Articles by Will Ziebell
BrewDog Brisbane Set To Open Late 2019
BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie is in Australia checking on progress of their Brisbane brewery. Will Ziebell chatted to him about their plans for Australia, including the use of local hops and barrels.
Scomo Becomes An Assclown
Ahead of the 2019 federal election there's a new ScoMo in town. G'day, My Name Is ScoMo is the first release from new Melbourne-based beer brand Assclown, launched by the team at Chapel St Cellars.
Crafty Crawls: Melbourne CBD – North
In part two of our guide to the best places to grab a good beer in Melbourne's CBD, we take in the northern half above Bourke Street, where you'll find boilermakers, container bars, Viking horns and history dripping from the walls.
Golden Days Before They End
A few years ago, as the Australian craft beer scene started to move into overdrive, golden ales looked like being one of the driving forces. Today, they're rarely found on tap or in fridges. So, what's changed?
Who Brews Burra Beers?
The local brewing industry in South Gippsland continues to grow, with Burra Brewing launching in Korumburra last August. We got in touch with the founder and head brewer to find out more.
Meet The Hop Doctor
Dr Tom Shellhammer is a world-leading expert in hop chemistry helping brewers understand how better to use hops. We caught up with him in Tasmania as he gives a series of talks in Australia.
Brew & A: Stu Grant
As he embarks on a new head brewer role with plans for more of his beers to be sent into the world, we invited Ocho founder Stu Grant to feature in our Brew & A series.
Blizzard's Birthday Sale
Blizzard Brewery's third birthday celebrations will likely bring mixed feelings for owner Mark Hubbard. Following serious health issues, he's decided to put the venue in the Victorian High Country up for sale.
Podcast People: Aussie Beer Explorers
It was sparked over a few beers in a Melbourne pub and has turned into a podcast by two Daves chatting about beer. We got in touch with them, the Aussie Beer Explorers, for our Podcast People series.
Crafty Cabal Update - April 2019
As ever, there's plenty going on in the world of The Crafty Cabal, where Crafty Pint supporters gain access to thousands of bucks worth of goodies and events throughout the local beer world.
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!
Who Brews Buttons Beers?
Inspired to turn their dream into reality by the birth of their first son, Josh and Cora Roberts launched Buttons Brewing last year. Now their cellar door is open in Ulverstone, we got in touch to find out more.
Pinnacle Of The Community
One of Melbourne's most distinctive pubs has issued a call to arms, warning it could cease to operate. We chatted to Pinnacle owner Leigh Wilkes as well as The Old Bar about how they survived their own tough times.
Hoppy Campers
Ahead of the fifth High Country Hops festival in Beechworth, Bridge Road have hosted their first Beer Glamp, inviting winemakers and brewers to town to collaborate on beers (and sleep in yurts).
Punky Brewsters
Swedish punks Millencolin have toured Australia many times over the years. But their most recent visit was a little different as their frontman is now a brewer – and laid down a few collabs between shows.
Aussie Exports: Penyllan Brewery
It was while working in the Melbourne beer industry Jessica Andersen first met her husband, Christian Andersen of Beer Here. Having moved with him to Denmark, she now brews wood-aged beers on the island of Bornholm.
Brewing On The Banana Farm
Spend time in South East Queensland talking about new and interesting beers and it's not long before Currumbin Valley Brewing comes up. We joined Smokey and Luke on the former's banana farm to find out why.
Future Shock
Australia's family of barrel-ageing and blending breweries gained a new member in autumn 2019 with the opening of Future Mountain in Reservoir. We called in ahead of launch date to chat to founders Ian and Shane.
Brew & A: Mick O'Rance
Sunday Road are soon to open the doors of their brewery in Sydney's south. As the day nears, we chatted to their new head brewer, Mick O'Rance, who's taken a colourful route through beer, working for breweries big and small.
Brisbane Gets A Mikkeller Bar
A Brisbane bar is bringing a slice of Scandinavia to Brewsvegas this year as Saccharomyces Beer Café is turned into a Mikkeller bar for the week. We got in touch with owner Simon Booy to find out more.
Crafty Cabal Update - March 2019
As ever, there's plenty going on in the world of The Crafty Cabal, the place for readers of The Crafty Pint to become supporters and gain access to thousands of bucks worth of goodies around the local beer world.
Who Brews Heads of Noosa Beers?
When they worked the stock market, they enjoyed craft beers at the end of the day. So, a few years back, brothers Lance and Craig Masterton decided to embark on a brewing adventure of their own, with Heads of Noosa opening in early 2019.
The Big Issue: Withdrawing The Line
There's been a clutch of product withdrawals in the local craft beer and cider industry in recent months. Here, we ask why, look at what steps brewery owners are taking and why knowing how to handle a quality issue is key.
New Model Modus
They rebranded within months of opening, were the first local brewery to use CANimals, pioneered single design cans with labels and were early proponents of packaged on dates. So, as they unveil a new look lineup, we asked Modus Operandi why.
Going Green: SolaBrew
When Scott Shomer designed Helios Brewing in Brisbane with his business partners, the aim was to produce the most energy efficient brewery he could. Under the SolaBrew banner, he's keen to help other brewery owners do the same.
Beer Nuts: Deb Lieu
They're up there as one of the most unusual and inspired ideas in the local beer world: beer-themed cookies and desserts. We chatted to the woman behind them, Deb Lieu, for our Beer Nuts series.
