News & Feature Stories
BrewCon 2018 Program Announced
There's a new name, new location, new categories and new entries for this year's craft brewers conference and craft beer awards. Now called BrewCon and The Indies, they take place in Sydney in June and the program and tickets are out now.
Ten Years Of Seven Sheds, A Lifetime Of Beer
Tasmanian brewery Seven Sheds marks ten years this month. Its co-founder Willie Simpson has been a central figure in Australian beer for far longer, so Bert "Storyteller" Spinks caught up with him and a former pupil to reflect on a life in beer.
Crafty Cabal Update - April 2018
Another month gone, another update from The Crafty Cabal, our beer lovers bonus scheme. We've got a new competition featuring Blizzard Brewing's beers plus new offers in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Beer Travel: Yarra Valley
The region might still be best known for wine but today the Yarra Valley offers visits a plethora of food and drink options. It's home to a growing number of breweries and venues where you'll find a few crafties too, so here's our guide to finding grain amid the grapes.
The Collaborators: Clint Weaver
The Collaborators is the series in which we shine a spotlight on people and businesses working in tandem with the craft beer world. Here, we meet a designer whose work adorns beer magazines, cans, decals and even a pub.
Hops From On High
Increasing numbers of brewers and beer lovers with a bit of land are trying their hand at growing hops, among them the duo behind Southern Highland Brewing Co. After a successful second harvest, they've just put out the first harvest ale brewed with locally grown hops.
A Beer Drinker's Guide To The Commonwealth Games
With the Commonwealth Games in full swing and the Gold Coast home to much in the way of great beer, expat Kiwi Steffan Paton serves up his first article for The Crafty Pint.
Going Green: 24 Hour Power
In the second article in an occasional series looking at sustainable practices in brewing, Will Ziebell looks at the growing use of batteries to allow breweries to become less reliant on the grid.
Who Brews At Deepwater?
He's got a strong track record when it comes to bringing good beer to places where there was little to be found. And now former Archive and The Park Werribee man, Isaac Zietek, has joined his father-in-law to bring beer to the people of NSW's Northern Tablelands.
"Catastrophic" Fire Hits Major Australian Hop Grower
A "catastrophic" fire has caused devastating damage at Ellerslie Hop, one of the largest hop growing operations in Australia. The fourth generation family business has lost its major processing equipment, sheds and the majority of its 2018 crop.
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Crafty Crawls: The 19 Tram
Two years on from launching our Crafty Crawl series with a tour along Melbourne's iconic 86 tram route, we're hopping about PT again. This time, it's the turn of the city's 19 tram, from Coburg to the CBD and taking in the vibes of Brunswick's Sydney Road.
More Sweet, Sweet Amber
The evolution of Adelaide's Sweet Amber continues. The Brew Café initially spawned a brewing arm with beers brewed under license at Barossa Valley but now operates its own microbrewery and second venue in Regency Park. Matt King dropped in.
Semi-Pro. But Not Half-Arsed
From a meeting at a beer festival to the need to find a name for a Brewsvegas competition via gypsy brewing at various Queensland locations to finally opening their own brewery in Brisbane, the Semi-Pro story is a classic "figure it out as we go" one, as Mick Wust discovers.
Beer Travel: Christchurch
For a city with an extensive brewing history, Christchurch breweries are not as prominent in beer drinkers’ thoughts as those from Wellington and Auckland. But Our Man in New Zealand, Jono Galuszka, found a beer culture comfortable in its own skin.
From Rhineland To Richmond
He was winning awards for his beers before he was legally allowed to buy one before setting off to learn to brew in Germany – and trying to shake things up with his own brewing company. Now back in Australia, at the helm of Melbourne's Burnley Brewing, we catch up with Michael Stanzel.
Aussie Exports: Cristal Peck – Parasite Produktions
If you picked up some cans of Wolf Of The Willow's third Acidulus release, you've experienced a little bit of Berlin's Parasite Produktions. Formed by an American-Australian couple and focused on experimenting with booze, here's the Aussie half, Cristal Peck, to tell us more.
Who Brews Froth Beers?
