The #keepinglocalalive campaign sprung into life as Australia's national shutdown approached and helped galvanise the beer industry and the wider community that surrounds it.
While there have been casualties along the way – and some businesses and beer lovers have done it tougher than others – for the most part, we're still standing a year on. As the stories below highlight, the brewing, hospitality and retail sectors proved to be agile, adaptable and innovative to ensure they made it to where we are now: not out of the woods completely, but able to look forward with increasingly, if cautious, optimism.
One silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that support for local breweries, bars and pubs has never been stronger – and we want to see it get stronger still. That comes down to the choices you make every time you buy a beer or go for a meal.
The future of local beer – it's STILL in your hands.
Postcards from the Edge
The Keeping Local Alive campaign was sparked by an article of the same name addressing the mounting challenges faced by the beer industry in the week before the nationwide lockdown.
Since then, The Crafty Pint has run a series of articles from the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis in the local beer community under the Postcards from the Edge banner. A mix of inspirational innovations, personal tales and the challenges businesses and individuals are facing, it sits alongside the photo stories on the #keepinglocalalive Facebook page and The Crafty Pint's Instagram as a document of this remarkable period in time – both for the local beer world and the world at large.
You can find all the stories below – and get in touch if you have a story you think should be there.
Postcards from the Edge No.53: Monkey Brews
The couple who brought craft beer to Dubbo put the COVID-19 lockdown to good use: taking the skills learned over ten years of homebrewing to follow through on a long-held plan to brew their own beers for their regulars.
Postcards from the Edge No.14: The Chain Gang
While none of us know what the beer and hospo scene will look like once measures to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic are over, two Melbourne breweries are eager to support the businesses that have supported them.
50 Days Of Shutdown
It will be a long time before we know the full impact of COVID-19. But on day 50 of the momentous decision to shutdown the country's venues, we asked people throughout the industry for their thoughts.
Postcards From The Edge Revisited
We hoped we wouldn't have to resurrect this series, but with most of Australia back in some form of lockdown or restrictions, we chatted to two Sydney brewers who've pivoted back into action since the weekend.
Postcards from the Edge No.31: Once In A Brew Moon
After a detour into making sanitiser from cheap wine, Perth's Whipper Snapper Distillery got stuck into one more project before returning to whisky: turning kegs from 21 WA breweries into a one-off batch of Moonshine.
Postcards from the Edge No.5: Isolation Island
Two figures from Tasmania's beer industry have launched the Isolation Beer Festival, a celebration of the state's independent breweries and beers designed to connect people at a time when we need to remain apart.
Take Care
These remain difficult times for employees and business owners across the industry. Look after each other.
For more information or support surrounding mental health issues, you can contact:
* Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
* Lifeline on 13 11 14
* Movember Conversations is an interactive tool from the Movember mental health team
Order online and have beer, food (and sometimes more) delivered to your doorstep – it might be the brewer or your favourite bartender making the drop!
Many local breweries and venues have switched to takeaway, drive-thru and Click & Collect services. Swing by, grab some goodies and put a smile on their faces!
When restrictions start to ease, venues will begin to open to varying numbers of guests. Call in for some ol' fashioned hospo!
Grab some beer swag – t-shirt, stubby holder, beanie, glassware, you name it – to show off your love for your locals.
Invest in the future and buy a voucher now you can use at your local later. Or you could consider viewing tickets for a cancelled event as a donation.
