A new online craft beer trail and map has launched featuring 18 local breweries on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

The Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Trailwill go live on Friday 1st May and is a collaboration between owner of Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours, Josh Donohoe, and regional tourism organisation, Visit Sunshine Coast.

The online resource will allow visitors to see the locations of local breweries on a map, as well as providing details such as opening hours, restaurant offerings and contact information.

Donohoe said that the online beer trail is a great resource for visitors and locals to follow and explore the breweries at their leisure.

“It will also have a great reach domestically and internationally and help promote that craft beer is another great reason to visit our region,” he said.

The Sunshine Coast’s local breweries have continued to punch above their weight with gold medals at recent state and national judging competitions over the past few years, with Caloundra’s Moffat Beach Brewing Co also being named Champion Small Independent Breweryat the 2018 Indies, and Your Mates Brewing achieving Top 5 Beers in this year’s GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers poll.

The launch of the online Craft Beer Trail coincides with a local promotion called ‘Mid-Strength May’. With the challenges involved in visiting breweries for a driving tour, this initiative encourages people to visit local breweries for an exclusive deal on their lower alcohol offerings, using the map to reach them.

Listen to Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours’ Josh Donohoe discuss the Sunshine Coast brewery scene on the Radio Brews News podcast.

Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Simon Latchford said that food and beverage are a major focus of the region’s tourism marketing, with the Sunshine Coast one of Australia’s richest agricultural producers.

“Food and wine tourism are already well-established as prime drivers of tourism around the world, and craft beer is now emerging as an equally dynamic growth sector,” Latchford said.

“What makes ‘beer tourism’ so attractive for visitors is that it provides a really rich and interesting insight into the character of the destination.

“Brewers are invariably passionate about their trade and love sharing stories about the trials and tribulations of setting up a brewery and the sweat and tears that go into every brew, as well as sharing experimental and seasonal beers with visitors.

“This Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Trail can add a distinct ‘taste’ to a region’s tourism offer, and complement the destination’s other food and natural attractions,” he said.

Sunshine Coast Craft Beer trail