People & Culture
Celebrating the people who make the beer world such a colourful place.
Key Topics
brew & a behind bars beer slingers craft beer heroes beer nuts media who brews slays beer
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Kate & Shev
They're the dictionary definition of work hard, play hard and continue to make an indelible mark on the Melbourne and wider Australian beer community. Behind door 16, it's the irrepressible Kate and Shev.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Richard Adamson
From playing in bands to brewing with native ingredients at Barons, from kickstarting the Inner West's beer revolution in Sydney to becoming an educator, Richard Adamson has brought much to the local beer world.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Mick Cameron
After careers that took in bars, brewing and distribution here and overseas, Mick Cameron, son Jack and his best mate Red Proudfoot launched Pirate Life, a brewery that had instant impact before selling to AB InBev.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Pia Poynton
She's worked in bars, repped for breweries, helps run the Pink Boots Society in WA, ran one of the country's most prolific beer blogs. But Pia Poynton is also one of those people who just makes the beer world better.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Corey Crooks
He was raised in a family of publicans and has taken what's in his blood to help turn his hometown of Newcastle into a craft beer city. We chatted to Corey Crooks of the 100 percent independent Aussie beer venue The Grain Store.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Peta Fielding
Long before the Gold Coast became nationally recognised as a home of good beer, there was a couple trying to sell their beers to locals. Thirteen years on, here's Burleigh co-founder Peta Fielding reflecting on the change.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: David Cryer
It's time for a trip across The Ditch on day ten of our Advent Calendar, not for a New Zealand-themed entry in the series but to catch up with a man whose work will have made it into many of the beers you've enjoyed.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Paul and Tash Holgate
Paul and Tash Holgate recently celebrated twenty years as an independent, family-run brewery. It makes them one of the longest-established brewers in Australia so we asked them to be part of our end-of-decade series.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Stephen Nelsen
Stephen Nelsen has been integral to the rise of the craft brewing industry in his home state of SA and his influence crosses state lines too. We spoke to the former Brewboy for day eight of our end-of-decade Adventy Calendar.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Willie Simpson
Back when there was about one-hundredth as much to write about in the local beer world, Willie Simpson was documenting the country's beers and brewers. Today, he's a brewer and hop grower in North West Tasmania.
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Crafty's Advent Calendar: Gillian Letham
Time to head to Brewsvegas for day six in our end-of-decade series. We could have picked any number of legends from the city's beer scene but decided Gill formerly from The Mill could speak for them all.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Richard and Tracy
Back before "craft beer" was a thing, there was one man doing cool shit in Canberra. He still is, along with his partner and ever-growing team, and here he is as part of our Advent Calendar end-of-decade series.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Joel Beresford
We head west on day four of Crafty's Advent Calendar and into the arms of Joel Beresford, a man who via Cellarbrations Carlisle and The DTC has put wonderful beers and a passion to learn into the mouths and minds of thousands.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Dave Bonighton
Would the beer scene in Melbourne look like it does today without Mountain Goat? Highly unlikely. In day three of our end-of-decade Advent Calendar series we feature one half of the duo that helped build a beer city.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Jayne Lewis
For day two of our end-of-decade Advent Calendar, we turn to a trailblazer of the local beer world. Jayne Lewis is one half of the duo that founded Two Birds Brewing and has an influence that spreads far beyond that brewery's Nest.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Brad Rogers
As a momentous month for beer in Australia comes to a close, we look back and forward with 25 people who've helped shape the industry in our spin on a beer advent calendar. First up, Brad Rogers of Stone & Wood.
Behind Bars: Beer Cartel At Ten
What started as two guys hand-packing boxes of beer to put in the mail has grown into one of Australia's largest online beer retailers. It's fair to say Beer Cartel have come a long way in ten years.
Beer Nuts: The Indies Lovers
We've featured some impressively keen beer lovers in our Beer Nuts series over the years, but never any quite like Jess and Locky. Marie Claire Jarratt got in touch with the couple who got engaged onstage at indie beer's biggest night.
Who Brews Terra Forma Beers?
They run one of Perth's leading digital agencies and have a passion for underground music and great beer. Now the team behind Terra Forma is combining their passions in a new nanobrewery based in West Leederville.
Artisan Brewing: Five Years In Five Beers
They're one of the smallest brewing operations in Australia but Artisan and their Belgian-inspired ales punch well above their weight. As they celebrate a half decade of brewing, we look back over those five years via five beers.
Podcast People: The Chosen Brew
If you work in beer or just have a passion for it, chances are there are key beers that brought you to this point. That's the topic at the heart of The Chosen Brew, a podcast that's celebrating its third anniversary this week.
Who Brews Wild Polly's GF Beers?
Can brewing with ancient grains win you the title of Australian Father of the Year? Probably not. But Tim Sides is having a fair crack at it with Wild Polly, one of the newer brewing companies found in ACT.
Behind Bars: East of Everything & Rosalita's
Gen and Michael Cotter started bringing good booze to Melbourne's eastern suburbs a decade and a half ago. As they prepare to open Rosalita's – a third venue in the same building – we caught up with the team.
Brew & A: Bright's Reid Stratton
As Bright Brewery prepare to launch their first "Mystery Beer" we caught up with head brewer Reid Stratton. The recent signing from New England Brewing Co has a fascinating past take in Jolly Pumpkin and musical squeaks and farts.
Who Brews Reckless Beers?
From homebrew in the bathtub to brewpubs in Portland then gypsy brewing in Sydney's Inner West, the story of Reckless Brewing is one of three friends who could have their own sitcom.
