Sydney Brewery
18 Albion Street
Rydges Sidney Central Hotel
Surry Hills, NSW 2000
Australia
+61 2 8262 8888 | map
sydneybrewery.com
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.84/5 rDev 0%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev 0%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.75
I was staying at the Sydney Central Hotel; overlooking the central rail station, my favorite urban setting. When I check in, the Hotel gives me a free drink card to their brewery, so I had a flight of their beers and stayed for dinner. Overall, the experience was no big deal. But the story I learned afterwards is more interesting and explains my high Vibe score.
This particular hotel is one of a dozen or so owned by the Schwartz family. (Rydges, probably the largest Aussie hotelier, manages only several of the hotels Schwartz owns.) Sydney Brewery has its roots in another Schwartz hotel, started because the hotel needed a new angle and micro-brewing was just getting attention in Sydney in 2005. So begins this Sydney micro-pioneer that relies as much on guests at its 12+ hotels as it does its distribution around New South Wales. One such resort is in the heart of wine country. Anyhow, this is totally different than the typical micro-business strategy of buying a few tanks, dressing up an old warehouse, opening a taproom and hoping drinkers walk in. I also found Sydney's strategy interesting because it is very British as many of their breweries in the 19th and early 20th Century were also in the hospitality business.
Second, the current patriarch of the Schwartz family hospitality businesses is a complete character. This comes through in the book I found in my room "From Beer To Eternity: The History of Sydney Brewery." It is coffee table quality.
As for the Quality of the beer, not so much enthusiasm from me. I review each of the four Sydney samples from their taps. But my basic issue is Aussies drink their beer too cold to appreciate their subtleties. Not much can be done about that except wait when you're thirsty... and I'm not good at that. Service was very good, as it was during my two weeks at the hotel. Besides Sydney's beers, they sold other brewers' offerings which I always like to see. The sandwich I had was a shade better than bar food, thoughtful but not worth having again. (And I'd like an option for "no fries, please.")
Overall, go see it for yourself. Centrally located. And ask for the book on Sydney Brewery. It is a marketing masterpiece.
Jan 26, 2025This particular hotel is one of a dozen or so owned by the Schwartz family. (Rydges, probably the largest Aussie hotelier, manages only several of the hotels Schwartz owns.) Sydney Brewery has its roots in another Schwartz hotel, started because the hotel needed a new angle and micro-brewing was just getting attention in Sydney in 2005. So begins this Sydney micro-pioneer that relies as much on guests at its 12+ hotels as it does its distribution around New South Wales. One such resort is in the heart of wine country. Anyhow, this is totally different than the typical micro-business strategy of buying a few tanks, dressing up an old warehouse, opening a taproom and hoping drinkers walk in. I also found Sydney's strategy interesting because it is very British as many of their breweries in the 19th and early 20th Century were also in the hospitality business.
Second, the current patriarch of the Schwartz family hospitality businesses is a complete character. This comes through in the book I found in my room "From Beer To Eternity: The History of Sydney Brewery." It is coffee table quality.
As for the Quality of the beer, not so much enthusiasm from me. I review each of the four Sydney samples from their taps. But my basic issue is Aussies drink their beer too cold to appreciate their subtleties. Not much can be done about that except wait when you're thirsty... and I'm not good at that. Service was very good, as it was during my two weeks at the hotel. Besides Sydney's beers, they sold other brewers' offerings which I always like to see. The sandwich I had was a shade better than bar food, thoughtful but not worth having again. (And I'd like an option for "no fries, please.")
Overall, go see it for yourself. Centrally located. And ask for the book on Sydney Brewery. It is a marketing masterpiece.
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