You could easily spend a day or long weekend sipping through the Eastside Wine & Ale Trail in Adelaide’s inner east. All you need is this map and a thirst for a good drop.

Thanks to the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters there’s now a handy map to the breweries, cellar doors and distilleries that have sprung up in the leafy inner suburbs.

We checked in with some of them to find out what brought them to the council area and what experiences await visitors on the Eastside Wine & Ale Trail.

The Suburban Brew
Glynde

Tony Dichiera, Troy Brailsford and Peter Bradley were looking for an opportunity to establish a second taproom – they are in Goodwood too – and a production brewery when they found the Glynde site. They also wanted to become a “new local for the area,” shares Tony.

“It was a great match for us from all angles. To boot, Glynde is such a great food manufacturing hub. So, for us to walk into a community that is passionate about creating and serving quality food and beverages, meant that we felt right at home with great neighbours that welcomed us from day one.”

He pulls out the ‘favourite child’ dilemma when asked to pick one must-try craft beer from the ever-changing tap list. Pressed further, he nominates their award-winning Sunday Session Ale as a “cracking place to start” before venturing into a freshly brewed lager or IPA.

When you drop in, make sure to do a tour of the brewery, which includes guided beer tastings of freshly brewed beer at the various stages of fermentation. “There’s more to making beer than most people know,” says Tony.

After two years in Glynde, Tony reckons the number of familiar and local faces the crew sees feels like they’re being true to their tagline – more than beer, we’re brewing a community.

“Hearing their stories of how they’ve worked a visit to the brewery into their day – whether it was walking the dog, ducking out while slow cooking something or just ‘my mate hadn’t heard of you guys, so thought I’d introduce them’ – is great and exactly what we want to be known for,” he says.

“We also love the stories of the walks home, too. Sometimes it’s a short walk to the brewery, but somehow seems a lot looooonger on the way home. Hahaha.”

Reform Distilling
Kent Town

Picture: Jon Wah

Jed Coffey says he and his brother Dayton fell in love with their Kent Town building as soon as they saw it. “There was something about the amazing street art in the alley way and the progression and position of Kent Town itself,” he explains.

He credits the mixed zoning of the area as bringing a buzz unlike anywhere else, plus there’s genuine love for all things local in the community. Little Rundle Street is narrow, more laneway than street, which means there’s an element of discovery in finding Reform and a vibe that keeps people coming back.

In the two and a half years the distillery has been open, there’s been a flurry of wine bars, cafés and more opening nearby. “It’s becoming a little hub of hospitality.” While Dayton has now moved to the US to pursue his brewing career, Jed’s been busy creating.

The current line-up includes four gins and several liqueurs. Among the gins is the rather unique Old Town quince gin. “Anyone who knows quinces would understand they are a difficult fruit to work with,” says Jed. “It really is a nightmare to make but people love it!”

He’s just finished bottling this year’s batch of 150 bottles. Now, he’s working on a coffee liqueur in a collab with a local roaster.

A tasting flight is his recommendation when stopping in. “A little gin flight, maybe a cocktail after and walk away with your favourite bottle – what a great way to spend an afternoon.”

KHOU
Kent Town

Picture: Jack Fenby

Bec and Dan Khouzam opened KHOU two years ago, drawn by Kent Town’s vibrancy and the statement features of the building. Who doesn’t love a backdrop of arches when relaxing over a drink or grabbing a selfie?

The bar and cellar door (they also own Signature Wines, producing wines from the McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills) attracts a diverse crowd of locals and visitors.

“Kent Town is rich with creative energy, with nearby galleries, boutiques and cafes contributing to a lively, artistic atmosphere,” says Bec. “We really do feel as if we are perfectly positioned to draw in a crowd that appreciates the cosy, intimate ambiance of the space.”

Together with the wines and a delicious bites menu highlighting local produce, there is also an extensive cocktail and spirit menu.

But it’s the recently launched ‘Bespoke shots’ that Bec points to as something different. She says they’re crafted with “deep attention to detail”, blending unique flavours and premium ingredients tailored to each customer’s preference.

“It’s a fun, sophisticated way to discover new tastes and enjoy the artistry behind every pour – my recommendation for a Friday or Saturday night!”

Ferg’s
Stepney

Ferg’s is a wine bar, urban cellar door slash function and event space created by the team behind Massey Wines.

Catherine and her husband winemaker Bevan Ferguson opened up Ferg’s in 2019. Since then, it’s become something of a Friday night ritual for local residents and workers, with knock-off drinks and pizza from Ettore Bertonati from 4pm ‘til late.

Like Bevan, Ettore is a seasoned performer, having spent decades in the pursuit of his craft. He owns Back To Nap catering, serving up pizzas in the authentic Napoletana way.

As to be expected, there’s great small batch wine on offer. A collaboration with a local distiller means there’s also a signature Ferg’s Stepney Dry Gin. While Catherine says not to miss the Shiraz Gin made in collaboration with Imperial Measures Distilling: “It’s an absolute treat.”

On the first Sunday of each month, they have vinyl DJ sessions, spinning 60s, 70s and 80s classics – which make for a very chilled way to spend an afternoon.

Heartland Wines
Norwood

Heartland Wines winemaker Ben Glaetzer and managing director Nick Keukenmeester chose buzzy Norwood for their offices and city cellar door, although all their vines are in Langhorne Creek.

“Many of our customers are from overseas so they wouldn’t know this is the suburbs!” says Nick who was born and raised in the area.

“When they do visit, they have a choice of meeting us in Langhorne Creek or here.” Most opt for the convenience of Heartland’s tasting space, among the restaurants and cafés of The Parade.

The award-winning label is big on keeping its environmental impact small, including using goats to keep grass and weeds at bay and making the wines at the solar powered and gravity fed Barossa Vintners winery.

Asked for a wine that everyone should try, Nick nominates the Directors’ Cut Shiraz.

“It’s an iconic Australian Shiraz and there’s a fun story behind the name,” he says. “But they’ll have to come and try it to find that out.”

Download the handy map to the Eastside Wine & Ale Trail, which also includes:
Amadio Wines, Felixstow
CW Wines, Stepney
Little Bang Brewing, Stepney
Moorooroo Park Vineyards, Hackney
Vineyard Road Wines, Kent Town