Exmouth is a place better known for tourism than local beer, but two breweries in the coastal town are changing that. Last year we caught up with Whalebone Brewing and now it's the turn of Ningaloo Coast's other brewery: Froth Craft Beer.
The Educators: Being Better At Beer
As the beer world becomes ever more diverse – not to mention competitive – there's an ever greater need for education throughout the industry. Nick Oscilowski speaks to those involved in providing education plus a brewery that's reaped the rewards of education.
Going Green: Sustainable Brewing
Brewing is, by its nature, an industry that's high on consumption – and we don't just mean in terms of beer drinking. Here, we kick off a new series, Going Green, that looks at sustainable practices within the Australian beer industry.
Podcast People: Beer Sucks
Beer Sucks is a podcast run by three characters from the WA beer community: Tim Hoskins from Black Brewing, Adam Lesk from Cellarbrations Carlisle and Brendan Day from Cheeky Monkey. We find out more about the inspiration behind their off-the-wall show.
QLD Govt Launches Craft Brewing Strategy
As the fifth Brewsvegas draws to a close, Queensland brewers have been given a boost by the state government with the announcement that a Queensland Craft Brewing Strategy will be drawn up to help the industry's expansion.
St Patrick & The Black Stuff
As Irishmen and women – genuine and honorary-for-the-day – prepare to celebrate St Patrick's Day across the planet, we look back at the day's origins, how it become synonymous with Guinness and how it was and is celebrated in Australia.
Who Brews Into Six Tanks?
Slowly but surely, a craft beer scene is taking shape in and around Darwin. Six Tanks Brew Co is playing a key role, brewing a range of beers onsite that share the venue's 26 taps with other local and independent Australian brewers.
Aussie Exports: Jess Wolfgang
Jess Wolfgang spent years working with Keith Grice at Hunter Beer Co before being convinced to move to her partner's homeland in New Zealand. Together, they started Rhyme and Reason in Wanaka, where they brew local beer for anyone enjoying the town's splendour.
Getting Merry On The Ferry
4 Pines has struck up a deal with the company responsible for bringing many visitors to their Manly brewpub over the years. It means you'll now find 4 Pines bars on four of the ferries operated by Harbour City Ferries.
Crafty Cabal Update - March 2018
It's a jam-packed update from The Crafty Cabal, our beer lovers bonus scheme, with heaps of offers, competitions, free beer, events and more for anyone who wants to support what we do to enjoy.
Brewsvegas 2018 Launches
Brisbane's citywide celebration of good beer and the community that surrounds it is ready to roll. There's more than 70 events at 50 venues over the next ten days, including Pint of Origin showcasing the best of Australia, the US and New Zealand.
More Pink Boots Made For Brewing
The evolution of the Pink Boots Society, set up to assist and encourage women working in beer, continues apace. As the 2018 series of collaborative brews kicks off, the Australian wing of the global society has its own hop blend to play with and is launching in Tasmania too.
Fresh, Wet, Green & Hoppy
Hop harvest has started across Australia, with the first fresh or wet hop beers already hitting taps and fridges. But what are they and why are more and more brewers looking to brew them every year?
Craft Beer Heroes: Les Riddell
From the Pineapple Hotel via a dark lager epiphany in Canada to The Local Taphouse in Darlinghurst, Bright Brewery, countless snow-covered slopes and then back to the Pineapple Hotel... We take a journey through good beer with Brisbane's beery Spiderman, Les Riddell.
Brew & A: Ben Simmons
When the family that owned the Clifton Hill Hotel decided to move it from being an Irish pub with TAB to inner-city brewpub, we doubt they envisaged it would lead to the development of a sour beer program. We caught up with the brewer that started taking it in that direction.
A Day In The Life Of: A Hop Farmer
Of beer's four main ingredients, it's hops, those pungent, sticky wee green cones, that have done more to drive the growth of craft beer than any other. Pia from girl + beer spent a day during harvest at Karridale in WA getting up close and personal with them.
Bubbling Up: The Rise Of Craft Lagers
There's been talk of a renaissance for lager within the craft beer world for some time now. And, with more small breweries adding one to their lineup and a rise in the number appearing in the 2017 Hottest 100, maybe we're starting to follow America's lead once more.
