Articles by James Smith
Episode 001: Chris & Gab Moore of Sailors Grave Brewing
The Crafty Pint Podcast is officially up and running. And we've got two great guests to kick things off: Chris and Gab Moore, the creative geniuses behind the unique Sailors Grave Brewing.
Vote For Holgate's 25 Years of Beers People's Choice
To mark a quarter century of brewing, the team at Holgate Brewhouse set out to brew 25 beers for 25 years. And they're inviting the public to choose one of the beers – with a sweet prize on offer for one winning voter.
We're Launching The Crafty Pint Podcast
Fourteen years after we set out on a mission to cover the Australian craft beer scene, The Crafty Pint is launching a podcast. You can view a trailer now, with the first full weekly episode published in late July.
Valhalla Brewing Enter VA Citing Major Drop In Hospitality
Valhalla Brewing have become the latest indie operation to enter voluntary administration, citing a significant drop in patronage at their venues. Owner Scott Hunt says they hope to remain in control of the Geelong-based business.
2024 Mid-Year Report – Shift Happens
The first six months of 2024 have been brutal for beer, putting even the turbulence of 2023 in the shade. Here, we take stock, examining where the industry finds itself and where it's heading.
The Secret Brewer: Voluntary Administration Part II
The people running some of the breweries to have been through voluntary administration over the past 12 months, as well as the CEO of the IBA, respond to concerns raised by The Secret Brewer.
Margaret River-Based Black Brewing Has Gone Into Administration
Black Brewing Co has entered administration. The Margaret River-based operation, which won Champion WA Brewery at the 2023 Indies, has appointed Avior Consulting and is to close its restaurant on June 15.
FogHorn Founder Takes Full Control Of Brewery As Mighty Craft Exit Craft
Shawn Sherlock, who built a reputation as one of Australia's finest brewers while at Murray's, has taken full control of FogHorn Brewery almost a decade on from launching the business, with Mighty Craft exiting craft beer.
Range To Close Their Abbotsford Taproom
Range Brewing have today announced they're closing their Melbourne venue. The Abbotsford taproom opened in 2020, and will serve customers for the last time on June 15 as they focus on their Brisbane operations.
Can Beer Help Regenerate The Planet?
Regenerative farming and the grain grown by such methods have been gaining more attention in recent years. Now, the Good Grain initiative aims to raise awareness and support for both much further, with beer as the vehicle.
Get more Crafty!
Sign up to our newsletters and get the latest craft beer news delivered free to your inbox. Choose from our Friday Roundup of the week, the quick-read, social feed-like Crafty Cuppa – or both!
Time For Some PoOsitivity
Pint of Origin 2024 is set to enter its final weekend after enjoying a sparkling opening so, to get attendees into the mood for more, we've rounded some of the best clips from when the festival hit the major networks.
Black Hops Brewing Bought By New Owners
Black Hops have been bought by a consortium representing a number of existing shareholders and "other supporters of craft beer and independent breweries". The business had been in administration since late March.
FOUND. Taking Over Former Golden West Site In Subiaco
The closure of one brewery in Subiaco has paved the way for another to open, with FOUND. set to transform the former home of Golden West into a hub for their ambitious vision for WA.
Hit The Road At Pint of Origin And Win!
Pint of Origin kicks off on May 10 with beers from 225-plus breweries on four continents pouring at 21 venues. To help you make the most of your adventures, we've created Passports and Mini-Crawls with epic prizes up for grabs.
TWØBAYS Gluten-Free Session Ale Claims Gold In World Beer Cup
Session Ale from TWØBAYS has won gold in the Gluten-Free Beer category at the World Beer Cup in Las Vegas. It's a remarkable achievement for the Dromana-based brewery at the most prestigious beer competition on the planet.
Moon Dog's Wild West Venue Launch Postponed At Last Minute
The much-heralded launch of Moon Dog's Wild West venue in the former Franco Cozzo building in Footscray has been postponed at the last minute.
