Worth the short trip: a family distillery bar in Carrington and a surf club bar on Merewether Beach.
Last checked 14 November 2026. No bar paid to be included.
Swipe to see all 5 bars →
Distillery bar
Run by an old Newcastle family business, with gin, rum, vodka, brandy, limoncello and absinthe distilled on site. Try The Junipepper or Spill the Beans with the Asian-influenced menu.
📍 41 Darling Street, Carrington NSW 2294
Beachfront bar
Right on Merewether Beach, with a terrace bar for sunset Espresso Martinis and spritzes. The lower Beach Bar serves Mexican food and cocktails.
📍 5 Henderson Parade, Merewether NSW 2291
Beachfront pub
An Art Deco pub opposite Merewether Beach, with live gigs.
📍 99 Frederick Street, Merewether
Alehouse
An alehouse open since 1876, with a breezy balcony.
📍 1 Morgan Street, Merewether
🕒 Daily 10am to midnight (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Pub
A beer garden, a 20-tap tower, trivia and live music in Carrington.
📍 132 Young Street, Carrington
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Start with Earp Distilling Co., Merewether Surfhouse, The Beach Hotel, The Prince of Merewether and The Young Street Hotel. Our full list has 5 bars.
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland. Now we're bringing it to Australia. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides, including Hunter and Hunter.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Cocktail Week in Australia
Run a bar in Newcastle NSW that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.
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