Bigger. Brighter.
It's been a big few weeks for Bright Brewery. One of the first breweries to open in the Victorian High Country opened a second production facility this month and, at the weekend, took out a Silver Award at the Australian Tourism Awards.
We're Going On A Beer March
Fundraising brewing company Brewmanity is set to embark on its most ambitious venture yet in support of FightMND. Beer March aims to raise tens of thousands of dollars throughout March. We caught up with David Neitz and Neale Daniher to find out more.
The Crafty Dozen: February 2018
We've added another dozen brewery, bottleshop and bar listings to the site since our last roundup in December. So, as is our wont, we've gathered the latest together in one place in case you missed them when they first went live.
Beer Food: Baby Mammoth
There are few places in Australia that put as much emphasis on the marriage of beer and food as Baby Mammoth in Perth. The restaurant was founded by Ryan and Tania Lambson and here's the former – also the head chef – with his first pairing suggestion and recipe for us.
Brewed With The Screams Of A Thousand Souls
How do you make a Jack Daniels barrel aged, 11 percent ABV imperial stout even more gnarly. If you're the Brewditos and White Lies Brewing, you expose it to the entire discographies of 14 metal bands while it's taking shape.
Newstead Kicks Off With Queensland Rugby Union
Brisbane's Newstead Brewing has become the official beer of Queensland Rugby Union as it continues to forge partnerships with local organisations and businesses in the state. It will see Newstead beers poured at Ballymore and beyond.
Who Brews In The Huon Valley?
The Tasmanian brewing industry more than doubled in numbers over a two year period. One of the new arrivals on the state's beer scene was Church Hill, founded by Bradley Churchill on his property in the Huon Valley.
Pirate Life Lands A $2 Million Bounty
Pirate Life took a massive step towards the completion of its proposed $15m second brewery site today with the announcement that the SA State Government has given the business a $2 million grant.
Getting Blind With Crafty: Session Sours
For our first blind tasting of 2018, we lined up a pretty eclectic selection of beers that form part of the beer world's current fondness for sour styles. And the year got off to a fine start with a winning beer from a brewpub few readers will yet have visited.
Crafty Cabal Update – February 2018
With a few offers and event registration deadlines imminent, it's time for our monthly update from The Crafty Cabal, our beer lovers bonus scheme for readers who want to support what we do and get heaps of good stuff in return.
The 2018 Brewsvegas Program Is Live
Brisbane is home to one of the most vibrant and fun beer communities you'll come across. Brewsvegas is the week of the year in which that community celebrates everything that's best about beer. And, as of today, the program for the 2018 festival is live.
Aussie Exports: Trystam Hayden
He grew up skateboarding around the bar of Sydney's oldest continuously licensed pub, the Lord Nelson. Now, having moved to the other side of the planet, Trystam Hayden is keeping the family brewing tradition alive at the Britannia Brewing Co in Vancouver.
We're Gonna Need A Bigger Shed
Big Shed Brewing Concern is set to get a whole lot bigger after they announced plans for a $2.5m expansion. They were joined by SA Premier Jay Weatherill, whose government is providing more than one million dollars in grant funding and a low interest loan.
Behind The Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers Of 2017
There were plenty of stories within the second GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers countdown, from Panhead holding on to top spot to Garage Project supplying almost one in five beers and Liberty claiming the highest new entry. But we're going to tell three different ones.
Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers Of 2017: The Results
The results of the second GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers poll are in and Panhead has made it two for two with Supercharger holding top spot. The now retired Death From Above takes a posthumous bow in second, joined by fellow Garage Project beer Pernicious Weed on the podium.
Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers of 2017: Analysis
Is the "Craft Beer Capital" baton passing from Wellington to Auckland? Why are there so few beers from South Island brewers? Which styles dominated? And more as we cast an eye over the results in the second GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers poll.
Who Brews As Sunday Road?
With so much attention understandably given to the phenomenal rise of breweries in Sydney’s inner west, it can by easy to overlook the inroads craft beer is making into and outwards in other…
