Order a pint in an Adelaide pub and the glass that arrives holds 425ml — what a Sydney bartender would call a schooner. Order a schooner and you get 285ml. It is a small thing, but it tells you South Australia has been doing beer its own way for a long time. Coopers has brewed here since 1862 and is still in family hands, and around it a newer generation of Adelaide breweries and distilleries has grown up: a warehouse-sized taproom in Port Adelaide, small independent brewers in the inner suburbs, gin stills in the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale, and an old distillery in the Riverland brought back to life.
This guide covers the ones worth your time — which Coopers tour to book, the craft taprooms in the city, Port Adelaide and the Hills, the gin distilleries and where to taste them, how to get around without anyone having to drive, and a few honest verdicts on where the reputation outruns the drink. Tour prices were checked on the operators’ own websites in September 2026. Small taprooms change their hours with the seasons, so check before you make a special trip.
Adelaide breweries and distilleries at a glance
| Stop | Where | What it is | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coopers Brewery | Regency Park, about 15 minutes north-west of the city | Family brewery since 1862, with tours and a taproom | Tours Tuesday to Saturday only; the Brew Tour is A$55 |
| Pirate Life | 18 Baker Street, Port Adelaide | Big brewery venue with 24 taps and a kitchen | Owned by Carlton & United Breweries since 2017 |
| Little Bang Brewing | Stepney, just east of the city | Independent brewery and taproom | A tasting paddle of around eight beers from a range of about 25 |
| Lot.100 | Hay Valley, near Nairne, Adelaide Hills | Farm property shared by Mismatch Brewing, 78 Degrees gin and Hills Cider | Ownership has changed since it opened — check what is pouring |
| Prohibition Liquor Co | Gilbert Street, city centre | Gin distillery and bar | The city’s gin pioneer, walkable from most hotels |
| Never Never Distilling Co | McLaren Vale | Gin distillery | Easy to fold into a winery day |
| 23rd Street Distillery | Renmark, Riverland | A restored century-old distillery | A road-trip stop rather than a day trip |
Before you order: South Australian beer basics
Glass sizes vary from state to state in Australia, and South Australia’s system is the one most likely to confuse visitors, because it uses familiar words for unfamiliar amounts:
| Ask for | You get | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Butcher | 200ml | An old-school small glass you still see in some front bars |
| Schooner | 285ml | Tasting a strong or unfamiliar beer |
| Pint | 425ml | The standard order in most Adelaide pubs |
| Imperial pint | 570ml | What the rest of the world calls a pint |
So if you are from the UK, ask for an imperial pint to get the size you are used to. If you are from New South Wales, a South Australian pint is your schooner, and a South Australian schooner is your middy. Craft taprooms often sidestep the whole thing with tasting paddles and their own glassware, and will tell you the volume if you ask.
The second thing to know is how to pour a Coopers. Coopers ales are bottle-conditioned: a little yeast goes into each bottle to carbonate the beer, which leaves a fine sediment at the bottom. Locals roll the bottle gently on the bar, or tip it upside down, before pouring, so the yeast mixes back through. That makes the beer cloudy, which is exactly how it is meant to look. Whether to roll is a proper pub argument, and nobody will think less of you either way.
The third thing is the law. South Australia’s blood-alcohol limit is 0.05 for fully licensed drivers and zero for learners and provisional licence holders, and random breath testing is routine, including on the roads back from the Hills and the wine regions. A tasting paddle and a couple of pints will put most people over. Plan the transport before the first sip — there is more on that below, and in our guide to driving in South Australia.
Coopers Brewery: the one every visitor should know
Thomas Cooper brewed his first batch in Adelaide in 1862, and the company is still owned by his descendants. That makes it the largest Australian-owned brewery, at a time when the country’s two biggest brewers both belong to Japanese groups. Its green-label Pale Ale and red-label Sparkling Ale are on tap in almost every pub in the state, and the brewery itself sits at the intersection of South Road and Regency Road in Regency Park, a short drive north-west of the city.
