Craftwork Brewery
Monday4:00 – 8:00 pm.
Tuesday4:00 – 8:00 pm.
Wednesday4:00 – 8:00 pm.
Thursday4:00 – 8:00 pm.
Friday4:00 – 8:00 pm.
Saturday12:00 – 8:00 pm.
Sunday12:00 – 7:00 pm.
Ōamaru’s Heritage Precinct is an ode to tradition. In this way it only makes sense that it’s home to Craftwork - an award winning, small scale, Belgian brewery run by brewing couple, Lee-Ann Scotti and Michael O’Brien.
On select days you can find Lee-Ann and Michael minding the taps at Craftwork, their tasting room. The hours are very limited so plan ahead - beer nerds and non-nerds alike will be gutted to miss this spot and its proprietors. When the pair aren’t running the tasting room they’re brewing off site (under Lee-Ann’s house actually!) Here, they slowly churn out their award-winning Belgian style beers.
The beer they are most proud of, O’ambic, has made a splash at beer festivals in New Zealand and abroad. Sour, smooth and full of probiotics it’s a must try - the perfect showcase for brewing “as it used to be done.” O’ambic is spontaneously fermented wheat beer meaning Lee-Ann and Michael expose it to the air after a long boil in the cooler months to allow the microorganisms to produce the tart, refreshing flavours they’re so well known for.
Lee-Ann and Michael brew in a way that is labour and time intensive but the beers (and their many accolades) speak for themselves. As Lee-Ann put it, “Brewing this way appeals to us because when you put the work out you don’t know what you’re going to get. You have to work with that randomness. Other breweries tend to be product focused, but we are process focused. We live with the end product and don’t manipulate it.”
At the tasting room you can try O’ambic and many other Craftwork beers both on tap and in bottles and because Lee-Ann and Michael have a great appreciation for things that are made slowly, they do a mean cheese board. The slices change with the seasons - “You can’t always get our beer and you can’t always get these things either so it all fits in.”
Beer nerds have flown in from the North Island, Australia and beyond just for these pours so plan ahead and get to Craftwork while you’re in Ōamaru. If you can’t make their hours though, you can get their beers at a number of other Neat Places like The Criterion Hotel and Cucina.
Words by Olivia Sisson & Photography by Nancy Zhou
Information not correct? Report an error
Location
10 Harbour Street, South Hill, Oamaru
Nearby Places
Steampunk HQ
This epicentre of Steampunk culture comes alive at the Steampunk HQ, where interactive art comes to life in a way that’s fun, antique and futuristic all at once.
Housekeepers Design
A beautiful old building full of beautiful new objects. We’re talking New Zealand-made clothing, accessories and homewares that’ll delight even the most discerning of buyers. Do your gift shopping or treat yourself.
Oásis Ōamaru
Oásis is a fitting name for this treasure trove of an antiques store found on Tees Street in Ōamaru.
Hub and Sprocket Cycles
Possibly our most bikeable region, the Waitaki is home to plenty of rugged scenery and flat to not-so-flat cycleways. Get your gear sorted and check out the tours that range from day trips to the full A2O at Hub and Sprocket Cycles.
Similar Places
The Fort Enfield
A classic Kiwi pub reimagined — Speights and craft pours plus simple and delicious kai — pub fare as it should be. Drive or bike the 12km from Ōamaru and reward yourself with the best steak and chips around.
Riverstone Kitchen
Riverstone Kitchen has been working with Waitaki producers and growing their own ingredients since day one. Their simple, seasonal approach has earned a huge following and heaps of awards, so wander the veggie gardens, enjoy a meal and stay awhile.
The FishWife
Owned by a fourth-generation Moeraki fisherman, this dockside restaurant is the real deal. Snag a crayfish with chips for a meal that’s simple but supremely delicious, or go for the pāua patty which will have you renouncing beef burgers altogether. Whatever you go for, it’s all caught right here.
River-T Estate Wines
River-T Estate vineyard and tasting room has the ‘largest selection of Waitaki wine in the world’. Sit inside or amongst the rows, sip a glass and get stuck into any of their locally sourced platters.