Five Barrel Brewing Tap Room, Wollongong

Five Barrel have been serving Wollongong and the Illawarra with well crafted beers for a few years now. Their tap room is the place for locals to try the brewery’s small batch beers.

The Five Barrel Brewing tap room sits in a Wollongong business park. As is the case with many breweries, this environment isn’t naturally the most appealing place to punters. But the brewery has done well to create a welcoming space that is attractive and comfortable for locals.

Eclectic Beers

There are a number of beers available in taster sizes, as well as by the middy or schooner. The Golden Ale and Pale Ale are the most popular but there’s a range of beers across a variety of styles.

The tap room also serves tap beers in 1 litre and 2 litre growler sizes for takeaway. But if you’re looking for beer to take home, look in the fridge. There are six packs of fresh beer, including reliable staples such as aforementioned Pale, as well as some other favourites including their Milk Stout and New England IPA.

Five Barrel Brewing have also been experimenting with barrel ageing. Late in 2018 they released a series of barrel-aged beers in 750ml bottles. It’s something different to the usual line up and is pushing boundaries in the Wollongong beer scene.

Unique Space

The tap room space itself is breezy and nicely furnished. There’s comfortable seating, attractive art work on the walls, and a collection of games to help while away an afternoon. The overall aesthetic is more of a beach-side cafe than a brewery.

Visit on a week day and you might catch them brewing or bottling. The brewhouse is in an adjacent building so, while you might catch a glimpse, you won’t be sitting directly underneath the stainless steel. This is what gives the tap room space its unique and pleasant vibe. The focus of the tap room is on serving beer, while the brewery is focused on making it.

Good Beer For Wollongong

The Five Barrel Brewing tap room is proving very popular among Wollongong locals who like good beer and good times, and who want to support small, local family-run businesses.

It’s also attractive to Sydney-based beer lovers taking a day trip down to The Gong, or as a stop-off on a trip further down the coast.

Five Barrel is a small operation but one that is bringing to life the concept of a family owned brewery making small batch flavourful beers for its local community.

Have you been to the Five Barrel Brewing tap room? Leave a comment and share your experience with other readers.