Craftwork Brewery is a small, idiosyncratic Belgian-style nano brewery at 10 Harbour Street in Oamaru's Victorian Precinct, housed in a 19th century Victorian limestone building near the town's Blue Penguin Colony. Founded in 2014 by Michael O'Brien and Lee-Ann Scotti, the brewery grew from a 50-litre starting capacity to 500 litres a day after moving to its current Oamaru premises in 2022, with friends at Rhyme and Reason Brewery in Wanaka also lending a larger fermenter for some of the "clean" beers.
As the name suggests, the brewery's beers all draw on Belgian tradition — Farmhouse Ales and Saisons, Abbey Ales, Spontaneously Fermented Coolship Ales, and Barrel Aged Flanders Sour Ales. All are bottle or keg conditioned rather than force carbonated, giving a more natural carbonation, better flavour, and a longer shelf life. Fast beers take at least two months to brew; the slowest are aged for three years or more.
The on-site Tasting Room recreates the feel of a cosy Brussels cafe circa 1900, a place to slowly sip an ale, share some specialty bites, and catch up with friends. Alongside the beers, Craftwork also offers natural wines and seasonal specialty food to match, and runs brewery tours for anyone wanting to learn more about the brewing process — a popular addition to any Oamaru itinerary.
Tucked into a 19th century limestone building in Oamaru's Victorian Precinct, Craftwork Brewery is a small nano brewery with a singular focus: Belgian beer, made the traditional way. Founded in 2014 by Michael O'Brien and Lee-Ann Scotti, who by their own admission "foolishly chose to ignore" fellow brewer Richard Emerson's advice to never go commercial, the brewery has grown from a 50-litre starting capacity to 500 litres a day since moving into its current Oamaru premises in 2022.
Everything about Craftwork traces back to Belgian brewing tradition. The range covers Farmhouse Ales and Saisons from the French-speaking province of Hainaut, Abbey Ales in the style traditionally brewed by Belgian monks, and — the brewers' proudest achievement — Spontaneously Fermented Coolship Ales, made using the same open-air fermentation method used in Belgium for centuries. Rounding things out are Barrel Aged Flanders Sour Ales, described on the brewery's own site as the "Burgundy of Beers," alongside the closely related Oude Bruin style.
All of Craftwork's beers are bottle or keg conditioned rather than force carbonated, giving a more natural carbonation, better flavour, and a longer shelf life. That patience carries through to the brewing itself — the fastest beers take at least two months to make, while the slowest sours are aged for three years or more before they're ready.
Craftwork's on-site Tasting Room is designed to feel like a cosy Brussels cafe circa 1900, tucked amid the galleries, shops and artisan crafts of Oamaru's historic centre, close to the town's Blue Penguin Colony. The atmosphere is pitched to make you forget you're sitting in a working brewery rather than a pub or restaurant — a place built for slowly sipping an ale, sharing some specialty bites, and catching up with friends.
Alongside its own ales, Craftwork also pours a changing list of natural wines and offers seasonal specialty food — pub-style snacks and small meals designed to pair with the beers, whether that's a light lunch, an afternoon bite, or a starter before heading out to one of Oamaru's other restaurants. Because everything is brewed and sourced in small batches, the taps and wine list change regularly, so there's always something new on offer.
For visitors keen to see how the beer is actually made, Craftwork runs brewery tours — a genuine "must-do" on any Oamaru itinerary. Tours run for approximately an hour, take a minimum of four and a maximum of twelve people, and include a tasting flight of your choice. They're available daily between 2pm and 4pm, except Mondays, and bookings need to be made at least a week in advance, subject to availability.
Beyond the brewery itself, Craftwork's beers are stocked in select supermarkets around the country, along with specific liquor stores in Dunedin, Auckland and Wellington, and the brewery ships nationwide to cities and towns across both islands for anyone who can't make it to Oamaru in person.
The Tasting Room is closed Monday to Wednesday, open Thursday and Friday from 3pm to 8pm, Saturday from 12pm to 8pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 7pm — worth checking before making the trip, given the brewery's small size and limited opening days.