Insight & Analysis
Deep dives, trends, hot topic issues and lessons learned.
Big Beer Monopoly
One of the visitors to this year's Craft Beer Awards was a German journalist and storyteller who has penned a book on the globalisation of beer. Matt King caught up with Dr Ina Verstl to find out more.
Best Beers of 2017 – So Far
With so many new releases hitting taps and fridges every week, it can be hard to keep up. So here's a mid-year refresher featuring the thoughts of 40 beer writers, educators and venue operators on the best of 2017 so far.
Tap Contracts Here To Stay
Small, independent Australian brewers didn't get the news they were hoping for today. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released the results of its multi-year investigation into tap access and declared the status quo was here to stay.
Where It's At: On Beer's Frontier II
Global or hyperlocal. Independent or "crafty". The beer world isn't just getting more competitive, it's getting more complex too. Here, we try to unpick the state of play today by studying the craft beer scenes both here and in the US.
Enjoy By
Some breweries print a best before or packaged date on the label, some put a date on the bottle, others have nothing at all. For the consumer in a bottleshop, how are they to know what’s new, what’s old, and what’s been kept in a warm warehouse for months?
The Golden Goose: On Beer's Frontier
Goose Island's arrival in Australia represents the meeting point between the biggest of Big Beer and Australia's craft beer industry. We find out why it's a big deal and ask what it means within the rapidly evolving landscape here and globally.
The Secret Brewer: Price Wars Pt II
Yesterday, we presented an article from The Secret Brewer claiming a price war poses serious challenges and issues for the Australian craft beer industry. Here, a brewery owner, a sales rep and a venue owner respond to those claims.
The Secret Brewer: Price Wars
For the past couple of years, there has been much discussion around the prevalence of low priced kegs – and more recently cases – hitting the markets, particularly in Melbourne and Sydney. This Secret Brewer two-parter asks if it's good for beer.
A Day In The Life Of: A Beer Judge
Next month sees brewers and beer experts from across the globe gather in Melbourne for the Australian International Beer Awards. But what goes into being a beer judge? Is it the best job in the world. Nick O find out.
The Secret Brewer: Gypsy Brewing Pt II
Yesterday, we launched a new series, The Secret Brewer, in which an unnamed brewer laid out their concerns about gypsy and contract brewing. Today, brewers from here and overseas respond to the points raised in the article.
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The Secret Brewer: Gypsy Brewing
The Secret Brewer is a new series in which a local brewer lets off steam about an issue that's troubling them. First up: gypsy brewers. Tomorrow, we'll present responses to the points raised by our mystery brewer in part two.
The Big Issue: Exploitation
The official line is that craft beer is a resoundingly good thing. And that working in the industry means you're the luckiest person alive. Yet what happens when someone's goodwill or eagerness to be part of it is exploited beyond all reasonable limits?
The Big Issue: The Canned Wagon Pt II
Earlier in the week, we looked at the history and recent renaissance of cans in the beer world. Today, in part two of her Big Issue feature, Marie Claire Jarratt delves deeper with a panel of experts.
The Big Issue: The Canned Wagon Pt I
After a slow start, the rise of craft tinnies has been little short of phenomenal. Today, we kick off a two-part Big Issue feature, looking at how and why they've come to prominence and how popular they may become.
The Crafty Pint’s Top Stories of 2016
Time for one final look back at the year in craft beer that was 2016. This time, instead of reflecting via the prism of its best new beers, we gather together some of the most read stories on the site over the past 12 months.
Best New ACT Beers of 2016
We may have crossed the threshold into 2017, but we've still got one final blast from the year just gone. Completing our around-the-country best new beers review comes our panel's pick from ACT's burgeoning beer scene.
Through The Looking Glass
While 2016 was a monumental year in many pretty terrible ways globally, for craft beer in Australia it was another in which we witnessed huge growth and ever greater diversity. So surely we're set for even greater things to come.
Best New Queensland Beers of 2016
As we near the end of the year, we head to Queensland for another look back at the best new beers released in 2016. The result is a list containing debut beers, fruit, barrels and much more besides.
Best New Tasmanian Beers of 2016
It's time for the fifth of our seven roundups of the Best New Beers of 2016. This time, we head south to the state that's enjoyed huge recent expansion in the number of brewing companies, even though half a dozen hog this year's list.
Best New NSW Beers Of 2016
We reach the midway point in our Best New Beers review with a look back at the year in NSW. It features almost entirely younger operations from the state, plus a few beers that may have snuck out in 2015 but hit the big time in 2016.
Best New SA Beers of 2016
As in WA, collaborations make multiple appearances in our panel's selection of the best new beers released in South Australian in 2016. The ten ranges from mid-strength to triple IPA with some root vegetable there for good measure too.
Best New WA Beers of 2016
Part two of our look back at 2016's best new beers heads to the birthplace of modern Aussie craft beer. There our panel finds fascination in collaboration and is impressed by some of the lesser known lights of the local industry.
Best New Victorian Beers of 2016
Each year, we assemble panels of experts around the country to come up with lists of the best new releases to come out of Australian breweries in the previous 12 months. This year, we kick off in Victoria, home to the most brewing companies in the land.
A Day in the Life Of: A Draught Beer Specialist
Stone & Wood's Draught Beer Specialist Ed Bodey travels the country making sure Stone & Wood's beer comes out of the tap exactly how the brewery intended and that bar staff serving you know just how to look after it.
