It's that time again... We've added another dozen new breweries, bars and bottleshops to the Crafty directory since our last update in July, which gives us an excuse to create another postcard style montage. And to round them all up in one place in case you missed them first time around.
They're spread from the south coast of WA to the north of Brisbane, from rural New South Wales to the heart of Melbourne's CBD and they're all in the business of bringing good beer to the people in their own inimitable manner.
You can check out the last Crafty Dozen here and look out for the next one within the coming weeks, with pages for breweries and venues in Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland all well underway.
Don't forget you can find all of these and hundreds more in the new Crafty Pint app. It's a great way to find good beer when you're out and about with listings for breweries, bars and bottleshops augmented by details on forthcoming events, special offers, Crafty Crawls and heaps of other useful Crafty Pint articles. Download it free for Android or iOS here.
Burnley Brewing (VIC) – They'd talked about starting a brewery since uni days and, finally, after meeting venue owner Renton Carlyle-Taylor, Neil Mills and Phil Gijsbers achieved their goal. Burnley combines a refined brewpub in Richmond with a production facility in Dandenong South, with brewing overseen by Michael Stanzel, who'd learned the trade with the best in Germany. Crafty Cabal Member offer at Burnley Brewing: 2-FOR-1 Pints!
Isles Lane (QLD) – There are plenty of venues that have helped drive the rapid rise of craft beer in Brisbane over the past half decade, but none we've encountered quite like Isles Lane. Looking out over one of the CBD's few green spaces, it's a little bit Parisien café, a little bit fancy London pub, a little bit New York hotel, with a focus on quality booze across the range, farm-to-table dining and with an oyster bar to boot.
Odd Culture (NSW) – The reborn Taphouse in Darlinghurst has spawned a second venue without having to move an inch. The middle floor of the pioneering craft beer venue has been reimagined as Odd Culture, a space dedicated to wild/sour/mixed ferment beers and natural wines. Just head to the first floor and indulge your every funky whim.
The Silverlake Social (VIC) – A slice of SoCal comes to SoMel at The Silverlake Social as the owners look to recreate the feel of an American dive bar in the heart of Prahran. That means plenty of artery-busting burgers and buffalo wings, US sports on the screens, pool, heaps of bourbon, enough neon to entice interplanetary visitors and 14 taps. Mostly filled, of course, with IPAs.
Beerfarm (WA) – All the fun of the farm in the heart of the Margaret River region here, with Beerfarm one of the more recent, most colourful and wildly entertaining of the stack of breweries that call that part of Australia home. Whether you like to see good humans doing good things for the planet, enjoy fun times (with the family or without) or simply tuck into some cracking beers, Beerfarm can sort you out.
Watts River Brewing (VIC) – Aaron Malmborg and Ben Hamilton met while brewing for White Rabbit in Healesville and became good friends. When Lion moved the brewery out of town, along with their partners Emily and Hanna they decided to set out on their own and opened Watts River. They brew a fine lineup of beers with a particular passion for barrels and Brettanomyces and are ready to welcome you to their colourful brewery venue with open arms. Crafty Cabal Member offer at Watts River Brewing: FREE Tasting!
Blasta Brewing Co (WA) – Quite how he's managed to do it while continuing with his FIFO job we're not sure, but we do know that Steven Russell has achieved his dream of moving from homebrewer to owner of a community-friendly brewpub with style. The expat Scot started out gypsy brewing before opening the impressive venue in Burswood and has been winning trophies for his beers along the way.
Bottlemart Margate (QLD) – The rise of craft beer in South East Queensland is well documented, but one of its more unlikely outposts is this Bottlemart in a shopping mall in one of Brisbane's northern suburbs. Its wide range of beer offerings has been driven by passionate staff who say the current range is just the beginning, one that features everything from Belgian classics to big US names to local heroes.
Cupitt Craft Brewers (NSW) – The Cupitt family has been making wine and running a restaurant at its home in Ulladulla for years. They also run a fromagerie. And, more recently, they added to that menu of deliciousness by adding a brewery to the mix. It's not the biggest – just 300 litres per batch – but that doesn't hold them back, with offerings likely to range from English mild to IPA to co-ferments featuring their own wine grapes.
Boston Brewing Co (WA) – It comes with one of the most delightfully confusing setups: the same name as one of America's biggest breweries (it's a family name), based in a town with the same name as a European country yet found in the Great Southern region of WA. Most importantly, however, Boston Brewing produces a range of quality beers released in award-winning cans and has one of the most welcoming, family-friendly homes (which it shares with a winery) too.
Whitehart Bar (VIC) – Inspired in part by the container bar that sprung up in Darwin post-Cyclone Tracy, Whitehart Bar manages the not inconsequential task of standing out from the crowd in Melbourne's CBD. Industrial in structure yet still feeling green and alive, it mixes quality beer with natural wines, cocktails that showcase local produce and an eclectic lineup of DJs throughout the week over its two storeys.
Black Brewing (WA) – The Caves Road location that's home to Black Brewing had been producing beer and wine before the current residents moved in, but it's fair to say Stewart Sampson and his crew have attracted more attention since moving in in 2015. Their beers focus on sessionability, with the Bao Bao Milk Stout already something of a cult classic in WA, while they've added spirits to the lineup too, with barrels aplenty ready to unleash their goods in the coming years.
If you'd like to find out more about featuring in the Crafty Pint directory and our new app, drop us a line!
