Articles by Will Ziebell
Newstead Forges An Old Alliance
It's 90 years since Sir Charles Kingsford Smith made the first trans-Pacific flight. To mark the occasion, Alliance Airlines has had one of its aircraft specially decorated and created a new collaboration beer with Newstead Brewing.
The Gang Of Sour
A Brunswick warehouse that initially housed Himmel Hünd's brewery has been turned into an incubator of sorts for small brewing companies playing with barrels. Will Ziebell finds out more.
Who Brews Mitta Mitta Beers?
The town of Mitta Mitta, in Victoria’s northeast, is a place better know for dairy farms and outdoor pursuits. But now it's got a brewery too so we asked founder and brewer Tim Cabelka to join us for the latest in our Who Brews? series.
Who Brews Jetty Road Beers?
Towards the end of last year the Mornington Peninsula gained another two new breweries. Blake Bowden is the head brewer of Jetty Road, which launched with a contract brewed pale ale and has just opened its own venue in Dromana.
Bright Bares All For Mental Health
The issue of mental health is one that's been discussed increasingly openly in the beer world over the past year. Now, Bright Brewery's staff are looking to raise funds and awareness via the release of a new calendar in which they bare all.
Who Brews At The Mill?
At the start of 217, The Mill Brewery opened its doors in Collingwood for the first time, joining the suburb's ever expanding craft community. As the year draws to a close, The Crafty Pint called in for a chat with the brewery's founder, Mirek Aldridge.
Who Brews Whalebone Beers?
Hoping to add local beer to the long list of reasons for visiting Exmouth is Whalebone Brewing Company, which takes its name - and some of its building materials - from the area it calls home.
Beer Power
Beer is once again being used as a force for good thanks to the team behind the Little Gippsland Brewing Co. They have launched Craft Draught with the aim of supporting community projects in their home region.
Confusion Deposit Scheme
New legislation designed to tackle litter in New South Wales is set to go live this Friday. Yet there are serious and growing concerns throughout the craft beer industry that the scheme is flawed and is set to affect small brewers disproportionately.
A Fixed Abode
Fans of Fixation's IPAs have an additional reason to get excited. The award-winning brewing company is less than six months away from opening a brewpub in Collingwood. Will Ziebell finds out more from Mr Fixation, Tom Delmont.
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Decapod Grog
Help save the world's largest freshwater invertebrate by drinking beer! Moo Brew has partnered with The Wilderness Society to raise money to help protect the endangered Tasmanian giant freshwater lobster.
Aussie Exports: Beerbliotek
Just before Christmas last year, a barman at Mother Kelly's in Bethnal Green was eager to point us in the direction of beers from Swedish outfit Beerbliotek, explaining they were producing some of the…
Who Brews Hoppin' Mad Beers?
While there’s no shortage of breweries in Australia that contain a reference to hops in their name, we’d wager there’s few – if any – whose name is also a reference to jazz legends or plastic saxophones. Meet Sydney gypsies Hoppin' Mad.
The Big Issue: Brewer Shortage
As the craft beer industry continues to expand at a rate of knots, it's experiencing growing pains. Among them is a shortage of experienced brewers, an issue that can prove costly, time-consuming and, potentially, dangerous.
Strait Forward
In the grand scheme of things, Tasmania isn't that far from the mainland. Yet the Bass Strait has proven a challenging hurdle for most of the state's small brewers. Change could be at hand, however, as Will Ziebell discovers.
Heathcote's Hops
A nanobrewery and tiny hop farm join forces this weekend to launch their collaborative Wet Hop IPA as part of a mission to show Heathcote can be known for more than Shiraz. We spoke to Skull Gully Hops and Cornella Real ahead of the launch.
Craft Beer Takes Flight
In another positive step for small, independent brewers in Australia, Cheeky Monkey has secured a spot on all Singapore Airlines flights to and from Perth. Since then, Green Beacon and BentSpoke have been confirmed as partners too.
The Pinny Restored
Almost two years after a fire destroyed much of the building, one of Melbourne's iconic pubs is back to full strength. Will Ziebell caught up with Fitzroy Pinnacle owner Leigh Wilkes as his staff prepare to serve the first meals since November 2015.
Bombers Beer
At the start of a big week for the club, Essendon has just lined up an end of season treat for its fans. Players were on hand at Colonial's brewery today to help package Bombers Beer, now available in cans decorated in the club's iconic colours.
Getting Into The Spirit
Australia's craft spirit industry is enjoying a rapid rise not dissimilar to that enjoyed by beer in recent years. The connections between the two are strong, particularly at a growing number of breweries that are distilling in house.
Gone To Pot
The search for new techniques, flavours and experiences in the beer world continues apace. At The Craft & Co in Collingwood, brewer Heath McVeigh has been brewing with the sort of clay amphora used for beer and wine in the Roman Empire.
Meet The Beeries
If two awards nights in 24 hours wasn't enough to sate you, don't worry: The Beeries is coming. It's a beer awards with a difference, one that focuses on the broader beer community and the people within and comes to Brisbane in September.
Crafty Crawls: Preston
As craft beer nudges ever further outwards from its original Melbourne heartlands, so do our Crafty Crawls. Here, Will Ziebell finds much to satisfy in the evolving suburb that of Preston.
