McCashin's Tap Room is the bar and restaurant at McCashin's Brewery, 660 Main Road, Stoke, Nelson. Taproom, brewery and restaurant sit under one roof, which makes it one of the more complete brewery-visit experiences in the Nelson region.
The site began as the Rochdale Cider factory in the late 1930s; the present building was put up in the 1950s. Around five cider producers operated in the area in the 1930s and 1940s, and by the 1970s Rochdale was the only large commercial cider producer left in New Zealand.
Terry McCashin, one of the pioneers of New Zealand craft brewing, founded the brewery here in 1980–81, producing Mac's beer. The brewery was officially opened in 1981 by the then Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon. Terry McCashin sold the Mac's brand to Lion Nathan in 1999; Lion leased the Stoke brewery until 2009, when remaining production moved to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Terry's eldest son Dean and his wife Emma moved to Nelson in April 2009 and reopened the brewery, launching Stoke Beer in September 2010.
The site today produces Rochdale Cider and the Stoke beer range.
The combination of a working brewery, a genuinely significant place in New Zealand craft beer history, and an on-site taproom and restaurant makes this a strong incentive and partner-programme stop for Nelson-based groups — brewery tours and tastings give a group activity with a story attached, and the restaurant handles the catering on the same site. It also works for team dinners, client hospitality and informal functions.
Group capacity, tour availability, private-area options and current hours should be confirmed directly with the venue.
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