There are three ways to see it, plus a free option:
| Option | When | Length | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Brew Tour | Tue–Sat, starting 9:30am, 10:30am and 12:30pm | 90 minutes | A$55 | The brewery tour and a guided tasting of five beers, including an exclusive specialty brew |
| The Visitor Centre Tour | Tue–Fri, 4pm | 60 minutes | A$35 | The visitor centre and a guided tasting of three core Coopers beers |
| The VIP Tour | Tue–Fri, by appointment | 3 hours | A$350 | A private tour, three-course lunch with beer pairings, back vintages and limited microbrewery beers, for groups of six to ten |
| History Walk | Taproom hours | Self-guided | Free | The company story, at your own pace |
The Brew Tour price went up from A$50 to A$55 on 1 July 2026, and groups are capped at 20, so book online rather than turning up. The taproom and restaurant are open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, with the full kitchen running from 11:30am to 3pm and bar snacks until 4pm. The on-site microbrewery pours a “beer of the moment” that you can only drink here, which is the best reason for a beer nerd to come even without a tour.
The catch is Sunday and Monday. The tours, the taproom and the restaurant are all closed, and plenty of visitors find that out after planning a long-weekend brewery day around them. Tuesday to Saturday it is.
Is the tour worth it? If you are interested in beer at all, the Brew Tour is. Ninety minutes, a real look at a working brewery, five beers including one you cannot buy, and a price that compares well with a winery tasting and lunch. The Visitor Centre Tour is the budget choice and fits neatly after a day elsewhere. The VIP Tour is a celebration purchase for a group. If beer is just something cold on a hot day, skip the tour and order a Pale Ale at any pub in the state. You will have had the essential Coopers experience for the price of a pint.
Getting there: a taxi or rideshare from the city takes about fifteen minutes, which is the sensible choice after a five-beer tasting. The brewery says it is reachable by public transport too. Plug Regency Road into the Adelaide Metro journey planner, or see our public transport guide for how fares and metroCARDs work.
Craft breweries in the city and inner suburbs
Adelaide’s craft scene is spread thinly across the inner suburbs rather than packed into one brewery district, so it rewards picking two or three stops rather than trying to tick everything off.
Little Bang Brewing, Stepney
If you only visit one independent brewery near the city, make it Little Bang. It sits in Stepney, a few kilometres east of the CBD, and it has built its reputation on inventive, well-made beers across a range of about 25. The taproom’s tasting paddle lets you work through around eight of them, which is the right way to meet a brewery like this — you will find a favourite you would never have ordered by the pint. It is a short taxi or bus ride from the city. Check opening days before you go, because like most small taprooms it does not open every day of the week.
The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Thebarton
Not a brewery but a pilgrimage for people who like them. The Wheaty, as everyone calls it, is a proper old pub in Thebarton, just west of the city, with a rotating tap list that leans heavily on small Australian brewers and a beer garden that fills up on warm evenings. It is the best single place to drink your way across South Australia’s craft beer scene without leaving your stool. Our guide to Adelaide’s best pubs has more like it.
Names worth ordering when you see them
Several of the state’s best small brewers are easiest to meet on tap in a good bar rather than at the brewery itself. Look for Mismatch (Adelaide Hills), Shapeshifter and Crafty Robot on tap lists around the city, and for Big Shed Brewing, a Royal Park brewery out towards the western beaches with a streak of fun in its recipes. The city’s small bars are good hunting grounds — see our laneway bars guide and best bars in Adelaide.
Port Adelaide: Pirate Life and a day by the water
Pirate Life began in Adelaide in 2014 and its Port Adelaide venue at 18 Baker Street is the biggest brewery experience in the metropolitan area: a cavernous room with 24 taps, a kitchen serving substantial food, and space for events and gigs. It is a fun place to spend an afternoon, especially with a group, and the hop-forward pale ales and IPAs that made the brand’s name are still good. The brewery has run regular tours; check the website for current times and book ahead.
The honest footnote: Pirate Life has not been independent since late 2017, when it was sold to Carlton & United Breweries, which has itself been owned by the Japanese brewer Asahi since 2020. That does not make the beer worse. It does mean that if drinking independent is the point, Little Bang and the smaller names above are where to spend your money.
Port Adelaide is on the Outer Harbor train line, around twenty minutes from Adelaide Railway Station, so it is easy to make a day of it without a car. Pair the brewery with the South Australian Maritime Museum, the street art and the heritage wharves — our Port Adelaide guide and Port Adelaide heritage guide cover what to see before the taps open.
The Adelaide Hills: beer, cider and gin in one drive
The Hills are best known for cool-climate wine, but they are also apple and pear country, and that has made them a natural home for cider and spirits as well as beer. Everything is within about 45 minutes of the city, which is close enough for a day and far enough that someone needs to not be drinking.
