Beers, Bites, and Bowling: A Guide to Upper Hutt’s Brewtown

With some of the region’s top craft breweries having set up shop here, Brewtown is a craft beer lover’s paradise and a must-visit for any beer connoisseur from around Aotearoa. Residents include Boneface Brewing Co., Panhead Custom Ales, Fermented, Te Aro Brewing Co., and Wildkiwi Distillery. All the breweries are conveniently lined up right next to each other, so it’s easy to create your own craft beer tour and dip in and out of each establishment and try the freshest releases.

A craft beer experience isn’t complete without a worthy food match, and Brewtown has you more than sorted on that front: you can rest assured you’ll be well-fed wherever you head. Each brewery boasts a fulsome menu to pair perfectly with its beer; from stacked BBQ platters to pizzas and burgers dripping with sauce, naughty desserts ensure you can finish on a sugar high. Fresko has its famed fish and chips offering out of Daytona Adventure Park. And make sure you check out the food vendors outside as well, from a waffle stall to Get Fixed and that Wellington icon, Lucky.

Feel the need to work off all those carbs? Brewtown practically has its own in-house theme park, so there are plenty of ways to work up a sweat while having some fun to stir yourself out of your food coma. Try your hand at axe throwing or mini golf, or if you’re feeling up for it, test yourself in one of Scapegoat’s escape rooms. For the younger ones, there’s a Chipmunks playground, and Daytona Adventure Park is an all-ages, one-stop shop of fun where you can go karting, ice skating, tenpin bowling, paintballing, or trampolining. 

If you’re after a souvenir of your time at Brewtown, there’s plenty of merch you can get your hands on, along with some practical tools and gadgets to continue your craft beer journey at home. Head along to the merch shop for limited edition memorabilia straight from the breweries, along with all sorts of gear and supplies to get you started on your own craft beer brewing journey. For something a bit special, sign up for a class at Stackhouse Knives, where you can make your own artisan knives or jewellery for a truly unique souvenir or gift. And if you’re swinging by on a Sunday, don’t miss the Brewtown Farmers Market and the range of fresh produce, food trucks, and handcrafted products you can explore.