Summer is here and we’re feelin’ a little festive (never mind that summer snow). If you’re itching to celebrate the season with a few bevvies, you’re in the right place. We’ve listed two dozen wineries, ciderhouses, distilleries and bars in Southern Tasmania to spend some leisurely hours with a drink in hand.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, just 24 of our tips to quench your thirst (see Eat & Drink for more).
It’s best to check opening times and booking requirements with individual businesses, especially over the holidays.
Stay off the naughty list and organise a designated driver or other safe mode of transport home. Cheers to you!
The Derwent Valley
If you’re fond of a vino, head out towards the scenic Derwent Valley. These two wineries are within a half hour drive from Hobart.
- Stefano Lubiana offers tastings (and tutored tastings if you want to get cultured) of their award-winning wines at their Granton Cellar Door. Plus, enjoy fine Italian cuisine in their restaurant, Osteria.
- Continue the delightful wine tasting and enjoy the scenic views at nearby Derwent Estate Wine‘s Cellar Door.
- It’s also worth checking out the newest kid on the block, the New Norfolk Distillery. They offer tours (must book in) and make a really good drop of rum… take our word for it!
The Tasman Peninsula
Taste craft spirits and fine wine on the Tasman Peninsula, around a 1-hour drive from Hobart.
- Hellfire Bluff Distillery at Boomer Bay is a gin lover’s delight (choose from Christmas spice gin, London dry gin, summer gin, piquant gin, and sloe gin). Hellfire also create potato vodka and a range of liqueurs.
- Visit Bangor Shed‘s cellar door and restaurant at Dunalley to taste their award-winning wine. Indulge in a leisurely lunch of fresh Tasmanian produce (they are known for their oysters) with a scenic view of the vineyard and bay.
- 1830 Restaurant & Bar at the Port Arthur Historic Site offers a fine range of Tasmanian wines, craft beers and spirits. Enjoy sweeping views of the historic buildings, convict ruins and grounds as you sip your beverage of choice.
- McHenry Distillery is perched on the side of Mount Arthur. Become a distiller for a day on their gin making workshop or join one of the daily tours to taste the range of boutique gin, whisky and vodka.
- On your way to (or from) the peninsula, check out the Dunalley Bay Distillery, where botanicals meet the sea.
The Huon Valley
Explore the cider trail and relax at the local wineries.
- Treat yourself to a cider tasting paddle and a big old slice of homemade apple pie at Willie Smith’s Apple Shed. Charles Oates Distilling is also onsite (apple brandy, anyone?). The Apple Shed hosts regular live music and events, so check what’s on.
- Pop into Frank’s Ciderhouse & Café in the charming riverside town of Franklin to taste their delightful fruit ciders and enjoy a bite to eat.
- Visit Pagan Cider’s cellar door at Cygnet for tastings of their flagship range as well as their specialty very small batch blends.
- Head to Home Hill Wines at Ranelagh for a leisurely lunch and tastings of their award-winning wines.
Bruny Island
A microcosm of Tasmania’s best, including food and drink, is a scenic drive and ferry ride away.
- Bruny Island Cheese & Beer Co. brew slow beer in small batches, creating a regionally distinctive, artisan product. Their beers are available on tap and in bottles at their Cellar Door in Great Bay.
- Treat yourself to a lazy luncheon, small plates or tasting platters—with award-winning vino—at Bruny Island Premium Wines, Lunawanna. They are also open on Friday and Saturday evenings during the warmer months.
The Heritage Highway & Central Highlands
The whisky trail will put hair on your chest (disclaimer: some chests may actually become smooth, like the fine dram upon your lips).
- Shene Distillery calls a 200-year-old Gothic estate at Pontville home (expect an abundance of character all round). Book yourself on a family-run tour or pop by their Sunday roadside stall (10am – 4pm) to pick up a bottle of their highly sought after Mackay Whisky or spirited Poltergeist Gin.