Craft Beer Heroes: Marty Keetels
He announced his intentions in the most comically unlikely of manners and has gone on to create one of the country's leading beer festivals while helping build Brisbane's beer community. So we invited Marty Keetels to tell us more.
Who Brews One Drop Beers?
Botany's postcode is 2019 and it looks like 2019 could be the year of Botany beer after One Drop Brewing Co opened its doors. We caught up with the reggae-loving foursome behind Sydney's newest brewery for our Who Brews...? series.
Canned Laughter
It was a punchline that was waiting to happen as the beer world moves inexorably from bottles to cans and brewers strike up partnerships outside craft beer's original stomping grounds. It's Canned Laughter, a beer from Newstead and Brisbane Comedy Festival.
Drink Smarter
Two years on from their launch, the University of Melbourne's courses focusing on beer and brewing have been completed by hundreds, with some students already securing work. University alumnus Will Ziebell returned to the scene.
Beer Nuts: Ode To The Road
Oh, to hit the road with the end game being just that: the road. The couple behind Ode To The Road, Erin and Carmel, have been touring Australia more than a year, sampling as many breweries as possible – growlers and dog in tow.
Crafty Cabal Update - February 2019
Time for a first update of 2019 from The Crafty Cabal, our beer lovers bonus scheme. We've got exclusive events, a bar shout, new giveaways and new deals. Check it!
Join The Club
The wartime munitions still hang on the walls, the old members still share stories on the greens outside, yet at many RSLs and bowlos around Australia craft beer is playing a role in attracting new members and keeping the joints alive.
Crafty Crawls: The Frankston Line
We kicked off our Crafty Crawls series with a public transport route – the 86 tram in Melbourne – and here's another. It's arguably not the most likely, yet it offers access to some of Victoria's best breweries, bars and bottleshops.
Who Brews Hop Hen Beers?
A new year brings a new brewery for the Yarra Valley as a former primary school headmaster switches to brewmaster. Hop Hen opened just ahead of the Australia Day long weekend so we wasted no time finding out more.
Black Hops Set Crowdfunding First
Just six days after opening their equity crowdfunding campaign to the public, Black Hops have reached their maximum fundraising target of $400,000 – and broken a few records in the process.
New Year. Lucky Beer
It's fair to say the Australian beer world isn't the most culturally diverse of places. But, as Chinese New Year approaches, the team at Temple is hoping to showcase aspects of that country's culture through a new "lucky ale".
Locals Heroes
They rarely rise to become big sellers for the breweries that make them and are often lagers or approachable pale ales, yet that hasn't stop a growing number of local brewers launching beers with their locals and locale front and centre.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers Of 2018: The Voters
Voting is underway for the biggest public choice poll in the Aussie beer world. But faced with picking just five beers from thousands, how do you go about voting? And who's going to win? We posed questions of some of the nation's keenest beer lovers.
Beer Nuts: Dave Croft
Dave Croft is a man who likes to travel for beer. While many beer geeks make outrageous detours to drink beer from the source, Dave is truly a persistent pilgrim. We caught up with him to find out how it all started and how he plans to spend his 40th.
Unfamiliar Territory
Slowly but surely, the beer scene in the Northern Territory is coming alive. Two more breweries opened in 2018 and more venues are dabbling too. We spoke to some of the Territory's pioneers and newcomers about the scene up Top.
The Abbotsford Renaissance
In recent times, you were more likely to see FOR LEASE signs going up on Abbotsford's historic pubs. But that's all changing, as new owners have injected life into a trio of pubs, helping turn it into one of Melbourne's best 'burbs for good beer.
Who Brews Mephisto Beers?
It's been a while now since we first spoke to Pete Wellington of Mephisto as part of a look at the next wave of SA brewers. Now, with his beers a regular fixture at indie venues in Adelaide, we went back to find out more.
Who Brews One Barrel Beers?
He's worked in the military, the wine industry, been a private investigator and driven trucks around the country. Now, the Too Many Zooz-loving Mark Prior is focused on his beer operation, One Barrel Brewing.
Crafty Crawls: Hobart – The Breweries
In early spring, we revisited our Crafty Crawl guide to Hobart. The first article focused on the city's best beer venues and bottleshops. Now, in part two, we turn the focus to the small breweries and brewing companies that call the city home.
RateBeer Looks To The Antipodes
Long-running beer rating service RateBeer, now part-owned by the world's biggest beer company, is introducing new features, including in-app retail, and is using Australia as a testing ground.
Beer Nuts: Haydz Sam
One of the more familiar – and unforgettable – faces around the Melbourne beer scene belongs to Haydz Sam. We chatted to him about beer Big and small, inspirations, dream beers and four blankets' worth of t-shirts.
Who Brews Forktree Beers?
It turns out turning an old shearing shed into a brewery can take a fair old while. But with all approvals finally signed off this month and guests now welcome at Forktree Brewery, we got in touch with founder Ben Hatcher to find out more.
Victorian Heritage
Bad Shepherd have plundered a bit of local brewing history in creating their new Victoria Pale Ale. It features the historic Melbourne Ale Yeast, brought back to life recently but dating back to the late 19th century.
Sydney – A Winning Perspective
At this year's Sydney Beer Week awards, two local businesses took out two trophies. We spoke to the man behind Akasha and Dylan Hayes, barman at Bitter Phew, about their triumph and the changing landscape for beer in the city.
GABS Heads To Brisbane
The travelling circus that is GABS is adding another stop to its itinerary in 2019 when it heads to Brisbane for the first time.
