Almost any survey of Sydney’s beer brewing landscape will have you convinced that the only breweries worth visiting belong to Marrickville or Brookvale. Whether you're being recommended a B-line up the ‘beaches or a metro through the inner-west, the one place you’ll scarcely be told to visit is anywhere along the T1 train line that snakes through the north shore. 

While the northern suburbs certainly don’t have the enormous amount of breweries the likes of the Inner West or Northern Beaches boast, there are a few gems worth checking out, whether you’re living locally or venturing from across the bridge.

Flat Rock Brew Cafe

Despite the wide ranges of beers on tap the big breweries like Hawkes and Philter may offer, rarely will you find what is regarded as a “real ale”, or cask ale: a type of beer brewed from traditional ingredients that undergoes a secondary process of fermentation in the cask that it’s served from.

Flat Rock Brew Cafe is one of the few spots in Sydney that actually brews and serves its own real ale, with a time-tested English Bitter, as well as a second hand pump serving a rotating selection of cask ales.

Flat Rock Brewery also serves a selection of tap beers, all either brewed on-site or selected from other local breweries. Sitting right at the heart of the Naremburn village area, the cafe has great outdoor seating options, and regular live music performances from local acts on Sunday evenings.

Ekim Brewing Co

Among these other local breweries Flat Rock serves on tap is Ekim Brewery, another small, locally owned brewery operated out of Hornsby. 

Ekim beers are stocked at various bottle shops around Sydney’s north and the brewery opens the doors to its taproom every Friday and Saturday, where you can head in for a sit-down tasting. Ekim serves a wide range of IPAs and Porters, along with more accessible Pale Ale and Lager style beers.

Island Hopper

Island Hopper, another nano-brewery operating on a similar business model, can be found just next to Artarmon station.

Island Hopper’s taproom, located in Zucchero Cafe, is open until 2:30 on regular days, and 9:30 on Fridays. Unlike Ekim and Flat Rock’s selection of hearty, traditional styles of beers, Island Hopper’s menu is dominated by crisp, fruity ales, such as their “Coral” Rozebier (Pink Beer) brewed with hibiscus, or their Kveik Voss Ale brewed with pomelos.

Depot Brewery

Artarmon is also home to Depot, a large, 250 seat brewery, bar, and kitchen (think pizza, burgers, and pub classics). With a rotating beers list and a core set of ales and lagers, Depot is the sister venue of the nearby Buckle Cafe & Distillery. It’s about a 20 minute walk from the station, or a quick rideshare.