Rocks Brewing Co

A quintessentially Aussie summer day can be built on a few key ingredients: sun, beer, food, live music and some form of physical activity. Rocks Brewing Co. can achieve four of the five, weather permitting. And for the latter, you can just pop around the corner to Archie Brothers Cirque Electric.

Founded in 2008, and after spending its first five years as a 'gyspy brewer', Rocks finally set down roots in this Alexandria industrial estate in 2014. The digs feature an exposed wood bar, spacious indoor and outdoor seating and excellent views of the stainless steel tanks.

The core range of brews are themed on Australia's convict history; there's The Hangman American pale ale, The Governer golden ale, The Convict lager, The Boxer red ale and The Butcher porter. The brewery is now also experimenting with other styles, too — think sauv blanc berliner weisse and feijoa gose.

If you're keen to secure a seat, Rocks is open for breakfast, but take note that the beer taps don't turn on until 10am. As the beer starts flowing, the menu switches gear to pub-grub fare: burgers, steaks and all manner of fried delights — onion rings, waffle fries and chicken wings.

Image: Kitti Gould.