People & Culture

Celebrating the people who make the beer world such a colourful place.

People & Culture
Who Blends Sobremesa Beers?

At the end of 2020, Casey Grieve and Hannah McErlane released the first farmhouse style release as Sobremesa Fermentary & Blendery. We caught up with the couple to talk about their vision for the new brewing company.

Who Brews In Karratha?

It's one of the most remote breweries in Australia, but after surviving year one in good shape, the team at North West Brewing in Karratha are expanding and looking forward to sending beer outside the Pilbara.

Who Brews Straddie Beers?

Anyone who's visited North Stradbroke Island – or Straddie – will know it's a gem of a place. These days, it also has a brewing company producing beers inspired by its natural beauty. We got in touch to find out more.

A Beer World Legend Retires. Into A New Job

After more than three decades of brewing beer and teaching others how to, Peter Aldred decided to retire. It didn't last long, as he swapped the brewing courses of Federation Uni for the brew deck of new Ballarat brewpub Aunty Jacks.

Who Brews Bandolier Beers?

At the end of 2019, Bandolier Brewing opened the doors and gave the people of Warragul a brewery of their own. This year might not have turned out how they expected but those locals helped them survive two waves of COVID.

Who Brews As Springside Brewing?

A new baby birthed a new hobby. A new hobby attracted a new community. A new community led to a new brewing company. This is the story of Springside Brewing.

Who Brews As Manly Hops?

Many brewers want their beer distributed as far as possible. But if you want to drink Manly Hops' beers, you'll have to go to Manly. Here's the story of this exclusive brewing company making "bullshit-free beer".

Who Brews At 22 Paces?

The beer lovers of Tassie will be able to sample the first release from new brewing company 22 Paces this weekend. Dorian Broomhall caught up with co-owner Steve Tully to find out more.

Brew & A: Five Barrel Brewing

From bushfires to COVID, closures, cans, quarantine and a Kiwi, it's been a full-on year at Wollongong's Five Barrel. As they launch their new look lineup, we chat to founder Phil and his new head brewer, imported via hotel quarantine from NZ.

Who Brews Noodledoof Beers?

Noodledoof is a brewery and distillery opened by two mates in Victoria's west. As they approach their first birthday, we chatted to co-founder Alex "Doof" Carr about an opening twelve months encompassing a pandemic.

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Who Brews Bracket Beers?

Bracket Brewing opened the doors to their Alexandria brewery a little after the City of Sydney began to enjoy an easing of COVID-19 restrictions. We caught up with the father and son team to ask Who Brews Bracket beers?

Who Brews Common Ground Beers?

In 2019, Aether Brewing co-founders Jimmy Young and Dave Ward decided to go their separate ways. The former can now be found at the helm of Common Ground Brewing, located in the former Aether brewpub in Milton.

Who Brews In The Happy Valley?

Happy Valley is a brewery built for locals in the Brisbane suburb of Stafford, with a name stemming from the locale's original name. We caught up with the team to ask Who Brews Happy Valley beers?

Who Brews 27 South Beers?

Brisbane's busy beer scene is located along the 27th parallel; it's a fact one of the city's newest brewing companies is keen to shout about. We caught up with 27 South Brewing as part of our Who Brews? series.

Who Brews At The Bond Store Wallaroo?

A couple with a background in tourism have turned a rundown former bonded store into a brewery, distillery and restaurant in one. Matt King called into Bond Store Wallaroo to find out more.

Aussie Beerstagrammers: Sticking With Beer

Our Aussie Beerstagrammers series with a young account that's quickly become one of the country's most popular thanks to its creator's unique concept and humorous approach.

Who Brews Heaps Normal Beers?

Alcohol-free beers – and other beverages – are becoming an increasingly visible part of the local drinks industry. As Heaps Normal prepare to launch their non-alcoholic XPA, we got in touch to find out more.

Craft Beer Heroes: Pete Meddings

He might not be a household name but if there's any craft beer-loving household in Australia that hasn't enjoyed the fruits of Pete Meddings' labour, we'd be surprised.

Who Brews Golden Hills Beers?

Golden Hills make golden (and many other coloured) beer from a small brewpub in Diamond Creek and were ready to launch just as Australia closed down. We caught up with the team to find out Who Brews...? Golden Hills beers and ask what it was like opening during a nation-wide lockdown.

Who Brews Wandana Beers?

It's home to yoga retreats, hippies and an annual music festival. And now Mullumbimby is also home to its own brewery. We caught up with the team at Wandana Brewing Co to find out more about fermenting beer to music.

Brew & A: Cam Turner

Cam Turner has been brewing beers on the Mornington Peninsula for close to 15 years, first for Hickinbotham then Dainton. We traced his career in beer right back to caring for cask ales in London and beyond.

Who Brews Bay Rd Beers?

It's not found in Bay Rd but it does have its locals at heart. Having switched a greater focus onto canning during COVID-19, Bay Rd Brewing in Gosford is now looking forward to welcoming those locals back.

Who Brews In The Slow Lane?

While living in the US, Alex Jarman quit the corporate life to start working at San Francisco breweries. Now he and wife Yvonne are making yeast-driven European ales at a small brewery around the corner from One Drop in Botany.

Who Brews 7th Day Beers?

It all started with the hunt for a good craft pilsner and grew from there. From footy dads in a garage to a crowdfunding campaign to a brewery in Brookvale, you have to ask: Who Brews 7th Day beers?

Brew & A: Ash Hazell

He started homebrewing at 17 before cleaning kegs at Little Creatures followed by a stint with Barrow Boys led to the head brewer role at one of the biggest craft breweries in the land. Here's Ash Hazell to tell us more.

