Wildflower

Stacks of oak barrels, native bush cuttings and a complete absence of big metal tanks – Wildflower isn’t like most Australian breweries. Where others tend to use commercial yeast and favour malt or hop-led brews, Wildflower co-founder Topher Boehm makes some of the country’s finest examples of wild-fermented beer, using indigenous yeasts collected from trips to the bush.

Wildflower’s brews are inoculated with that collection of wild, unidentified yeast, before spending time in an unusually flat fermentation tank (yeast performs better under low pressure), as well as a stint in the brewery’s fleet of former wine barrels. The resulting beers are more like minimal-interventions wines: tart, slightly pungent and incredibly complex.

Unsurprisingly, these beauties can be harder to get a hold of than other beers coming out of Marrickville. Plenty of clued-in fine diners and pubs stock the stuff – but the sure way to try the range (including a clean table beer, a tart golden ale and a funky amber ale) is at the brewery itself, a converted warehouse filled with those aforementioned bush cuttings and barrels.

Wildflower also serves a snacky, shareable menu celebrating regenerative producers from all over Australia, with a strong influence from Gold Street Dairy next door. Expect considered cheese plates, terrines, tinned fish and more. The kitchen also hosts regular pop-ups from emerging Sydney chefs – keep an eye on the brewery’s socials for the next event.