Pint of Origin 2024 Is Ready To Roll
Australia's biggest, longest, most delicious and diverse pub crawl returns to Melbourne next month. The full website is now live, meaning you can apply for your 2024 Pint of Origin Passport, ready for another beer-filled adventure.
Modus: Ten Lessons From Ten Years
Modus celebrate a decade of beers this weekend. Over that time, they've followed a path that's very much their own. Here, founders Jaz and Grant Wearin look back, sharing some of the lessons learned along the way.
Calling All Reps For The Pint of Origin Konvoy Kegfluencer Kompetition!
As Pint of Origin approaches, The Crafty Pint has teamed up with Konvoy for a fun competition for brewery reps that showcases the 2024 venues and will see one win a pallet of kegs for their brewery.
Victoria's Oldest Independent Brewery Is In Voluntary Administration
Grand Ridge Brewery, which launched in 1989, is in voluntary administration, joining more than a dozen others over the past 18 months. The owners have appointed Mackay Goodwin in late March and hope to sell the business.
Want to know more?
More Consolidation As Willie the Boatman Is Acquired By UK-based Powder Monkey
More consolidation in the local beer world, with news today that Sydney brewery Willie the Boatman has been acquired by UK-based Powder Monkey, which last year merged with fellow NSW operation South Highlands Brewing.
All Aboard For Pint of Origin 2024
We're only a week into March but it's always good to have something to look forward to – so here's the 21-strong lineup for Pint of Origin. The festival returns to May for a 12th time from May 10 to 19.
Hawkers Emerge From Administration With Same Team In Charge
Hawkers have emerged from a period of voluntary administration with the same management structure in place after their proposal for a financial restructuring of the business was accepted unanimously by creditors.
WA Brewery Golden West Brings In Administrators
Another local brewery has entered administration, with the founders of Golden West in the Perth suburb of Subiaco running out of money. There is hope, however, that the venue will reopen as a brewery under new owners.
NT Brewers Unite For Pints For A Purpose
The local beer world's community spirit will come to the fore this Saturday as the NT's brewers unite for a fundraiser in support of a local brewery owner diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.
WA's Beer History To Star In New State Library Exhibition
A new exhibition exploring nearly 200 years of brewing history in WA opens this weekend. Crafty writer Guy Southern, who conducted ten interviews covering the modern era, took us behind the scenes of Liquid Gold.
Big Shed Brewing Appoint Voluntary Administrators
Big Shed Brewing have appointed voluntary administrators, becoming the second Australian brewing company to do so this week, following Hawkers' announcement on Monday.
Where To From Here For Local Beer?
With Hawkers – one of the most successful Australian breweries of the past decade – entering administration, we look at the impact of the current climate on the wider industry, and ask what change is needed to turn things around.
Hawkers Become The Latest Brewery To Enter Voluntary Administration
Hawkers have today become the latest brewery to enter voluntary administration. Their decision continues the steady stream of administrations and closures in the local beer industry over the past 18 months.
Celebrate Your Favourite Local And Win!
As Local Beer Day approaches, we're celebrating some of the people who make the Aussie beer community what it is. And now it's your turn: nominate your favourite local and you could win prizes – for yourself and your local!
Mountain Culture Status Quo Wins GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2023
The votes have been counted, and of the 1,877 beers to receive votes from the 400-plus breweries that entered the GABS Hottest 100 of 2023, Mountain Culture Status Quo has landed in top spot for a second year running.
The Year Of Living Precariously
A year ago today, news that Ballistic Beer Co had entered voluntary administration sent shockwaves through the local beer world. Here, we take a look back at the carnage that has followed in the 12 months since.
Wayward Brewing & Local Drinks Collective Emerge From Administration
Wayward Brewing and Local Drinks Collective have exited a period of voluntary administration with the existing owners still in charge. We spoke to company director Peter Philip after the DOCA was approved today.
