A lovely trend of the craft beer evolution has been the addition of a small brewery to a vineyard. Scratch a winemaker and often there’s a home brewer lurking under the surface. (Hope, Vale, Ironbark etc). That’s the story with the Cupitt’s, where Wally and Tom Cupitt decided to convert a hobby to a brewery.
Bucolic beers
The setting for beer drinking is quite simply beautiful. Cupitt’s Estate is set on a slope overlooking vineyards and cows with hills in the distance. An afternoon of eating and drinking would be extremely pleasant. There really is something for everyone with wine, beer, cheese and a restaurant.
Here for the beers
A sunset at Bingie awaited so a hit-and-run technique perfected over the years by this correspondent was employed. A flight for me, a middy of mid-strength for my driver and cheque please. No banter – straight into it. The flagship drop, which is available in cans, is the Milton Pilsner, which is strange because we are in Ulladulla. For me, the standouts were the Dark Lager, a malty Schwarzbier style and the Whey Stout. The addition of cow’s milk whey left from the on-site cheese making adds to the smooth sweetness of this velvety stout.
Linger longer next time
Cupitt’s Estate: 58 Washburton Road, Ulladulla NSW
back of the ferry 