Emerson's Brewery is Dunedin's iconic craft brewery, with its taproom and cellar door at 70 Anzac Ave. The brewery brews a core range of year-round beers alongside a rotating selection of limited release brews, all available to taste and buy on site or take home.
The taproom runs a regular calendar of events, including Whistle Drop Thursdays — a free beer tasting and food pairing session every Thursday afternoon, kicked off with the blast of a steam train whistle — and a weekly Sunday Roast with a choice of beef, chicken or pork, served with Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings alongside a live vinyl DJ. Visitors can also book a brewery tour for what the venue calls 'a liquid education,' or book a table for a gathering.
Beyond the taproom, Emerson's sells its full beer range, merchandise including apparel and accessories, gift vouchers, and offers keg hire and a beer club membership for regulars wanting to stay on top of new releases.
At 70 Anzac Ave, Emerson's Brewery has built a reputation as one of Dunedin's most iconic craft breweries, with a taproom and cellar door that invites visitors to 'get a liquid education' straight from the source.
Emerson's core range covers a broad spread of styles, from Pilsner and Orange Roughy through to Hazed and Confused, Little Bird, Super Quench, Bird Dog, London Porter, Bookbinder, Day Tripper and Daisy. For those who can't decide, a Mini Bar mixed pack pulls together a selection of the range, and fresh tap beer is available to fill your own rigger straight from the source. Alongside the year-round lineup, Emerson's regularly rotates through limited release beers — recent additions have included Mexicoco, three variations on the Phantom Lord series (West Coast IPA, Hopped Stout and Hazy IPA), Bird Dogs of Paradise, Sunblock, Ingrid, Rock and Pillar, and Juicy Bear Tangelo.
One of the taproom's signature weekly events is Whistle Drop Thursdays, running free beer tasting and food pairing every Thursday from 4pm to 6pm. True to its name, the session kicks off with the blast of a steam train whistle at 4pm sharp, giving the event a distinctive, unmistakable start.
Sundays bring a different kind of tradition: a Sunday Roast with a choice of beef, chicken or pork, served with Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings. The roast is paired with a live vinyl DJ playing from midday until 4pm, and bookings are strongly encouraged given how popular the session tends to be.
Beyond the regular taproom offering, Emerson's runs brewery tours for anyone wanting a deeper look behind the scenes, and the venue can be booked for gatherings and functions. The cellar door also keeps an up-to-date list of what's currently pouring, so visitors can check ahead before heading down.
Emerson's beer is also available to buy directly through its online shop, alongside a full range of merchandise including apparel, accessories, and even gear for dogs. For regulars, a Beer Club Membership and keg hire service are both available, and gift vouchers make it easy to share an Emerson's experience with someone else. The brewery holds an off-licence and follows Cheers.org and Lion Co.'s community guidelines around responsible service.
Whether it's dropping in for Whistle Drop Thursdays, booking ahead for a Sunday roast and some vinyl, taking a brewery tour, or simply picking up a few cans of the core range, Emerson's Brewery continues to be a defining part of Dunedin's craft beer scene — a place built for both casual visits and a proper liquid education.