MP Brewery is one of my all time favorites - helps that its not too far away from us either Truman.
Mountain Goat, 2 brothers, Grand ridge All get +1's from me.
If you're not precious about your car the grand ridge road is a nice drive but mostly dirt roads the other side of mirboo north.
I dont like white rabbit nor bright breweries. But thats me personally.
Edit: Funny you say that about the guy at Milawa I was only talking to him about that last time I was up there. If your heading that way take him a couple of brews to try - he's a hell of a nice guy.
Could do coldstream, jamieson and bridge road in a day or very easily over two taking in some beautiful scenery at the same time.
Truman I know you were looking for spots to camp too up that way between Mansfield and Whitfield theres a town called tolmie - head into the state park there and you'll come across string bark creek camp ground. Easily accessable by 2wd good facilities (fire pits, drop loos and nice grassy camp sites) and generally not too busy (unless its a long weekend in which case forget it unless you get in early) Theres also gentle annie in whitfield if your after a more caravan park type place or follow buffalo river up towards dandongadale and theres some good camping on the upper side of the river the lake for a real basic camp site. Not far into Wang from their either and its a pretty easy day trip to buffalo brewery and if your that way inclined head across up to the murray to rutherglen for their fortifieds. Bright and Myrtleford are skipping distance.
I did the drive upto stringybark on the weekend but I came through Mt Samaria via bridge creek and across and doubled back at tatong to get there. Stopping for dinner (great pizza) at alex and dealing with friday arvo traffic I was there in 7 hours easily (was towing a trailer so I was in low range for about an hour and a half coming throuh Mt Samaria State Park) took less than 4 hours (even with all the peckers on the black spur doing 30kph) on the way home as I went a way more direct way. Eastlink makes it heaps easier than going up through cockatoo. I reckon king valley is a great place to base yourself for a weekend. Great wine, great food, beautiful scenery and a heap of history out that way. The road across from mansfield to whitfield is one of the best driving roads in the state IMO. They've got the bright rod run up that way the weekend after cup weekend.
