Marrickville is a suburb of Sydney, Australia that is chock full of breweries, all conveniently located on the Inner West Ale Trail. Easy to get to via bus or train from downtown Sydney, these are the breweries I visited that I really enjoyed.

Young Henrys tasting room is a great place to spend time trying their excellent beers.

Paul MondeYoung Henrys

This one is in Newtown (which is a short walk or bus ride to Marrickville), but Young Henrys is one of the original breweries in the area. Started in 2012, their best known beer is Newtowner pale ale, a staple amongst Sydney residents. It is also served at the Sydney Opera House! The beer list and fun taproom full of art and found objects gives the brewery an inviting vibe. Their wet hop IPA made with the new Australian hop Luna was one of the best beers I had in all of Australia.

Bracket’s tasting room features mainly hoppy options and it was a great bonus that the hops they use for each beer is right on the tasting menu board.

Inner West Ale TrailBracket Brewing

Bracket’s tasting room has both indoor and outdoor seating. Their beer list showcase every hop used in each beer, not just the hoppy ones, so that was a great thing to see. I enjoyed a “middie” (about 10 oz.) sized pour of the Life Hack, a double dry-hopped pale ale with Azacca and Citra hops that had just been tapped and was recommended to me by the beertender.

Kicks tasting room is a few minutes walk from Bracket and had some really great beers.

Odessa Young Kicks Brewing

One of my friends who travels all over the world visiting breweries told me Kicks was his favorite during his time in Sydney. Their tasting room is similar to Bracket’s and it is only a few minute walk between the two breweries. Since hop harvest in the Southern Hemisphere was recently, breweries still had their fresh IPA beers on when I visited. The West Coast-style Pilsner with Ella hops was absolutely delicious and I enjoyed chatting with their friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Heaps Normal’s “health club” has a big space, their own NA beers plus other drinks as well to cater to all who visit.

Inner West Ale TrailHeaps Normal Non-Alcoholic Beer

A dedicated NA brewery with a tasting room that is labeled a “health club,” Heaps Normal has a fun location and it’s always nice to see non-alcoholic breweries have a space of their own. They had guest drinks taps on in addition to their NA beers. They also have tons of space to hang out and host lots of events from mahjong to live music. The giant disco ball that hung from the ceiling was sadly not in use when I was there.

The Grifter’s giant “tinnie” welcomes you to their brewery which features limited releases plus tasty pizza.

Inner West Ale TrailThe Grifter Brewing Co.

One of the larger breweries in the area, The Grifter has delicious hoppy beers and a solid XPA, the classic Australian beer style that is similar to a session IPA. Their dedicated pizza oven which they launched in 2024 was tasty as well. I was there on a Friday night and it was packed with families, date nights and everything in between so the space felt accessible to all. Look for the large “tinnie” in the parking lot.

Teaming with plant life, Mixtape’s brewery had their own beers plus guest taps from other Australian breweries.

Paul MondeMixtape Brewing And Bar

Mixtape’s space is warm and friendly with lots of plant life. They had a small kitchen for snacks, their own beers, which included a couple of fun and cheeky references to the show The Simpsons, and guest beers as well from other breweries around Australia. The cassette theme was everywhere too from their logo to the coffee tables on their stage.

Great beer is everywhere! Please remember to enjoy beer responsibly and to enjoy pints with people who you truly care about. Cheers!