample but don’t forget the kids’ bikes and scooters when you head to Ballistic Salisbury. They can cut loose in the closed-off carpark of this old World War II munitions factory while you enjoy a brew made just metres away.

Grab something from one of the visiting food trucks and kick back on the grass as live musicians keep everyone entertained on weekends.

Gold Coast

Burleigh Brewing Co

Burleigh Brewing I Family-friendly breweries near Brisbane — Photo by @BurleighBrewing via FB

Brewing in Burleigh since 2006, all are welcome at Burleigh Brewing Co’s taphouse. With a weekly-changing rotation of experimental brews to complement their range of core beers, you might drop in one week for a Daisy Duke (infused with blackcurrant) and find a Japanese rice and malt lager in its place the next.

This is a great spot for catching up with your extended crew – there’s plenty of tables spread across the large indoor and outdoor space and live music every Saturday and Sunday to sweeten the deal.

Balter, Currumbin

Originally set up by pro surfers Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbidge and Josh Kerr (along with a few other mates), Balter HQ is an altar to all their delicious craft beers in a slick Currumbin warehouse.

If you can’t sort a babysitter, rest assured. As well as being a kid-friendly brewery, there’s a nice little astro-turfed spot where the tikes can play while you catch up over a tasting paddle or schooner of your favourite brew.