Can craft beers have terroir, a sense of place and flavour directly influenced by their surroundings? Definitely, if you ask Tim Maxwell, co-founder of Lord Howe Island Brewery, which produces one-of-a-kind beers in a one-of-a-kind place. This beer never leaves the island, located about 600 kilometres off the coast of NSW, making it the only place in the world you can try it; that’s partly because of the difficulty of importing and exporting (most products available on the island are either grown there or brought in by a fortnightly ship) and partly because the beers are made in small quantities out of sometimes extremely rare ingredients.

For out-of-the-way breweries, distance can create difficulties but remote locations can also be a blessing. Armed with research permits to forage across Lord Howe – a place so completely itself that there are flora and fauna growing here found nowhere else on the planet – head brewer Alastair Gillespie collects endemic plants, which are sent to London to gain a deeper understanding. “We’ve been working with Vincent Savolainen, professor of organismic biology at Imperial College London, to decode different ingredients,” says Maxwell. Southern Cross University in Lismore, NSW, then tests the samples for safety before Gillespie incorporates the plants into his brews. Run by solar and rain power, the brand’s brewpub welcomes guests three nights a week year-round to try their stalwart lager, pale ale and whatever experimental brew is currently on the list – past flavours include bully bush pilsner and a savoury kombucha infused with island cedar.

At Mullumbimby brewery Wandana in the NSW Northern Rivers, head brewer Rupert Koole plays music to his beer during the fermentation process; Kiwi dub to his hazy IPA Mullum Madness and classical to the Harmonic lager. He says it makes for superior-tasting brews. “Some people say it’s the frequency; others say it’s the vibrations created by the frequency. Or it’s just the music.”

The brewery’s other big draw is panoramic views of Mount Chincogan and plenty of outdoor seating to try core and seasonal brews, from red and amber ales to a stout infused with local macadamias smoked in the pizza oven. All are welcome and it’s that community-first approach that resonates with Koole and his wife and business partner, Chrissy. Craft breweries, he says, have a similar function to community centres, churches and town halls – places that bind a region.

“It’s a bit of a nostalgic thing,” says Bec Blacklow, one half of Hopfields Brewery in the fishing town of Margate, Lutruwita/Tasmania, about 20 minutes south of Nipaluna/Hobart. The connection to beer was always strong at the cosy, heritage-listed brewery, restaurant and bar, which was a hops-curing shed in the early 1900s. Blacklow is a great believer in the power of a brewpub to bring a town together, especially when there’s the lure of crumbed pork cutlets with apple ketchup and mash on the menu. And a Channel draught, named for the body of water that connects the mainland to Lunawanna-allonah/Bruny Island. “We’re slowly heading back to the days where every country town has a brewery,” she says.

More regional breweries to explore...