I sort of took a wrong turn and ended up at this brewery. Well, that certainly turned out to be one of those delightful accidents because this brewery was pretty awesome. I have had some of their beers before, namely because I wandered into a bottle shop, but it was great to actually visit the brewery itself. Yeah, the beers are pretty awesome, and the service wasn't bad at all. It may be a bit of a trek to get to, but it is definitely worth it. read more

See all

There is so much to brag about how wonderful prancing pony is, so I'll do my best to get it all down. Firstly, let me start with my slight hiccups. I came for a visit on a Saturday, it was quite busy, and the staff had asked if we had made a reservation. I suggest booking a table if you're planning a visit, especially on a weekend. The brewery has a great airy and open feel to it, a variety of tables and seating, and great decorations hanging about. There was a large variety of pub style to choose from, I opted for the nachos, although my friend wanted salad and was told that both salad options listed on the menu were no longer being offered. The best part, however, were the endless options of beers. They had a variety of selections on tap, a few ciders, and even cans and bottles to take home. I ordered the Zeppelin IPA and I loved it. Overall, I highly recommend paying this brewery a visit up in the hills, it was great. read more

See all

Yum! Had a pony burger and a flight. The burger was really good and fries were tasty, although a bit over seasoned. They ended up overpowering the beer a bit. The beer flight was six small beers for I think $15? Good deal I thought, and ends up (according to the staff) at about 2.5 standard drinks, so you could actually drink it and not go overboard. The six beers on selection were all good, and included the Imperial Red (best beer in the world!) so i was happy. In hindsight, I should have split the flight with my partner, then each ordered a full pint to go with our meals. That would allow you to properly taste the beer, then enjoy one with food. I'd definitely come back! Oh, and one star off because pizzas weren't available :( maybe because it was like 2:00pm on a week day? read more

Prancing Pony Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Mount Barker, SA

Worth a visit if you are passing through the mount barker area but I don't think I will be in a rush to go back. Although they have tried to make the place an interesting hub for local craft beer it really lacks enthusiastic customer service. Beers wise - the Pale ale was tasty and the amber ale was good too. I think I should have tried the India Red Ale (that's the one that people rave about and has been awarded for its taste). I visited the joint mid-week so perhaps that's why the place felt a bit dull .. a bit of a let down really especially for a craft beer place where you would expect a tad more enthusiasm from the staff. I thought I would sample some food with the beers but I think it's best to stick to the beer alone!!! I tried the fried chicken with slaw and was not impressed. Not enough flavour for fried chicken - I've tried much better in SA. The chips had slightly better flavour with the seasoning they used. Overall Not bad but sadly not that amazing either. read more

Prancing Pony Brewery - Chips and chicken - Breweries Near Me - Mount Barker, SA

Great atmosphere,fast service,good hot food with tasty beer Different to the norm Great place for family outing to eat casually dressed read more

I love beer. Great pubs that stock good beers on tap are growing in popularity as Joe and Jolene Public of Adelaide have matured into beer connoisseurs over the years. Mr and Mrs Public demand tasty new beers from around the globe and are willing to pay for it. This has lead a local craft beer brewing revolution in the last 8-10 years which started for me with the famous Lobethal Bierhaus. When I first heard of Prancing Pony brewery - back in 2013 I think it was, and being a hillybilly myself, I visited their small shed in the back streets of Mt Barker's industrial area and loved the rustic charm that the place had. None of that would have meant anything though if the beer wasn't great, and I was surprised at how great it was. Prancing Pony's main call card is that they "Fire Brew", which essentially means they heat their mash and boil their wort (malted barley and water) with a gas flame rather than a steam jacket which other brewers use. I'm not sure if this is done for marketing reasons or if it actually makes better beer, but it hasn't made their beer any worse, so that's a good thing. According to "Beer Days" The fire stimulates much higher temperatures in the brewing process which in turn provides more malty, toffee flavours. I can attest to that; PP's beers have that extra "something" that I can't quite put my finger on, so fire brewing may be the answer. PP also state that they only use "natural ingredients", which I think means malted barley, hops and water only and their beers are unfiltered. Now, back to the venue and experience. Since my first visit to their little shed, the whole Pony operation has trotted (pun intended) over to greener pastures (again, pun intended) on Mt Barker road (the road to Hahndorf, Aldgate, Stirling); with a lovely outlook and much bigger premises. Essentially everything is the same; stools with old denim jeans seats, woodworking benches and op shop style lamps and a few nice chesterfield lounges that you'll want to grab if they're free. The whole brewing setup is there for you to see and head brewer Frank is often busy doing something technical to do with beer making. The space is generous and has ample tables for a huge gathering and a long bar. The graphics and design of the place match the beer labels perfectly and while it's a little gimmicky, it doesn't feel overdone. Their beers are also fantastic. India red ale is not only my favourite of theirs, but one of my favourite beers made in SA and even Australia. Their black ale, amber and pale are all great, as is their new stout that I got a sneak peek of in September. I often grab a pony or two when visiting Belair fine wines or Stirling cellars. If you're a beer lover and brewing nerd, do yourself a favour and get down there. read more

Prancing Pony Brewery - Prancing pony stout - Breweries Near Me - Mount Barker, SA

See all

Great first time experience today. Beer paddle is a must that way you can try 6 of the standard pony beers $15 will give u that experience. Its definitely a decent size tasting too. Or you can try their premium selection for $10 for 4 beers. But told today come back in another month or 2 they will be adding another couple of beers to the premium paddle. Enjoy a hot salty buttered pretzel whilst enjoying your beer. If beer isnt your thing they do have non alcoholic beverages and hot drinks, coffee etc. By appointment only they offer tours of the brewery too. Combine it with a beer paddle for only a few extra $$ read more

