Being in Upper Hutt to enjoy all the breweries closeout, the standout was Boneface Brewing, which…read moreis also the only one that has their full facility here. It's easy to get to, either walking from other taprooms, or with plenty of parking outside. The facility is huge, with high ceilings, and the entire back half of brewing equipment and storage. The front is all tables with partial service. They have a full kitchen and food menu as well; I ordered the Sriracha Mac & Cheese, and it was just to die for with bacon and veggies. They have some games along the wall including foosball and pool. Behind that area is the bar; they offer tasting paddles, full pours, and a full range of hard liquor as well. They also have to go beer, and a self-service water area. The staff that served us was fast and always friendly. Prices reasonable for the quality. This ended up being a highlight brewery visit of my entire trip.

Great brewery! Nice open space super fun with great beer and great staff. Visiting the north…read moreisland and South Island of New Zealand and loving the country and the people cheers

Awesome craft brewery! The building is big and has lots of outdoor seating, including an area for…read morelive music. There were 12 beers on tap, plus you could buy bottles etc to take home. They also had great pizza--we tried the Classic (3 different meats, mushrooms, onions) and the chicken cranberry brie, which were both delicious. The menu included a lot of snacks and appetizers as well. The staff were super friendly and helpful. Note the new hours (see photo)--they were open until 9 PM tonight (Wednesday). You should definitely check this place out!

Te Aro Brewing is another regional favorite, so it was fun to visit their taproom here. They had a…read morefull selection of draft beer from Te Aro and their other breweries, plus drinks and a full coffee service cafe. The bar staff were welcoming and fast to take orders, then items are brought to your table. They have to go beer selections near the door too plus merchandise. We only stopped here for beers and coffee, but had a pleasant time in their cozy seating that was warm despite the high ceilings.

On a recent visit to Wellington, the only new spot for my beer group to visit was Three Sisters new…read moretaproom. Their brewing is done in their original locations, but they now have a convenient location to enjoy in Wellington CBD. We went one night on a busy weekend, and loved how busy it was. The bartenders were very welcoming regardless. The decor focuses on beer, I loved the hops on the ceiling. As we had a list of places to go, we only stayed for a full beer each. But the beers were delicious. We'll definitely be back, and I'd love to visit the actual brewery.

Can one go to Wellington without going to Garage Project?! We'd heard so much about this well-known…read morebrewery - it was one of our good friend's favorite spots while she lived there. It's quite a hike up from the main area, and all uphill - we opted to taxi up and walk back down. First, the address took us to their production facility so we had to walk a block or so to their taproom. We were expecting it to be much bigger than it was! It's similar to the layout of most spots in Wellington: super long and skinny, with seating along the side of the walkway back, with bar in the far back. For how popular it is, we were so surprised it's this small. We grabbed a table by the entrance and ordered at the bar in back. The guy working the bar was wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes shirt?! It was so incredible, and we had a great chat with him about it. We really enjoyed our beer and seltzer, and liked people watching by the front door and inside. The ambiance is great, with cool edgy decor inside. It's a very hipster energy here - ambiance and guests! We asked about merch, and they pointed us to their brewery/production facility down the block. We went over and they had a good amount of beer and some stickers, but otherwise didn't have much at all for merch. We definitely would have bought something if they had more options!

Garage Project, boasted as one of NZ's most popular brews, true to their name, started in a garage,…read moremoving to a service station- offering lots of drink in and/or takeaway variety. We anticipated visiting, not just because of the sheer popularity, but because of the fabulous sounding ambiance of the locations-offering 'big brews with low-key vibes'- and this was exactly what we got (& loved). Visiting the brewery 'house' (not the service station)- I immediately fell in love with the artistic graffiti, the hanging beaker bottles of brews (displaying the colors of the beers), the creative beer label signs, and the friendly bartenders. Overwhelmed by taking it all in, the bartenders took the time to talk with me about the brewery, the history, and walked me through a few beer samples to explain their core beer flavors. We tried: -Pernicious Weed a hearty-dry hopped-dank double IPA with heavy but deliciously smooth quality -Fresh Oct 22-smooth, creamy, hazy-with an orange kick -Haze Daze-a blend of well balanced hops, with a nice citra mouthfeel Only woe-why not 5 stars?- no free wifi & the tap water is seltzer water-smoking allowed

Garage Project is a classic NZ brewery, and it's wonderful to see their continued success. It's a…read moremust-visit during trips to Wellington, so I was thankful to read when the previous brewery folded at this location, that GP took it over. I love this space, such a quick walk from all the best bars and restaurants, with public parking nearby. They have a downstairs bar and booth area, with the kitchen behind, but I love the upstairs bar area with high ceilings, plus the outside patio. On the last trip, I ended up visiting this location four times. The first I had a bunch of small draft beers and some full pours. Plus dolmas and a chacuterie tray, which was just a lovely way to munch while drinking. The clientele here is very friendly too, it felt like a post-work local pub, but was never too busy to get great service. They have the same beers on tap as their Te Aro location, which is also worth a visit. Wild Workshop is also nearby, and a must-visit for beer fans visiting Wellington.

During one of our Beervana breaks, my friend had the brilliant idea of going to another brewery so…read morewe made it this one. Garage Project is a famous NZ staple brewery, with the original spot and taproom on Te Aro a bit outside of downtown. Wild Workshop is it's own location nearby some other excellent breweries and bars, just off Cuba Street. They keep this separate due to the nature of the organisms and beer - they're wild and can easily taint other beer being made nearby. They also had a number of famous European and Australian wild beers on, which made it extra fun. Downstairs is the main brewing area, plus a small bar and tables, with coolships upstairs where the restrooms and more brewing area is. It's in a cool old building with exposed brick and high ceilings, definitely a unique experience. The bartenders were excellent, welcoming and friendly. They were also knowledgeable about their beers and able to help us choose a good tasting paddle. If you're a fan of Belgian beer and similar styles, this one is worth the visit.

This is an amazing brewery; if you're a beer fan it's a must-visit in the area, but if you can't…read morecome directly do yourself a favor and get their cans or bottles to enjoy. Thanks to beer friends who loved their beer, we made an little side trip to Upper Hutt to visit all the breweries, which are conveniently close by each other and walkable. This is truly a mom & pop affair, with the husband and wife team doing the majority of the brewing, packaging, etc., they're great to talk to so it's worth your time to listen to the history of the place. This isn't a taproom to sit and drink, they do free tastings of all their beers on draft, plus weekends they specially open bottled beers to try through the day and visit. The wife/bartender was extra friendly with us. It's crazy how big the facility is, with barrel aging areas, refrigerators, and brewing equipment. In the main room, you can get so many different aged vintage beers of many styles, plus cans and bottles of fresh beers. Prices are reasonable for the rarity, and everything was wrapped with care for transport. They have restrooms in the office, and plenty of free parking outside.

This might have been my favorite brewery stop on my New Zealand trip. They're setup more like a…read morewinery cellar door than a brewpub. It's basically a lobby in front of their production facility where you can take away bottles or growlers, or get a small (~25ml) taste of any of the beers they're currently filling. I was really impressed by their porters and sours, and I didn't hate their IPAs which is rare for me. They're a short walk from Boneface and Panhead, so it might make sense to start with a tasting at Kererú before having a bite at one of the brewpubs.