Best-of list · Craft Beer
The best craft beer bars in Auckland for 2026, from Galbraith's and 16 Tun to Hallertau, Sawmill and Epic Brewing. Editorial picks, updated 2026.
The short answer
7 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Auckland's craft beer scene is small but excellent, anchored by Galbraith's, NZ's first serious brewpub. The list below shows why.
Galbraith's opened in 1995 in the old Grafton library at the top of Mt Eden Road, New Zealand's first serious brewpub and still the benchmark. It brews cask conditioned real ale on site, a rarity in the country, alongside lagers and IPAs. The food is proper pub fare. Go for a hand pulled ale by the fire and settle in for the night.
16 Tun has been Wynyard Quarter's beer room since 2013, a waterfront freehouse with over 150 New Zealand craft beers and hearty, shareable plates. The board changes constantly, so there is always something new on. It suits a relaxed harbourside session. Go for a flight of local brews, a seat outside and a long, easy afternoon by the water.
Brothers Beer came through liquidation and now runs from its Mt Eden bar and brewery, the survivor of a once seven strong group. The house beers pour alongside a wide guest list, with BBQ from the kitchen. It is back to one strong local room. Go for a house IPA and a plate of smoked meat, and back the comeback.
Hallertau has brewed at Riverhead in north west Auckland since 2005, with a spacious biergarten, a restaurant and a friendly weekend crowd. The beer runs from crisp lagers to barrel aged numbers, all best fresh at source. It is a half hour drive worth making. Go for a sunny afternoon in the biergarten with a tasting tray.
Sawmill brews just outside Matakana, an hour north, with the Smoko Room taproom serving fresh beer and wood fired food beside the tanks. It is independent, well run and proud of it. The drive pairs well with a Matakana day out. Go for a fresh pilsner or pale at the source and a long lunch in the Smoko Room.
Liberty has brewed hop forward beer for years and pours from its Helensville taproom on Mill Road, now with an American style burger joint next door. The IPAs are the calling card, big and bitter. It rewards the trip out west. Go for a hophead IPA fresh from the brewery with a burger on the side.
Epic opened its first taproom in 2024 in an Onehunga warehouse, with a pizza kitchen and the brewery's famously aggressive hop bills on tap. It pours Thursday to Sunday from noon, and the Armageddon IPA is the one to chase. Go for a fresh, brutal hop hit and a pizza, and leave the timid palate at home.