Craft Beer Heroes: John Preston
John Preston is one of the country's most unassuming craft beer heroes. In various ways, he's been helping drive the country's homebrew scene forward while supporting many ventures in the commercial brewing world too.
Something's Brewing On Southbank
There aren't many things that haven't been attempted along Melbourne's busy Southbank Promenade. But this week brought something new as Brewmanity headed to Hopscotch to christen Frank the Tank with an oyster stout brew.
A Sporting Chance?
If you were to name one facet of Australian life small breweries are least likely to crack in a hurry, the nation's sporting citadels would be up there. But, asks Will Ziebell, do small wins here and overseas suggest there's hope?
Cocktails On Tap
Good Beer Week 2017 has seen a small army of American breweries travel to Melbourne. And it's not just owners, brewers and barrel program managers who've come. Cocktail guru Jacob Grier has visited as part of the retinue from Portland.
The Breeder
Washington State based Select Botanicals Group has developed some of the hops most beloved of craft brewers. We met head breeder Jason Perrault when he was in Melbourne to talk torture, promiscuity and limitless possibilities.
Foreign Import
It's not unusual for you startup breweries to seek advice from experts. They don't often fly them in from the other side of the world, however. Will Ziebell meets the former Pilsner Urquell brewer assisting the team at Brunswick's Foreigner.
Brewing Up Excellence
The Victorian State Government recently announced it was contributing half a million dollars towards the development of a Centre of Excellence for beer in Ballarat. Will Ziebell finds out more from the man driving the project.
1,000 Brews And Counting
Mornington Peninsula Brewery recently brewed the 1,000th batch of beer at its original site. So we chatted to the man at the helm for them all, a brewer who's been making beer since the early days of Mountain Goat.
The Beers Really From Up Here
There's been plenty of talk about the rise of craft beer in Queensland in recent years. For the most part, it's been centred around the state's South East but, as Will Ziebell finds, it's gaining a toehold in the Far North too.
West of Centre
Just southwest of Melbourne's CBD is a small brewery producing hop forward, West Coast USA influenced beers. Will Ziebell spoke to the American expat who opened Westside Ale Works with the aim of fostering even more love for the mighty hop.
Brooklyn Back Down Under
Brooklyn Brewery is well on its way to becoming a global brand. We caught up with CEO Eric Ottaway during his current visit to Australia to chat lager, caution, over-saturation and the move towards hyper-local brewing.
Drink Smart
Greater education for people in all areas of the beer world is much needed in Australia. And now it's on offer at an unlikely location as one of the world's leading universities adds a subject dedicated to beer to its prospectus.
The Collaborators: Growing Gladly
We've often shone a light on Australian businesses that have launched or discovered new and fruitful avenues thanks to the rise of craft beer. Today, we chat to a New Zealand maltster winning fans at home and abroad.
Who Brews Co-Conspirators Beers?
Melbourne's Merri Mashers is proving fertile ground for new brewing companies. A week after Old Wives Ales celebrated turning one, Co-Conspirators Brewing Co is set to launch its first beer, an IPA.
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 Is Oktoberfest?
As Munich's Oktoberfest comes to a close, and with scores of imitators taking place across Austalia, we look at where the global phenomenon started and how the Bavarian organisers are trying to keep tradition alive.
All Change At Kooinda
After years of changing ownership, management and brewers – plus concerns over consistency – a new team at Kooinda hopes a brand refresh and the outsourcing of much brewing will see the much-loved brewery rise again.
High Hopes
A few lesser known names appeared among the trophy winners at this year's Craft Beer Awards. No one was more surprised at Hope Estate's Champion Brewery win than its brewer, Matt, who spoke to Will Ziebell about his beers and plans for cans.
A Grave You Can Dig
Sailors Grave is a brewery breathing fresh life into the historic former butter factory in Orbost. Its core range includes a gose featuring locally harvested seaweed and its beers will start hitting Melbourne this month.
The Story Of: Bridge Road Brewers Chevalier Saison
It's Australia's longest brewed saison, a style that's becoming increasingly popular, and continues to charm drinkers and judges alike. Will Ziebell brings us the story behind Bridge Road's Chevalier Saison.
Sole Foeder
Never one to rest on his laurels, Ben Kraus has launched a new line of beers from his Beechworth brewery. Mayday Hills will see the Bridge Road Brewers team focus on creating beers in a large oak foeder.
Making Capital
Until recently, Canberra had little in the way of beer to call its own. Today, with Capital Brewing having followed both BentSpoke and Pact Beer, it has five brewing companies operating there. Will Ziebell caught up with the newest.
A Meeting of Malts
From humble origins to another means by which we can take our palates on an adventure in booze, the boilermaker has come a long way. Will Ziebell speaks to some whisky and beer pairing gurus to find out why the two work so well together.
Crafty Crawls: The Wild West
Melbourne's Wild Wild West was, not too long ago, something of a craft beer wasteland. But today that couldn't be further from the truth, as Will Ziebell discovers on a crafty wander through Footscray and its surrounding 'burbs.
Beer History: The Kingdom of Hops
We've written plenty about the latest goings on in the Australian hop industry. But what of the past? In his first article for The Crafty Pint, beer loving historian Will Ziebell delves into the earliest days of hop growing in Tasmania's Derwent Valley.