- Visit the Old Kempton Distillery for tours, spirit tastings, and yummy food (the tasting platter and Devonshire tea are very popular) in an elegantly restored 1840s coaching inn. On Sundays during summer, relax with live music and cocktails in the courtyard.
- Nant Distillery at Bothwell is the home of Tasmania’s first premium highland single malt whisky. Book yourself on a tour to learn how the water, barley, and altitude is a recipe for success, or visit the Cellar Door in the atrium at historic Nant Estate (c. 1821) for tastings.
The Coal River Valley
One of Tasmania’s top wine regions, near the historic village of Richmond, is just a short drive from Hobart.
- Visit the Frogmore Creek Winery Cellar Door & Restaurant for wine tasting, then indulge in a long lunch overlooking the vineyard. (They also run The Lounge by Frogmore Creek on the Hobart waterfront.)
- The Pooley Wines Cellar Door is located within historic Belmont House (c. 1830s), a charming venue for wine tasting. They also have pizza for lunch Friday—Sunday (bookings advised).
Hobart
Aka hipster heaven: grab your mates for a bar crawl or just show off how fantastic the bar scene (and variety) is in ye olde Hobart Town.
- Aura Restaurant and Lounge Bar is Hobart’s newest (and only) rooftop bar. Enjoy 180 (maybe a few more) degree views spanning from the Derwent River, over the Tasman Bridge and to kunanyi/Mt Wellington.
- Gin Bar (by Forty Spotted) is serving up the perfect summer tipples, stocking a range of unique and experimental Forty Spotted products available only at the venue (think Rose and Raspberry Gin, Tasmanian Honey Gin, Pepperberry and Citrus Gin, and more …).
- Society Salamanca is tucked away in Battery Point and offers a diverse drinks selection showcasing Tasmania’s finest spirits. Society specialises in fine cocktails, gin and whisky.
- Head to The Den in Salamanca for delicately balanced cocktails and Tasmanian tastes. They have jazz on Tuesday evenings and a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Discover hip Botanica Bar in a transformed Georgian sandstone warehouse at Salamanca. Choose from the best of Tasmania’s local distilleries, breweries and delicacies.
- Taste Tasmania’s finest whisky at Lark Distillery’s Cellar Door & Whisky Bar on the Hobart waterfront. If you’re feeling fancy, ask one of the staff members to curate a tasting flight especially for you from their range of more than 250 international whiskies. Alterntively, head up to GinBar in Argyle street and cool down with a refreshing Forty Spotted Gin.
- The Story Bar in MACq 01 Hotel is all about trading stories with friends over your beverages of choice (there’s something for everyone, from draft beer to the finest wine and spirits). If your buddies aren’t that interesting and you’ve run out of things to talk about, check out the newspaper headlines from decades past.
- Bar Wa Izakaya is a warm, casual bar where the best of Hobart and Tokyo meet. Share tasty Japanese dishes and indulge in Japanese sake, beers and cocktails.
- The Cascade Brewery (c. 1824) in South Hobart is the oldest continually operating brewery in Australia. Take a tour, taste the tried-and-true range of beer and cider, have a bite in the restaurant, stroll the lovely gardens, and take in the view of kunanyi/Mt Wellington.
Relax and let someone else take you out for a tipple! Book yourself on a guided tour with StelaVino, Ageing Barrel Tours, or Tasmanian Gourmet Food Tours. For more suggestions, see Eat & Drink and check out Southern Tasmania’s upcoming events.
We love it when you share your adventures with us! Share your snaps by tagging @hobartandbeyond and using #HobartandBeyond on Instagram and Facebook – we’ll share our favourite pics on social media and in the blog.
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The Ultimate Road Trip: Tasmania’s Western Wilds
Craft a Tasman Peninusla Getaway Around the Three Capes Track
Header image:
Bruny Island Safaris
Words:
Isabel Galloway