Who Brews Bondi Beers?

Beach Beer Bondi appeared as if from nowhere to land at 46 in the GABS Hottest 100 of 2019. Many beer drinkers hadn't heard much about them so we caught up with founder Paul Parks to ask Who Brews Bondi Beers?

Who Brews Blackflag Beers?

Launching a brewery as the country is about to be hit by a pandemic isn't ideal, but the team behind Mooloolaba's Blackflag have been taking stock while continuing to knock out beers and sling cases from their hole-in-the-wall.

Aussie Beerstagrammers: All Of The Beers

He fell down the rabbit hole of beer in London and has brought his passion to bear with the @allofthebeers Instagram account. Guy Southern spoke to Matt Kukura for another entry in our Beerstagrammers series.

Brew & A: Caolan Vaughan

They might be best known for their Pacific Ale but the Counter Culture series has been exciting beer geeks since launching last year. Overseeing brewing of all Stone & Wood beers is Caolan Vaughan, so we invited him for a Brew & A.

Podcast People: Step Brewers

The Step Brewers Podcast brings banter, beers and brewing along with diversions into pop culture and plenty of laughs. We caught up with the Tasmanian trio ahead of their trip to host events at Brewsvegas 2020.

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Who Brews Sausage Queen Beers?

Killer snags, boss beers and mid-period Madonna... Judd Owen caught up with Chrissy Flanagan, the self-anointed Sausage Queen of Australia who also runs a brewing company of the same name (and a record label for good measure).

Who Brews Project Beers?

A visit to Watts River Brewing on opening day proved the catalyst for Braden and Caitlin Beggs to launch their own brewery. Today, Project Brewing brings locally-brewed beer to the people of Rowville in Melbourne's south-east.

Brew & A: Sow & Piglets

It's named after an iconic tourist spot, is found in a hostel, and the Sow & Piglets team are already working on a new brewery venture in regional Victoria. We sat down with the German brewer behind their traditionally-minded beers.

Who Brews Cooks River Beers?

The duo behind Cooks River were the second winners of Frenchies' Brewers Got Talent competition, which has enabled them to launch their brand. We caught up with Ben and Nathan to find out more.

Craft Beer Heroes: Doug Donelan

From fermenting pumpkins at home and homebrewing with his brother via Malt Shovel to heading up New Zealand Hops, Doug Donelan has lived his life in beer. We sat down with him as he starts looking forward to retirement.

Who Brews Boekamp Biers?

It can be tough to stand out in today's busy beer landscape but the duo behind Boekamp Bier in Hobart are offering something different. They're eschewing contemporary trends to focus on Bavarian lagers and wheat beers.

Who Brews Cattleyard Beers?

Cattleyard Brewing Co was launched to serve thirsty festival-goers at Grooving the Moo but, with JJ Baker at the helm, has taken on a life of its own. We caught up with JJ to find out more?

Behind Bars: Harts Pub At Ten

Inside a 130-year-old building in The Rocks, Harts Pub is a ten-year-old bar that's won the gratitude of Sydney beer drinkers and Australian independent breweries alike as one of the city's earliest adopters of craft beer.

Who Brews Alchemy Beers?

Alchemy Brewing opened at the end of 2019, adding another option to Brunswick East's already impressive list of craft beer destinations. We caught up with the pair behind the brewery for our Who Brews...? series.

Who Brews FICK Beers?

A couple who first launched a nanobrewery in Luxembourg have just opened FICK in the Brisbane suburb of Northgate. We called in to sample their European-influenced offering as they fired up their brew kit.

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Crafty's Advent Calendar: Phil Sexton

He kicked the contemporary craft beer scene in WA in the early 80s and recently announced his return to Matilda Bay on a mission to reclaim its lost iconic status. We close out of end-of-decade series with Phil Sexton.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Wheaty Jade

From within the four walls of a corner pub in Thebarton, Jade Flavell, her colleagues and staff have not just blazed a trail for beer and beer venues in Australia but inspired and influenced thousands too.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Will Feral

He was a crap sales rep but turned out to be a bloody good brewer and these days leads the weay for Feral following the WA brewery's sale to CCA. He's also a goose's best friend; on day 23 of our Advent Calendar it's Will Irving.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Steve & Guy

They met across a St Kilda bar in the early years of the century and have gone on to help shape the local beer industry through venues, festivals, a brewing company and more. Behind door 22 are Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Kris Miles

From a bottleshop in Brisbane to hop-infused spirits in Melbourne then MONA and finally a pub and brewery, Kris Miles has taken on many roles in the local beer world. Here he is on day 21 of our end-of-decade Advent Calendar series.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Mulga

The Northern Territory has a few local beers to call its own these days, but one man who's been working to bring flavour to NT drinkers for almost two decades is Matt Mulga, who now runs three crafty bars in Alice and Darwin.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Sam Füss

If you've been involved in the local beer industry over the past decade or two, you'll have a story or three to tell involving Sam Füss. The multiple trophy-winning brewer from Philter joins us for day 19 of out Advent Calendar.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: OJ

Owen Johnston was head brewer at Moo Brew when it launched and now works for HPA, helping get Aussie hops into the hands of brewers across the world. Here he is as we reach day 18 in our Advent Calendar.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Scotty Hargrave

Along with his Balter co-founders, Scotty Hargrave has been part of the biggest story at the end of a big year. Here's what the head brewer has to say about the past decade and his thoughts on the industry now and to come.

Who Brews Grassy Knoll Beers?

Beer and music have a wonderful ability to bring people together, and both lie at the heart of Grassy Knoll. The gypsy operation was founded by three mates, with head brewer Jeff Argent also a drummer with indie quartet Pirra.