Schwartz Brewery / Maquarie Hotel Sydney

     Located in the old Macquarie Hotel in Sydney the Schwartz Brewery is quickly making a name for itself in the craft brewing scene by also running the Canberra Craft Beer Festival in April, the Newcastle Craft Beer Festival and the Brew Mountains Craft Beer Festival both in October. Schwartz brew all their beer onsite with the brewery located downstairs along with 2 fermentation tanks and a viewing area for those interested in watching the brew magic happen. There is also another 5 fermentation tanks on the ground floor next to the main bar, this may seem like a lot but the brewery offers 6 different beers and a Cider.

     The hotel is a little disjointed / cut up with a bit of a maze to get through if you enter through the wrong door. With the brewery in the basement, the bar on the ground floor, Bill and Tonis bistro on the 1st floor and the accommodation above that. The bistro is great value for money and the burgers are worth the trip into Sydney alone although I would not wont to have to climb those stairs every day. I had the OG burger and the wife had the Cheese burger both came with chips and a burger pattie 20mm thick, they are awesome at $14 each.

     As for the beers we were impressed with the tasting tray looking like a tool box and the small labels but they do need to be upgraded to keep up with the beers being offered and more info on the beers themselves would be good so that people could match what they are tasting and educate themselves better.

    Now for the beers;

Pale Ale - 5% We didn't notice a lot of hops in this brew but a nice caramely malty taste, very easy to drink, with a late bitterness, dryness to it.

Pils - 5%  The combination of malts used here left us with a pronounced honey taste in an  otherwise excellent soft pilsner with no in your face bitterness you can get from the Saaz hops occasionally.

Hefeweizen - 5.4% Our pick of the day, with it's big fruit flavours you need to think for a moment until you realise it is banana  that your tasting and how well it blends in with the restrained spices, malts and hops.

Summertime -  4.6% This Ale has a fairly big mouthfeel / taste to it yet no one part jumps out at you with the malts and hops balanced nicely.

 Schwartz Bier - 4.9% With a roasted chocolaty taste and hints of coffee aromas this black beer has a complexity to it that makes you drink more so you can find the next layer and if served a few degrees warmer would really make it shine.

Sydney Cider - 4.5% With a low upfront apple taste and a good dose of bitterness this cider is not overly sweet and could use a bigger apple taste otherwise it would be great on a summer afternoon.

Unfortunately the Bavarian Red, Porter and the Belgian Strong Ale were either unavailable or not offered in the tasting tray.

              Tasting tray 6 Beers for $15                   Brewery tours - check with staff no fixed time

    Steve's pick  -   Hefeweizen             Wife's pick   -   Sydney Cider


Pro's  - great beers, food                              Con's  -  Stairs to get lunch