Nagambie Brewery: Why should I visit this Goulburn Valley brewery?
The Nagambie Brewery in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley specialises in hand-made beers that are popular, traditional and accessible.
The Victorian town of Nagambie is better known for its wines than its beers. The Mitchelton Estate winery, in particular, has a strong international reputation.
But the Nagambie Brewery is determined to make the case for grain against grape. One of seemingly hundreds of Australian craft breweries, this Goulburn Valley enterprise is not trying to do anything too wacky.
Nagambie Brewery beers
Owner and brewer Jamie Chesher is on the record say he wants to make fresh, sessionable beers that people love to drink. It’s not about throwing in a deluge of hops and coming up with weird combinations – it’s about doing popular beers well.
The Nagambie Brewery doesn’t use computers in the brewing process, unlike many other breweries. The whole brewing process is done by hand. It’s not the quickest or easiest way of doing things, but flavour is the goal.
Gin distillery in Nagambie, Victoria
Beer isn’t the only thing made here, however. The full name is the Nagambie Brewery and Distillery. Jamie Cresher does experiment with vodkas and small batch whiskies, but gin is the main spirit made at the Nagambie property.
The 3608 Classic Dry gin is the headline act, but if you fancy taking on something a little stronger, then the 3608 Navy Strength packs a considerable punch at 57% ABV.
Nagambie Brewery pizzas
The Nagambie Brewery also serves up food. The wood-fired oven is the heart of the dining operation, and it is predictably used to make pizzas. There’s a little bit of playfulness in the toppings on those pizzas, however. One is made with ale-braised lamb and radish, another with garlic chilli prawns and charred corn.
The Nagambie Brewery is open from Thursday to Sunday. See the brewery website for more details. For cheap accommodation in Nagambie, try the Nagambie Caravan Park.
Top Nagambie accommodation options
The best places to stay in Nagambie are:
- For a luxurious winery hotel: Mitchelton Hotel Nagambie.
- For a good quality lakeside motel: Nagambie Waterfront Motel.
- For a budget stay: Nagambie Caravan Park and Motel.
More great places for a beer or six
Drink a few post-surf beers at the Towradgi Beach Hotel or Scarborough Hotel in Wollongong.
Drink by the Hawkesbury River at the Wisemans Inn Hotel in Wisemans Ferry.
Enjoy sundowner beers at Bathers Beach House in Fremantle.
Sample beers by the river at the Bright Brewery in Bright, Victoria.
The pioneering Bootleg Brewery in the Margaret River region.