Made by the people for the people, entry level craft with some funk added to their IPA lines.

Since opening way back in 2012, Willie the Boatman has become a household name in the Sydney craft beer scene. And the brewpub, located within St Peters’ Precinct 75, has garnered extra attention since its Luchetti Krelle-designed makeover in the same year. Sydney’s inner west has played host to a variety of interesting characters in its long history. William Kerr, Anthony Albanese, Patrick McInerney and are among them – and, although they may sound like a random assortment of names, they’re all characters in a story that supersedes the area itself.

It’s a bright and airy space with hanging greenery and tasteful bric-a-brac adorning the walls, plus a mix of timber and steel finishes. The space offers booths and long communal table seating, along with a comfy leather couch for good measure.

The beers, like the brewery, all have fun names and stories — from the easy-drinking Tempe Tim pale ale to the bolder Crazy Ivan IPA. The bar is also slinging its specialty Albo corn ale (on tap and in tinnies) — it’s a farmhouse-style ale that’s named for the current Prime Minister of Australia. This beer is in a league of its own and could easily keep you at the brewery all arvo.

The brewery’s history makes for an enticing story it’s one feels as embedded in Sydney’s inner west as the tales of convicts that have long since gone. Fortunately for the modern community, Willie The Boatman continues to flow and brings with it golden nectar and a warm spirit.