Aireys Pub: Why stop for Salt Brewing Co beers on the Great Ocean Road?
Aireys Pub in Aireys Inlet on the Great Ocean Road has a heartwarming story behind it. Aireys Pub also offers good food, Salt Brewing Co beers and fab views from the beer garden.
Aireys Pub on the Great Ocean Road is by no means the grandest watering hole in Victoria. But when you can have a beer at sunset, looking out at the ocean from the outdoor terrace, frankly who cares?
Aireys Pub is in Aireys Inlet, between Anglesea and Lorne on the Great Ocean Road. The town is probably best known as the home of the Round The Twist Lighthouse. Most road-trippers along the Great Ocean Road tend to move on to Lorne or Apollo Bay for an overnight stay, but if you decide to stop in Aireys Inlet, Aireys Pub is a fine place to spend the evening.
7 fantastic Great Ocean Road experiences
1. Crowd-beating reverse direction tour. 2. Surfing lessons in Anglesea. 3. Split Point Lighthouse climb. 4. Shockwave Zip-Coaster. 5. Guided wildlife walk. 6. Budj Bim National Park tour. 7. Great Ocean Road by motorbike.
History of Aireys Pub
Aireys Pub opened in 1904, but it looks considerably more modern than that. In 1983, the pub burned to the ground as bushfires encroached on the town. During rebuilding, drinks were served from a tin shed.
The pub was threatened again, when developers planned to take over the land, but a group of locals banded together to stop Aireys Inlet becoming a town with no pub.
Pick the right Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne
- For wildlife and nature focus: One day tour with koalas and guided forest walk.
- To beat the crowds: Reverse direction Great Ocean Road day tour.
- For adventure: Two day camping and surfing trip.
- For backpackers: One day highlights tour aimed at younger travellers.
- For exclusivity and flexibility: Private tour where you can pick the sights you want to see.
- For an extended trip: Three day Melbourne to Adelaide tour.
Salt Brewing Co at Aireys Pub
Since then, Aireys Pub has gone from strength to strength, even opening its own brewery. You can taste the Salt Brewing Co’s wheat beers, pale ales and unfiltered IPAs on site. The brewery has an emphasis on not using artificial ingredients or additives.
The best place to be in Aireys Pub depends when you arrive there. On colder winter nights, in the bar with the open fire is the perfect spot. In the summer, however, that beer garden is hard to resist.
Fans of live music should rock up on Saturday nights, when there’s always a live act knocking out the tunes.
Aireys Pub menu
The pub also has a strong food menu, with options such as Birregurra lamb shoulder and Tasmanian ocean trout among a line-up of sharing plates. The full menu is on the pub website.
Other good spots for food and drink along the Great Ocean Road include Ipsos Lorne, Movida Lorne and the Apollo Bay Hotel.
More Victoria travel
Indulge in wine flights on the Maroondah Highway at Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley.
Drive from Melbourne to Bendigo – or take the Bendigo train.
Look out over the plains from Flinders Peak in the You Yangs, near Geelong.
Go walking and 4WDing in the Little Desert National Park.
Stay at the Anglesea caravan park on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria