Mini Marrickville sour beer trail: A one-day Inner West brewery itinerary
The Inner West ale trail has never been a static thing.
Breweries open. Breweries evolve. Some quietly become institutions before you realise they have. And now, with Wildflower Brewing & Blending announcing it will leave Marrickville in May, the wild-fermented corner of Sydney’s craft beer scene feels like it’s shifting under our feet.
This isn’t a race to drink everything before it’s gone. Quite the opposite. This Sour Seekers path is designed to slow you down — to taste carefully, to notice the difference between bright, fruit-forward acidity and layered, barrel-aged funk, to sit with a glass instead of ticking it off.
Think of this as a snapshot of Marrickville right now. Not a checklist. A moment.
1) The Grifter Brewing Co.
Grifter is the kind of place that makes this trail feel relaxed. Founded in 2012 by three friends who just wanted to brew good beer (and still independent, still B Corp certified), it has that warehouse energy that says: yes, we take beer seriously but not too seriously.
This is your palate warm-up stop.
If they’ve got Pink Galah pouring, it’s the perfect entry point: tart, nostalgic, unapologetically pink. Not subtle, not barrel-aged, not contemplative just bright and fun. If you want something a little cleaner, Serpent’s Kiss (watermelon pilsner) resets your expectations before things get more complex.
Stay for a glass, maybe share a paddle. You’re not trying to peak here. You’re just waking up your tastebuds.
📍 1/391–397 Enmore Rd, Marrickville
2) Wildflower Brewing & Blending
Slow down. This is the point of the walk.
Wildflower isn’t just another sour stop. It’s the reason this particular path exists.
Since 2016, they’ve fermented beers with wild yeast and bacteria foraged from native NSW flowers wattle blossoms, dandelions, whatever the season offered.
If this is your first visit, look at the Saint range Florence, Edward, Walter each vintage subtly different. Or go left-field with something like Lambrewski.
With Wildflower announcing it will leave Marrickville at the end of May 2026, this stop feels is not about checking a box. checkbox Savour the beer, the space, the experience one last time.
📍 11–13 Brompton St, Marrickville (until May 2026)
3) Batch Brewing Co.
Batch has been brewing in Marrickville since 2013 and has always leaned into experimentation without losing drinkability. If Wildflower represents precision and restraint, Batch shows the louder, festival-ready side of sour beer.
They’ve even built a whole event around it, Sourfest, which tells you something about where the appetite sits in the Inner West. And it just happens to be on February 28, 2026 in Marrrickville.
Try Pash The Magic Dragon if you’re in the mood for tropical fruit energy, or Chapeau Raspberry Sour Celebration Ale if you want something that balances sweetness and acidity without veering into dessert territory.
📍 44 Sydenham Rd, Marrickville
Closing thoughts
We’re genuinely sad to see Wildflower leaving Marrickville. We’ve spent more than a few slow afternoons there sitting among the stacks of barrels, sharing a brew, occasionally pulling out our travel backgammon set and staying longer than we meant to. The beer and the space are special, yes. But it’s the people who’ll stay with us. The staff have always been generous with their knowledge, whether patiently guiding first-timers through wild fermentation or talking regulars through the nuances of a new release. We’ve always felt welcome.
This isn’t your typical Inner West brewery crawl. It’s a short, deliberate walk celebrating beer that’s tart, textured and occasionally a little wild. Scenes change. Tap lists rotate. Doors close. That’s the nature of it.
Which is exactly why we slow down and pay attention while they’re here.
