AUSTRALIA | Passengers travelling through Western Sydney International Airport will soon be able to experience a taste of the Blue Mountains, with Katoomba-based craft brewery Mountain Culture set to open its first airport venues at Australia’s newest 24-hour global gateway.
The acclaimed brewer will open two sites in WSI’s integrated terminal, servicing both domestic and international passengers through a partnership with Airport Retail Group Australia. The venues form part of WSI’s broader focus on creating a terminal experience that reflects the character and hospitality of Western Sydney and its surrounding regions.
ARGA is an Australian-owned and operated airport hospitality group with an established footprint in major Australian airports. Its partnership with WSI includes four sites in total under a seven-year agreement.
WSI CEO Simon Hickey said the Mountain Culture venues would help bring an authentic sense of place to the terminal, with design elements inspired by the neighbouring Blue Mountains also reflected in the airport’s feature ceiling.
“Western Sydney International is an airport which reflects the character, creativity and energy of the region it represents, and a strong presence from local brands like Mountain Culture helps bring that vision to life,” said Hickey.
“We are delighted to showcase one of the great success stories of the Blue Mountains and to give passengers from around the world a genuine taste of the top-tier hospitality offerings this region is ready to serve.
“Mountain Culture has also given us the great honour of developing a new WSI brew, which is incredible and something only visitors enjoying the new state-of-the-art airport terminal will get to experience,” said Hickey.
ARGA Managing Director George Drivas said the exclusive partnership between Mountain Culture Beer Co and ARGA would give travellers through WSI a memorable first or last taste of Australia.
“Recently awarded Australia’s fastest growing craft beer, Mountain Culture matches our ethos of creativity and innovation in hospitality and is brewed just 22 kilometres from the terminal in Emu Plains and in the beautiful Blue Mountains,” said Drivas.
“We believe the passenger experience should be elevated, and for us, that starts with what you eat and drink.
“To complement the beers, we’ll also be running a modern Australian menu in a restaurant-bar setting, the kind we know passengers will enjoy as part of their airport experience,” said Drivas.
The Mountain Culture venues at WSI will feature vibrant designs inspired by the nearby World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains landscape and the wider Western Sydney region. A modern Australian menu will be served alongside locally connected brews, including Pierces Pass and Blue Gum.
Mountain Culture Co-founder and CEO DJ McCready said the opportunity to showcase the brewery’s products to passengers on this scale was exciting.
“Our brand was built on the simple premise that a day discovering the mountains is always made infinitely better when you can end it with a good beer. Extending this to passengers of Western Sydney International Airport as they look at the Blue Mountains outside their gate window could not be more apt.
“We have always put the beer first at Mountain Culture, and being voted the number one beer in the country for the last four years is testament to that. We can’t wait to share our product with passengers,” said McCready.
Business Blue Mountains Chair Mark Barton said Mountain Culture’s presence at Australia’s newest international gateway would showcase the creativity, hospitality and entrepreneurial spirit for which the Blue Mountains is renowned.
“Business Blue Mountains supports initiatives that bring together local businesses, government and corporate organisations to create opportunities that strengthen the regional economy,” said Barton.
“As one of Australia’s fastest-growing craft breweries, Mountain Culture has become a flagship success story for the Blue Mountains, earning national recognition while remaining proudly connected to its local roots.
“Mountain Culture’s expansion into airport venues has been widely praised as a perfect fit, bringing an authentic Blue Mountains experience to travellers from around the world while celebrating a local brand that has grown into a national success,” said Barton.
WSI is on track to begin air cargo services from 26 July 2026, with passenger services scheduled to begin from 25 October 2026.
The 24-hour global gateway is Australia’s first major international greenfield airport development in more than 50 years. It is expected to provide a world-class experience for travellers while supporting economic growth and improved connectivity for Greater Sydney.
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