Aussie Beerstagrammers: beerstagram_au
As users explore the possibilities within Instagram, beer-loving users are becoming ever more creative. A fine example is Sergio Montenegro, who has started bringing beer labels to vivid live at @beerstagram_au.
Who Brews Old Slang Beers?
Idioms and old sayings are a popular source for breweries seeking inspiration for beer names and that's where new Victorian operation Old Slang have gone too. We caught up with the man behind the beers to find out more.
The Blackhearts Family Story
The success of local producers is regularly lauded on these pages and elsewhere. But the achievements of Paul and Jess Ghaie in the world of good booze retail are as worthy of recognition as any indie brewer or winemaker.
Who Brews As Two Rupees?
Childhood friends Danny Perera and Amila Mendis fell in love with Melbourne's craft beer scene after moving from Sri Lanka. They started homebrewing together and have now opened Two Rupees, a brewpub in Clayton.
Who Brews BrewiColo Beers?
Ocean Grove is a relaxed coastal town, but BrewiColo are keen to take things even further, encouraging people to slow down and enjoy a taste of island life. Find out more as part of our Who Brews...? series.
Behind Bars: Copper & Oak
The brothers behind Copper & Oak have been selling booze to the people of Perth for more than 15 years. Guy Southern called in for a chat to see what they make of the fast-changing beer scene that surrounds them.
Who Brews Frexi Beers?
They hail from France and Mexico, met in London and embarked on a trip through Europe and South East Asia sampling beers before landing in Melbourne. Now they've launched their first beers as Frexi Brewing, we got in touch.
Who Brews BoJaK Beers?
The name is inspired by their two sons rather than the world's most depressed horse and they pour up to a dozen beers at their Dandenong brewpub. As they move into cans, we find out more about BoJaK Brewing.
Brew & A: Sam Clayman
Sam Clayman loves the uncertainty of nature, from the biochemistry of snails to the distinct characteristics of different yeasts. Find out how the All Hands head brewer balances science and creativity in this Brew & A.
Who Brews Watsacowie Beers?
Half of Drew Coleman's heart is in rural South Australia; the other half is in northern Europe. See how both halves come together at Watsacowie Brewing in this entry in our Who Brews...? series.
Behind Bars: Big Ears
Big Ears is one of the bars working hard to bring better beer - along with tasty meatballs - to the people of Geelong. Ainsley Killingback is chief beer proselytist and here tells us about Geelong's crafty credentials.
Aussie Beerstagrammers: Malt & Lead
Mark Gamble swapped London for Melbourne and has been working with local breweries in his role as a visual designer and art director. Here, he tells us about his approach to Instagram with his Malt & Lead account.
Who Brews Hoppy Puppy Beers?
The brewing industry seems to be obsessed with dogs more than most and now has another canine-themed operation in its midst. As their first beer hits taps, we find out more about Brisbane's Hoppy Puppy.
Brew & A: Mattias Isaksson
Mattias Isaksson has a dual role heading up the brewing at Queenscliff Brewhouse while also part of Old Wives Ales – two very different operations making very different beers. We caught up with him to see how he does it.
Who Brews Ornith Beers?
Daniel Venema is a bird photographer and beer lover who brews for two Brisbane brewing companies. We caught up with him to find out how his love of birds and brewing led him from homebrewing to his dual brewing role.
Behind Bars: Old Faithful Amos
He's one of the beer world's most colourful of characters – most passionate advocates too. For this Behind Bars feature, we get some insight on the Perth and WA beer scene from the inimitable Amos at Old Faithful.
Who Brews As Paper Scissors Rock?
Breweries have been popping up in small tourist towns across Australia for years. Thanks to Paper Scissors Rock, anyone visiting Victoria's Halls Gaps can now enjoy a local beer while in The Grampians too.
The Drinks Adventurer
Do you like exploring the links between drinks? Past AIBA Best Media winner James Atkinson's podcast Drinks Adventures looks at beer, wine, and spirits, and the collaborations between those world.
Brew & A: Headricks Lane
Rockhampton gained its own brewery this year. Headricks Lane launched in March and Matt Aitken wasted little time calling in to catch up with head brewer Alex Taubert.
Who Brews As The Sophisticated Beast?
It's one of the tiniest breweries in Australia and also produces cold brew coffee and pink oyster mushrooms. Jono Outred called into The Sophisticated Beast to find out more.
Who Brews Humpback Beers?
Towards the end of 2016, Cliff Wallis started taking the pokies out of the Tathra Hotel and laid the foundations for a brewery. Now Humpback Brewery is up and running, we thought we'd find out more.
Aussie Beerstagrammers: Beer Australia
In the latest entry in our Aussie Beerstagrammers series, Guy Southern delves into the Instagram account and thoughts of the man behind Beer Australia.
Brew & A: Keegan Steinbacher
As they close in on ten years of beers, Eagle Bay have appointed a new head brewers as co-founder Nick D'Espeissis steps into a new role. We caught up with the new man for our Brew & A series.
Who Brews Hop & Clover Beers?
It started out as an impulse buy on Gumtree, led to a media buzz and is now taking shape as a brewery in Capertee. Mick Wust got in touch with Dave Henderson to find out more about Hop & Clover.
Beer Nuts: Kelly Whyte
Kelly Whyte has brought her brand of enthusiasm and passion for beer to the scenes in Melbourne and Perth over the past decade and more. So we got in touch to find out more for our Beer Nuts series.
