Batsmen Brewing's Tapping Room at 11 McDonald Street in Morningside is the home of the Flying Bat — a dedicated space for Samoan craft beer in central Auckland. The brewery sums up the room in five words: where culture meets craft. Every beer behind the bar is its own, with a line-up built, in the brewery's words, to cater to every taste, whether you're after a crisp pilsner, a juicy hazy IPA, or something in between.
The core tap list runs to six pours: Flying Bat Hazy IPA (6.3%), Striker Samoa Pale Ale (4.7%), Rafter Pilsner (4.6%), Toa Lager (5.2%), Gogo APA (5.3%) and Blacked Out Coco Porter (5.6%), with a fuller drinks menu and a food menu to browse once you're in the room.
Beyond the taps, the Tapping Room is pitched as a place of vibrant vibes and a welcoming atmosphere — somewhere every visit feels like home. The space is also available for private bookings and special events, and tables can be reserved in advance through the booking form on the brewery's website. It trades weekends: Friday 4pm–10pm, Saturday 1pm–10pm and Sunday 1pm–7pm, closed Monday to Thursday.
Tucked down McDonald Street in Morningside, Batsmen Brewing's Tapping Room does something most bars in Auckland can't: everything behind the bar is its own. This is the self-declared home of the Flying Bat — the flagship pour of a brewery that calls itself your go-to spot for Samoan craft beer, and that sums up its whole approach in five words: where culture meets craft.
The tap list is a compact six, and it covers a surprising amount of ground. At one end sits the Rafter Pilsner (4.6%), the crisp, easy-drinking anchor of the range. At the other is the beer the room is named for: the Flying Bat Hazy IPA, a 6.3% hazy that trades on juiciness and has become the brewery's signature pour.
Between them sit four more styles that give a table of mixed tastes somewhere to land. The Striker Samoa Pale Ale (4.7%) carries the brewery's identity right there in its name; the Toa Lager (5.2%) keeps things clean and simple; the Gogo APA (5.3%) adds a brighter, hop-forward option; and the Blacked Out Coco Porter (5.6%) rounds out the list with a darker pour for anyone who likes their beer on the richer side. The brewery puts it plainly: the line-up caters to every taste — crisp pilsner, juicy hazy IPA, or something in between.
For all the attention on the beer, the Tapping Room leans just as hard on atmosphere. Batsmen describes the space as one of great beer, vibrant vibes and a welcoming atmosphere — somewhere every visit feels like home. It's a room made for lingering: settle in, order from the taps, and take your time working from pilsner through to porter.
The space also does double duty as a venue. Beyond regular weekend trade, the whole room is available for private bookings and special events — a genuinely handy option for birthdays, work functions or family gatherings where you'd rather have the beer taken care of. Table reservations and event enquiries both run through the booking form on the brewery's website, where you leave your name, email, preferred date and time, and the details of your visit.
The Tapping Room keeps weekend hours: Friday from 4pm to 10pm, Saturday from 1pm to 10pm, and Sunday from 1pm to 7pm, with the doors shut Monday through Thursday. A Saturday afternoon is the long window if you want a proper session; Sundays wind down earlier, so plan accordingly.
You'll find the room at 11 McDonald Street, Morningside, Auckland 1025. Alongside the six core taps there's a fuller drinks menu and a food menu to browse once you're in — the tap list here is a starting point rather than the whole story. The brewery's licence number is displayed on site, and Batsmen stays active on Facebook and Instagram for news of what's pouring.
If it's your first visit, start with the namesake Flying Bat, then compare it against the Samoa Pale Ale and the Gogo APA to find where your tastes sit. Come with a few mates, book ahead if you're a bigger group, and let the room do the rest — this is a place built on the idea that great beer and a warm welcome belong together.