Lot.100, Hay Valley
In December 2018 three Hills producers moved onto one 84-hectare farm property at 68 Chambers Road, Hay Valley, near Nairne: Adelaide Hills Distillery (maker of 78 Degrees gin), Mismatch Brewing Co and the Hills Cider Company, alongside Vinteloper wines and the juice maker Ashton Valley Fresh. The name 78 Degrees is a distiller’s joke — it is roughly the temperature at which alcohol boils, below water’s 100 — and the gin, whiskey and vermouth range has done a lot to put South Australian spirits on the map.
Here is the caveat, and it is an important one. The businesses at Lot.100 have changed hands since they moved in. A listed drinks group bought Mismatch, Hills Cider, 78 Degrees and a controlling stake in the site in 2021, then sold the 78 Degrees spirits business on in 2024. What is pouring, and which cellar doors are open on which days, has shifted with each change. Check the Lot.100 and 78 Degrees websites the week you plan to go. The worst possible outcome of a Hills drink trail is a 45-minute drive to a locked door.
Lobethal and the rest of the Hills
Lobethal, the town that turns itself into a light show every December, has its own brewpub in the Lobethal Bierhaus, and the Hills pubs in Stirling, Uraidla and Hahndorf all pour local beer and cider. The easiest way to build a Hills drinks day is to anchor it on one producer and fill the rest with the region’s other strengths: cellar doors, orchards and the German heritage of Hahndorf. Our Adelaide Hills day trip, Hahndorf day trip and Adelaide Hills wine guide cover the rest of the route.
Adelaide’s gin distilleries
South Australia’s distilling boom is only a couple of decades old, but the state now has gin makers in almost every region, many of them tucked in beside cellar doors. Tasting several side by side is the best way to find what you like. The botanicals vary far more than first-timers expect, from classic juniper to native Australian ingredients.
Prohibition Liquor Co, city centre
The pioneer of the local scene, and the easiest to reach: Prohibition’s distillery and bar is on Gilbert Street in the city centre, a short walk from most CBD hotels. It works as a bar as much as a distillery (check the bar’s opening times before you go), which makes it the right first stop for anyone who wants to understand South Australian gin before driving anywhere to taste more of it. Go for a flight rather than a single G&T.
Never Never Distilling Co, McLaren Vale
Never Never has made its name with big, juniper-forward gins, and its home in McLaren Vale means you can fit a gin tasting between wineries without adding any driving. Our McLaren Vale day trip and McLaren Vale wine guide show how to build the day around it.
Further afield
| Distillery | Region | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| 78 Degrees (Adelaide Hills Distillery) | Hay Valley, Adelaide Hills | Gin, whiskey and vermouth at Lot.100 — check the cellar door is open |
| Clare Valley Distillery | Clare Valley | On the Riesling Trail, so you can walk or cycle to it |
| 23rd Street Distillery | Renmark, Riverland | A century-old distillery restored and back in production |
| Kangaroo Island Spirits | Kangaroo Island | One of the state’s longest-running craft gin makers, for island visitors |
The Clare Valley distillery is an easy add-on to a Riesling Trail day (our Clare Valley day trip has the logistics). The Renmark distillery belongs on a Riverland road trip rather than a day out from Adelaide — see our Murray Bridge and Riverland guide. Kangaroo Island’s gin is best drunk on the island, which is covered in our Kangaroo Island from Adelaide guide.
How to do a brewery or distillery trail without driving
Adelaide makes this easier than most Australian cities, because several of the best stops are on public transport or a cheap taxi ride away:
- Prohibition Liquor Co: walk. It is in the city centre.
- Coopers: taxi or rideshare, about fifteen minutes each way. Split three or four ways, it is not much more than the bus.
- Pirate Life: the Outer Harbor line train to Port Adelaide, then a short walk or taxi.
- Little Bang and the Wheaty: a short bus or taxi ride east or west of the city.
- The Hills, McLaren Vale, the Barossa and Clare: this is where a tour or a designated driver earns its keep. Distances add up quickly and there is no practical public transport between cellar doors.
For the regions, a small-group tour is often the best value once you count what it saves you in stress. Our wine tours from Adelaide guide explains what to look for, and many of the same operators will build a day around breweries and distilleries if you ask. The other good option is to stay the night, with dinner and a bed within walking distance of the last pour. The Adelaide Hills accommodation guide has places to base yourself.
Three trails that work
City and Port, no car needed
Book the 10:30am Coopers Brew Tour (Tuesday to Saturday), then take a taxi to Port Adelaide for lunch at Pirate Life. Spend the afternoon walking it off around the Port’s museums and murals, catch the train back to the city, and finish with a gin flight at Prohibition on Gilbert Street. That is a lot of drinking for one day. Eat properly at lunch, take the tasting pours slowly, and drink water between stops.