The Big Issue: Crowdfunding Pt II
In part two of our look at crowdfunding in the craft beer world, Will Ziebell seeks the thoughts of a provider, a supporter, a commentator and two people who've run campaigns on this increasingly popular method of raising capital.
The Big Issue: Crowdfunding Pt I
Crowdfunding has become increasingly popular among both new and existing beer businesses. In the first of a two-part series, Will Ziebell speaks to crowdfunding platform Pozible and a brewery that has run a successful campaign.
What Drinkers Want
The biggest ever survey of Australian craft beer drinkers has been carried out by Sydney bottleshop Beer Cartel. The results of what they plan to turn into an annual survey are out today.
A Day In The Life Of A: Senior Brewer
What's life like as a commercial brewer? We spent a day with Adrian McNulty, the well-travelled brewer now in the Señor role at Moon Dog, to find out what goes into heading up brewing operations at one of Australia's quirkiest breweries.
The Big Issue: Gotta Catch 'Em All II
In part I of Gotta Catch 'Em All, we looked at the rise of beer hunting, collecting and rating in the craft beer community. Today, we delve deeper in the company of a diverse panel from the beer world, including Untappd's co-founder.
The Big Issue: Gotta Catch 'Em All
For some, tasting every new, rare and highly rated beer has become an addiction, one that's aided by sites and apps like RateBeer and Untappd. Over two days, Kerry McBride explores whether this is a good thing for beer.
Best Beers of 2016 – So Far
We're not big fans of lists here at Crafty Towers, but with so many new beers released every week we felt we'd make an exception to take stock midway through 2016. We asked contributors to nominate their best new brews and here are the top picks.
A Day In The Life Of: A Beer Rep
Ever wondered what it's like to work in the beer world? Is it as much fun as you think it would be? And what skills do you need to take on roles in the beer industry? A Day In The Life Of seeks to answer those questions and more. Starting with #replife.
The Big Issue: Quality
Is there anything more important when it comes to beer than quality, both when it leaves the brewery and the experience enjoyed by each drinker who buys a beer? For our first Big Issue feature of 2016, six experts share their views.
Best New Beers of 2015: Queensland
We reach the end of our state-by-state (and territory) look back at 2015's best new beers in Queensland. Darren "250 Beers" Magin sat down with fellow beer gurus to pluck ten of the finest new drops to grace the Sunshine State last year.
Best New Beers of 2015: New South Wales
Time for our penultimate look back on the year in beer. This time our attention turns to New South Wales, where a panel led by Nick O cast their minds back over 12 months and came up with the new releases that impressed them the most.
Best New Beers of 2015: ACT
ACT welcomed a new brewing company into the fold in 2015 as champion home brewer Kevin Hingston took his beers to market as Pact. It gave our ACT panel four local breweries to pick from for their best new releases in the territory this year.
Best New Beers of 2015: Victoria
For the fourth of our Best New Beers of 2015 roundups, we look at the state with the largest number of breweries and brewing companies. Which ten beers did our panel reckon were the best of the year? And do you agree?
Best New Beers of 2015: Western Australia
We're (almost) at the halfway mark in our look back at the new beers released across Australia in 2015. This time we move to WA, where two of our regular contributors joined a pair of local beer experts to select their pick of the year.
Best New Beers of 2015: South Australia
The beer scene is booming in South Australia. Recent years have seen an explosion of new brewing companies and there's now a growing number of venues supporting them. Matt King gathered a panel to pick the best new beers to come out of the state this year.
Best New Beers of 2015: Tasmania
We kick off our end of year best of roundups in Tasmania. A panel of beer gurus gathered at Saint John Craft Beer to chew the fat and come up with their top 10 from all the new releases in the state in 2015.
The Big Issue: Branding
As the beer landscape in Australia becomes ever more crowded and competition intensifies, it's not enough simply to brew good beer. How a brewery presents itself and its beers is perhaps more crucial then ever before, so we're addressing branding as our second "Big Issue" topic.
James Halliday Feature: Rise of the Brewpub
Amid all the new brewing companies launching across Australia, the brewpub format is proving increasingly popular. Crafty Pint founder James Smith spoke to the men behind two of the newest.
2015: What Lies Ahead?
Happy New Year, beer lovers! We hope you all welcomed in 2015 in fine style and aren't suffering too badly today. After a mammoth year in 2014, Crafty Towers won't be properly staffed again until January…
Beers of 2014: ACT
Our final look at the best new brews of 2014 visits ACT where Adrian Moran selects the five beers that impressed him most.
Beers of 2014: South Australia
What were the best new craft brews of 2014 in South Australia? For our sixth state by state rundown we turn to the gurus at The Wheaty for answers.
Best of 2014: New South Wales
As the year nears its end, time for the fifth of our state by state looks at the best new beers released by Australian brewers in 2014: New South Wales.
Beers of 2014: Queensland
The fourth of our state-based picks of some of the best new craft beers to be released in Australia comes from Queensland, courtesy of Darren from 250 Beers.
Beers of 2014: Victoria
Which new brews from Victorian breweries tickled our fancy the most in 2014? The third of our state-by-state top tens focuses on the state where The Crafty Pint began.
Beers of 2014: Western Australia
What were the best new beers of 2014 in WA? We asked Pia "girl plus beer" Poynton, who also masquerades as Crafty Pint WA to select her 10 top tipples.
Beers of 2014: Tasmania
Who brewed the best new beers in Tasmania in 2014? We asked beer expert and owner of Saint John Craft Beer, Luke Dempsey. to pick his top ten local brews.
