The Best Geelong Pubs and Breweries for the Finest Ales

Salute the humble hop at our pick of the finest Bellarine and Geelong pubs and breweries.

I’ve always been a Melbourne laneway kind of reveller but a recent visit to Victoria’s second city, Geelong, converted me into a craft beer cheerleader. Home to industrial-chic warehouse operations churning out hopalicious heroes, plus sprawling all-day taprooms with stellar beer gardens, Geelong pubs and breweries are casual-cool yet filled with quality indulgence.

Here are my top port city picks – stretching into the Bellarine Peninsula – for good times and great classic pours.

In short

If you only visit one of the best Geelong pubs, make it Little Creatures Brewery Geelong. With a kids’ playground, indoor and outdoor seating and slick merchandise, it’s the city’s OG craft beer superstar.

1. Little Creatures Brewery Geelong

a crowded pub at Little Creatures Brewery Geelong — Gather with friends at Little Creatures Brewery. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Arguably the flagship taphouse that kickstarted Geelong’s craft brew craze, Little Creatures Brewery Geelong is my go-to for a family-friendly afternoon session. When I visited, I managed to get a table for eight adults and two children without calling ahead – it’s that huge. The rustic-meets-industrial brewery and beer hall is housed in a vast brick building that was formerly a wool mill, and there’s even an entirely separate taphouse for the brand’s sister brewery, White Rabbit. Just wander down the alley to spot it. If you’re here for Little Creatures proper, you’ll love the Freo-born business’ signature hop-driven American Pale Ale, best washed down with woodfired pizzas and share plates. The food is surprisingly delicious, earning the Geelong pub’s dining room a place on my list of the best Geelong restaurants. Hopheads can take a brewery tour or simply try a paddle of whatever taps, including the crowd-pleasing Pipsqueak apple cider, take their fancy.

Address: 221 Swanston St, South Geelong

2. Mount Pleasant Rd Brewers

the bar counter at Mount Pleasant Rd Brewers — Enjoy a range of beers on tap. (Image: Mount Pleasant Rd Brewers)

In town on the weekend? Run, don’t walk, to Mount Pleasant Rd Brewers , which only opens Friday to Sunday in summer, or Friday and Saturday during the cooler months. The independent brew masters blend seriously killer flavours that flow freely in their small yet cosy taproom and umbrella-dotted brew garden out back, drawing Geelong locals plus passionate beer fans from all over. Nine taps pour the brand’s beloved lager, IPAs, pilsners and experimental takes while a snack menu lines stomachs if there’s not a food truck hanging on-site.

Address: 110 Mt Pleasant Rd, Belmont

3. Malt Shovel Taphouse

With its super contemporary look and feel – all white walls and flourishes of greenery – this Geelong taphouse welcomes both the uninitiated and the hobbyist brewer. Expect 16 beers on tap at any one time, a collection curated from different local brewers in addition to their own. Can’t decide on one? Opt for a tasting flight instead, and if you don’t pledge allegiance to the humble hop, there are wines and cocktails, too. Take your poison out to this Geelong pub’s sizable beer garden, festooned with string lights and featuring a retractable roof – it’s an ideal spot to while away an entire afternoon in the sunshine. Once hunger strikes, you’ve got options: this place specialises in rotisserie meats (think beef brisket, roasted herb porchetta and more), but pub grub classics like steaks, burgers, a chicken parmi and salads, are also up for grabs.

Address: Corner Bellarine and Malop St, Geelong

4. Flying Brick Cider Co.

a cider tasting paddle at Flying Brick Cider Co. — Swap your beer for a cider tasting paddle. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Over on the Bellarine Peninsula, Flying Brick Cider Co. is a haven for the sweeter stuff. Choose from three core creations as well as taproom-only seasonal batches that lean into peak fruity flavours. The team are proud to play with purely Australian-sourced fruits including local apples and Packham pears, so it’s a great spot to visit if you like your cider more delicious and less carbonated water. Vibe-wise, the Geelong pub dazzles through its natural light-flooded beer hall and restaurant which opens to spacious lawns (often used for weddings). Wash your homegrown beverages down with grazing platters, hearty pub classics spanning burgers, steaks and a market fish, while children get their own dedicated menu of deep-fried delights.

Address: 1251-1269 Bellarine Hwy, Wallington

5. FarmDog Brewing

a bartender holding two glasses of cocktail at FarmDog Brewing, Geelong pub — Kick off the night with punchy cocktails. (Image: Johnny Rollins Photography)

While we’re exploring the Bellarine, drop into FarmDog Brewing too, a top-notch operation located on McGlashan’s Wallington Estate winery. You’ll score a range of beers plus house crafted gins, best sampled as a FarmDog Gin Tasting Board with Fever Tree tonic and zesty garnishes. Beer paddles are also a popular choice, plus there’s a long list of classic cocktails to choose from if your sweet tooth can’t be silenced. The FarmDog love extended into a second tasting room right in the heart of Geelong in September 2025, offering the same famous blends in an intimate bar space right off Little Malop St. Destined to be hot in summer 2025, mark our words.

Address: 225 Swan Bay Rd, Wallington and Unit 2/5 Denny’s Pl, Geelong

6. Blackman’s Brewery Geelong

people sitting inside the pub at Blackman’s Brewery Geelong — Beer lovers gather at Blackman’s Brewery Geelong.

Located in an industrial precinct, Blackman’s Brewery Geelong is perhaps the archetypal new-age craft beer brewery. Open since early 2021, Blackman’s brews are poured out of a repurposed neon orange shipping container, and its mash tuns and fermentation tanks are on full display in all their shiny silver glory behind the taproom’s chairs and tables. There’s about 10 beers – and one cider – in its core range, plus a steady stream of seasonal brews. The spacious spot often plays host to live music sessions of a weekend, with regular food truck pop-ups too. If you’ve got time on your side, pay a visit to this Geelong brewery’s sister bars in Torquay and Ocean Grove, too.

Address: 29/8 Lewalan Street, Grovedale

7. The Batesford Hotel

Brown leather seating and tables in a pub — The charming country pub delivers historic charm. (Image: Ryal Sormaz)

Moving into proper country pub territory, The Batesford Hotel is a regional Geelong pub with bucketloads of charm. You’ll spot it about six minutes’ drive from town, right along the highway – look for the long white building with a Carlton Draught sign on the roof, and don’t let the facade fool you. Inside, a beautiful, refurbished space, rich in timber and forest green to reflect its lush surroundings, instantly impresses. Live music flows all weekend, classic pub meals roll out of the kitchen and a beer garden dotted with picnic tables, right by a lake, sets a totally serene scene.

Address: 700 Ballarat Rd, Batesford

8. Murphys

Let your hair down at Murphys , a pub every Geelong local’s practically grown up with. The spot to catch a game of footy or sink cocktails with friends, Murphys is my favourite pick for low-key hangs as the drinks flow freely of a weekend and there’s always a crowd. The views are impressive from the pub’s rooftop too, stretching out over the skyline, with protective sheeting ensuring it’s a great spot even when the weather is miserable. Grab an affordable feed as weekly specials include Tuesday Parmi Night, Wednesday Burger Night and Thursday Steak Night, while the regular menu features six different parmis, several burgers, steaks, pastas, fish and chips, and more.  

Address: 30 Aberdeen St, Geelong West

Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes — Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

holding Portarlington mussels — See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

blue mussels off Portarlington — Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli — Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

“Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

a hand holding a Portarlington mussel — Mussels are a sustainable food.

Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard — Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.

8 of the most thirst-quenching Geelong pubs and breweries