Local Beer Legends
The local beer world wouldn't be the wonderful and diverse place it is without the people responsible for bringing beer to life and into your hands. So, as Local Beer Day approaches, we're shining a light on some of them.
WA's Indie Brewers Aim To Keep The Bird Flying
WA's indie brewers are rallying behind the William Street Bird, an iconic live music venue in Northbridge with an uncertain future, whose Keep The Bird Flying festival kicks off this weekend.
Wayward Brewing Enter Voluntary Administration
The new year has started much as 2023 ended with another brewery entering voluntary administration. Wayward Brewing have appointed administrators with the intention of restructuring their business and retaining ownership.
Getting Blind With Crafty: Influencer Beers
For our final blind tasting of 2023, we figured we'd do something a little different: with several new beers on the market associated with bands, brands or other famous figured, we decided to put them to the test.
The Year In Beer 2023
It goes without saying that 2023 hasn't been the year the beer world would have been hoping for, but let's try to make sense of it anyway, shall we?
Local Beer Day: Join Us For A Nationwide Celebration
Who's up for injecting some joy into the local beer world? We sure are, so we've created Local Beer Day and hope breweries, bars, bottleshops and beer lovers will join us and make it the biggest ever celebration of Aussie beer.
Cheeky Monkey Buy Sound Brewing From Administrators
There's been another significant move in the local beer world with Cheeky Monkey acquiring fellow WA operation Sound Brewing Co, two months after the Rockingham-based brewpub entered administration.
Beerfarm Claim The 2024 WA Beer Of The Year Crown
Beerfarm's IPL, a WA craft beer icon, has been named Beer of the Year at the 2024 WA Good Food Guide Awards. It finished ahead of Phat Brew Club's Culture of Good Times and Rocky Ridge's Rock Juice V12 in this year's top 25.
Dainton Beer Enter Voluntary Administration
Dainton Beer have today become the latest brewing company to file for voluntary administration, citing the need to "deal with financial losses the business has accrued from ill-timed expansion in the face of declining consumer demand."
Bad Shepherd's Founders Emerge From Administration Still In Control
Less than a month after appointing administrators, the founders of Bad Shepherd are out of administration, as of today, and remain in control of their business after their proposal was approved in a creditors' meeting.
The Exploding Cost Of Brewing Beer
To gain a greater understanding of the challenges facing brewers, we broke down the cost of brewing Hawkers' trophy-winning West Coast IPA, and how those costs have exploded in recent years.
Getting Blind With Crafty: Mexican Lagers
For our Mexican lager blind tasting, we veered a little from our usual approach and included some of the biggest names in the world alongside the Aussies. The big question: could a local hero claim the crown...?
Sydney Beer Week To Return In 2024
Sydney Beer Week is to return in 2024, bringing to an end a six-year beer week drought for the city's beer lovers. We spoke to the duo behind its comeback about their plans to breathe fresh life into the city's beer scene next October.
Brew & A: Marcus Cox
Marcus Cox marks 20 years in brewing this year. We chatted to him about a career spanning the earliest days at 3 Ravens, launching breweries both sides of the Pacific, major trophies, and rescuing a brewery from floodwaters.
Bad Shepherd Enter Voluntary Administration
Bad Shepherd have this week entered voluntary administration as they undertake a financial restructuring of the business. But the founders say it remains business as usual for customers and employees.
La Sirène's Reservoir Renaissance
Just 371 days on from opening Bar La Sirène in Alphington, Costa and Eva Nikias opened Bar La Sirène in Reservoir after a wild year of sudden closures, existential crises and, ultimately, a desire to keep the dream alive.
Cerveza: Is The Next Big Thing In Beer ... Beer?
You've probably heard the word "cerveza" more than usual in recent weeks, and you'll hear it more in the coming months. But what exactly is it? And why are some brewers predicting a summer of cerveza?