Adelaide Hills loop, with a driver
Head up the freeway to Hay Valley for Lot.100 (having checked that morning what is open), then on to Lobethal for a Bierhaus lunch. Finish in Hahndorf for a walk down the main street and dinner. It makes an easy, pretty day of about 45 minutes’ driving each way from the city, plus short hops between stops.
McLaren Vale, wine and gin
Build a normal McLaren Vale winery day and slot Never Never in the middle. The region’s cellar doors are close together, the Fleurieu coast is ten minutes away if anyone needs fresh air, and the whole trip is under an hour from the city.
What is worth it, and what is not
- Worth it: the Coopers Brew Tour for anyone who likes beer, a Little Bang tasting paddle, a gin flight at Prohibition, and an afternoon at the Wheaty.
- Worth it with a caveat: Pirate Life, for the room, the food and a crowd — just not as a statement about independent brewing.
- Check before you commit: anything at Lot.100, and any small taproom’s opening days. A surprising number of small producers only open Thursday to Sunday.
- Not worth it: driving yourself between tastings. A tasting paddle plus a pint puts most people over 0.05, and roadside breath tests on the routes back from the Hills and wine regions are common.
- Not worth it: a tour bus for one or two city stops. Share a taxi instead.
If you are here for a big food and drink festival, time your trip for Tasting Australia, the state’s showcase each autumn, when producers from all over South Australia come to the city.
Adelaide breweries FAQ
What is the best brewery to visit in Adelaide?
Coopers for history and a proper tour, Little Bang for independent craft beer, and Pirate Life in Port Adelaide for a big social afternoon with food. If you only have time for one, the Coopers Brew Tour gives the best sense of South Australian beer.
How much is the Coopers Brewery tour?
The 90-minute Brew Tour is A$55 (from 1 July 2026) and includes five beers. The one-hour Visitor Centre Tour is A$35 with three beers, and the three-hour VIP Tour with lunch is A$350 per person. A self-guided History Walk is free.
Is Coopers Brewery open on Sundays?
No. Tours run Tuesday to Saturday, and the taproom and restaurant are open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm. Sunday and Monday are closed.
How big is a pint in Adelaide?
425ml. A schooner in South Australia is 285ml, and if you want the 570ml glass most of the world calls a pint, ask for an imperial pint.
Why is Coopers Pale Ale cloudy?
It is bottle-conditioned, so a little live yeast settles in the bottle. Rolling or upending the bottle before pouring mixes it through and gives the beer its haze.
Is Pirate Life still independent?
No. It was sold to Carlton & United Breweries in late 2017, and CUB has been owned by Asahi since 2020. The Port Adelaide venue is still a good afternoon out.
Where can I taste gin in Adelaide?
In the city, Prohibition Liquor Co on Gilbert Street. Beyond it, Never Never in McLaren Vale, 78 Degrees at Lot.100 in the Adelaide Hills (check it is open), Clare Valley Distillery on the Riesling Trail and 23rd Street Distillery in Renmark.
Can I visit Adelaide breweries without a car?
Yes. Prohibition is walkable, Coopers is a short taxi ride, Port Adelaide has a train station on the Outer Harbor line, and Little Bang and the Wheaty are a quick bus or taxi from the city. For the Hills and wine regions, take a tour or stay overnight.
Related Adelaide Guides
- Adelaide Food Guide — where to eat before and after the taproom.
- Best Pubs in Adelaide — the classic front bars that pour local beer.
- Adelaide Laneway Bars — small bars with serious tap and gin lists.
- Port Adelaide — the rest of the day around Pirate Life.
- Adelaide Hills Day Trip — villages, cellar doors and scenic drives.
- Wine Tours from Adelaide — the easiest way to taste without driving.
- Tasting Australia — the state’s big food and drink festival.
- Adelaide Nightlife — where to go once the taprooms close.
Photo Credits
The Coopers brewhouse at Regency Park: “Coopers brewery brewhouse.jpg” by Marcus Wong Wongm, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
A bottle and glass of Coopers Pale Ale: “COOPERS PALE ALE FROM ADELAIDE AUSTRALIA IN THE BIER GARDEN SAIGON VIETNAM JAN 2012 (6964050205).jpg” by calflier001, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Farmland between Nairne and Hay Valley: “Adelaide Hills, Nairne.jpg” by Donama, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Coopers range (featured image): “Coopers Brewery range.jpg” by Marcus Wong Wongm, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