See all

Well, I was introduced to Prancing Pony at one of my favourite venues in Adelaide, the Wheatsheaf Hotel. I saw it on a menu and I fell in love with the name and banding. Being a massive Lord of the Rings fan I thought it was genius that someone grabbed the name. Also what grabbed my attention about the beer is that it is fire brewed. The Pony is the only fire brewer in Australia. That is pretty special. A very traditional method and really brings out the malt flavours in the beer. They have a great line of beer, my favourite being the Indian Red Ale (which came number 20 out of 100 on the best craft beer in Australia for 2014), Amber Ale, Black Ale and the newest addition the Summer Ale. The Indian Red Ale is heavier on the hop flavour than the others; I think that is why it stands out for me. It is hoppy, but it is very easy to drink. The Amber Ale is smooth and malty, easy consumed in summer or winter. Black Ale is just how a Black Ale should be, a strong chocolate and coffee flavour with a little bitterness. Now, for the ladies, particularly the ones that like cider; you will love the Summer Ale. It is fruity, light, not heavily carbonated and very easy to drink. A little too easy to drink! As for the new Brewery, well I am so super impressed with the hard work they have put in here. The Ponies have come a long way from a little shed brewery in the back of Mount Baker to this lovely large set up. The décor is so homely and almost has a pop up feel. Some of the tables are old workbenches with vices still attached. How cool! The others are all made of carefully chosen reclaimed timber. The chairs are all mixed and matching the eclectic style. There are some beautiful chesterfield couches that I just want to sit on and chill out all day. There are a number of Persian rugs that look loved and are set up in areas for homely comfort. I could just set up camp here all weekend. Finally, the new menu is very exciting and I will be back to sample as soon as possible. The stand out item for me is the Currywurst. This was one of my favourite creations (apart from the beer) when I visited Germany. I can not think of any other venue in Adelaide that serves this item. So it is bound to be a hit. What can I say, I am happy to be a local with the the Prancing Pony around the corner. read more

See all

Great place! The vibe is awesome, servers super nice and knowledgable. We got THE PLANK! A great sample of 6 beers for $10. We used this method to determine which beer we would drink ;) Also got a meat plate as their chief wasn't in (so. I burgers). But it was the perfect amount of food for beer sampling. If you live in Adelaide, make the trip. Life is so much better at a brewery! read more

Prancing Pony Brewery - The plank and meat platter - Breweries Near Me - Mount Barker, SA

My husband and I got here about 20 minutes before closing, apologetic about it, but we'd basically structured our day around being able to get to this brewery. We're beer fans and LotR fans, so we felt like visiting this place had to happen. And we're so glad we did! Beer in Australia was a much different experience than expected, and nowhere did this turn my world upside down as much as it did in Prancing Pony. Above all, I have to praise the service here. There was one barkeep on duty, and zero other patrons. He could've been rude to us, or tired, or disinterested, but he was the opposite. He chatted beers, he told us about GABS, we debated the merits of American beer vs Australian beer. And all the while he poured generous tasters, offered to break six-packs (when I expressed a desire to buy bottles but an inability to choose and a concern about getting more beer than I could drink before our flight home), and gave recommendations on other breweries for us to try at our next destinations. In the end, the most stunning thing here was that they had not one, but TWO IPAs that I loved. Normally, I hate IPAs. I cannot stand the smell or the taste of even the smoothest, least hoppy IPA. And I've tried many. The Pacific Northwest, where I live in the states, is a great fan of IPAs, so they're in my face all the time. I cannot stand them. I normally reach for porters, stouts, or sours, depending on my mood. But Prancing Pony had an IPA I found tasty, which blew my mind. And then that amazing barkeep gave me a taster of their super secret limited-edition IPA (happening at GABS, so alas I will never again get to drink it) and it was phenomenal. I would drink it by the pint without a wince. I would drink it every week. I absolutely loved it. Mild identity crisis aside, it was an absolute delight to be surprised in that way, and it makes me recommend this brewery to beer fans anywhere near the Adelaide Hills. read more

Sensational range of craft beer, all very good. But the food limited in range, with possibly the worst wedges in Adelaide...steer clear of them! Vibrant atmosphere, noisy, with too many kids running around! But the beer is good. read more

Was not thrilled with my experience at the Prancing Pony. Went for lunch on a Friday, arrived just prior to my booking and was shown to a table different to the one requested in the booking. Food was ordered with a shared starter before our mains...the entire order was delivered to the table at the same time...whilst the starter was good, the mains were less than adequate. Feedback was given but no offer was made to discount the bill. Such a shame as it's a lovely venue and I'm sure their beers are on point. My expectations for the food were obviously too high read more

I tried for 2 days to go here and both flopped. They're closed on Tuesday's during the school year, which Google didn't know. Then on Wednesday, I drive back out at lunchtime and was turned away. They were open, but apparently they don't serve lunch Wednesdays. They made no effort to sell me a beer, six pack, flight, sip, anything. The guy behind the counter just said that they weren't open for lunch and that was it. There's nothing written on the door about Wednesday being a special schedule. Was a bummer, I won't be heading back. It's a shame too, because I tried the Red IPA by ourchasing it at a store and it's delicious. read more

Beer might be ok, but food really terrible. Fried chicken wing overcooked and super dry. Pizza is flavourless. Never had such bad pizza before. I know it's "Pony Brewery" but didn't expect it smells like "Pony"....... read more

Well of course they have good beer and that is important at a brewery but I was sadly disappointed with the food I ordered. Besides being on the small side, the pony burger was a mix of pork and beef. It just tasted too much like a sausage when I wanted a burger. Besides, who puts a cold cheese slice on top of cold lettuce and not on the burger itself so it can melt? read more