News & Feature Stories
The Club Life
More sports clubs are making the switch to craft beer and reaping the rewards. Will Ziebell spoke to a golf club in Toowoomba and a smaller bowlo in Brisbane's southwest about their successful recent conversions.
Who Brews For Kicks?
What does it look like when good beer marries good design? Get to know the husband and wife team behind Kicks Brewing in this instalment of our Who Brews...? series.
Embracing The Fruits
Brewing may be an industrial process reliant on stainless and manufacturing capacity but some brewers are working closely with farmers to showcase the seasons via their beers, including Future Mountain and La Sirène.
Brew & A: Steve Wearing
They might not brew hype beers or indeed be a hype brewery, but King Road Brewing Co have been quietly carving a fine reputation – and collecting trophies – in WA. We caught up with head brewer Steve Wearing to find out more.
And The Beer Goes On...
COVID might have put paid to Adelaide's Beer & BBQ Festival, but two of its smaller exhibitors have found a way of keeping its spirit alive. Matt King chatted to BeerNoEvil and Blackwood Brewhouse about their mini-fest.
Podcast People: Crack The Ceiling
Crack the Ceiling is an Australian beer podcast run by two Americans with a wealth of experience and expertise in the local beer industry. We got in touch with Lindsy Greig and Tif Waldron to find out how they became podcasters.
BecauseWeCAN Vol.3
Is your diet deficient in fruit and veg? Fear not, as we're back with another BecauseWeCAN look at some of the more unusual beers on the market, this time each featuring fruit or veg, plus some black tea and mica for good measure...
Penguin Takes Flight On The Island State
Scott Seymour was one of the key players in the rise of craft beer in Bendigo. When he moved to Tasmania with wife Tara, he was planning a new career in health and aged care, but it turns out beer and brewing weren't done with him...
Help #emptythekegs
Much of Australia has faced lockdowns through 2021, making it difficult for breweries and venues to sell kegs. In response, one beer lover has launched the social media campaign #emptythekegs to help keep tap beer moving.
In League With Local Brewers
Partnerships between craft beer and sport aren't exactly new in Australia, but the growing number of connections between local beer and league across New South Wales is impressive.
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!
Something To Braggot About
With his latest collaboration with a local brewer hitting shelves – a braggot brewed with Seasonal Brewing Co – we caught up with the passionate homebrewer turned meadmaker Sean Johnson, of WA-based Erosion Meadery.
The Welder's Dog Pack Grows Again
Seven years on from the launch of their first craft beer bar in Armidale, The Welder's Dog team have opened a third. They've renovated the 135-year-old Oxford Hotel in Inverell, installing 20 taps and with a kitchen on the way.
Who Brews In Kalbarri?
The Finlay's name has an association with the WA coastal town of Kalbarri stretching back decades. These days, it's attached to a family-friendly brewery serving beers inspired by the region and a seafood driven menu.
The Crafty Pint's Best Of 2021 – So Far
After skipping a year due to the madness of COVID, our Best New Beers – So Far mid-year feature is back. It's a little different this time around, reflecting the changing beer landscape, and so late it's barely mid-year for that matter...
Craft Beer Heroes: Adam Trippe-Smith
He started a GABS Hottest 100 winning brewery and two of the keg rental companies that drive the Aussie craft beer industry, but still Adam Trippe-Smith is unknown to many. We caught up with Adam to get his story.
Science Made Beerable
It's often said brewing is a meeting of art and science, and for two beer-loving scientists from Tassie, the focus is very much on the latter. And puns. Ahead of Science Made Beerable's Nationa Science Week event, we got in touch for a chat.
Brew & A: Matt Cuthbert
He's brewed for many Australian brewing companies across three states, and has been at Revel since the Brisbane operation launched. Here, Matt Cuthbert traces his brewing career from high school to head brewer.
Vale On Top At Adelaide Awards
Vale Brewing claimed Champion Large Brewery and Most Outstanding Beer In Show for their Fox Hat Phat Mongrel at the 2021 Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards, which saw a large number of awards go to darker beers.
Bridge Road To Open Melbourne Brewpub
Beechworth's Bridge Road Brewers have today unveiled their plans to build a brewery in Melbourne. The new, 30 tap, 350-seat venue will be part of the East Brunswick Village development.
Keeping Local Alive '21
With the winter 2021 lockdowns spreading and looking likely to stick around in some places for a while, we've rebooted the resources section of the Keeping Local Alive campaign to help people wanting to support their locked down locals.
The Great Australian BeerFest Merger
Two Australian beer festivals are combining their might, with Kieran Blood from the Great Australian Beer Festival taking on new business partners, James Harding and Stacy File from BeerFest Australia.
Dave Heads Deep South
Former Moo Brew head brewer Dave Macgill finally threw open the doors to his new brewpub venture this month.We called in to see what's on offer at Deep South Brewing Co as they join North Hobart's beer community.
No Gluten. All Gold
One of the most eye-catching moments at the 2021 AIBAs was O'Brien Beer's six golds in the Specialty category. We chatted to the founder of the GF beer pioneers as they come to the end of an equity crowdfunding campaign.
Our Story: The Next Chapter
In the wake of allegations and articles documenting sexual assault, abuse and harassment in the beer world, work is ongoing to make positive, lasting change in the local beer and hospitality communities. We spoke to those driving it.
An Elegantly Craftd Renaissance
Craftd brought stylish glassware to many beer lovers' homes. Now, the company is reborn after a pair of mates in WA bought the business from its founders and relaunched it with a new look range.
Brewers Take A Cold Dip
Haze and DDH might be here to stay but brewers are trialling new ways to brew punchy, hoppy beers. We caught up with two Australian brewers taking cues from America to brew "dip hopped" and "cold IPAs".
Who Brews Phat Beers?
Phat Brew Club joined WA's impressive beer industry this year but their origin goes back six years to when six mates got together to brew. We caught up with the team to find out more as part of our long-running Who Brews? series.
The Dark & Disgusting Minds of The Scratch
No one's ever accused the folk at The Scratch of being normal. Their festivals have cult followings, and the videos they make to promote them can be downright disgusting. We sat down with manager Becca King to find out more.
Brewmanity Find A Home In South Melbourne
After a four year search, Brewmanity have finally unveiled plans for their brewery and taproom, which is scheduled to open in South Melbourne in early 2022. We caught up with co-founder David Neitz to find out more.
Something Good Lands In Traralgon
Ten years after he first imagined opening his own brewery in his hometown, and following stints at breweries in Edinburgh and the Netherlands, Jimmy Krekelberg will finally open Good Land Brewery in Traralgon this Friday.
Who Brews South Yeast Beers?
South Yeast Brewing is a family affair that's also one of the latest breweries to call the New South Wales south coast home. As part of our long-running Who Brews series, we caught up with the twins behind the operation.
Bowden Brewing Launching In Adelaide
The last kegs might have rolled out of West End's Thebarton brewery, but a new Draught is set to rise a few hundred metres away. We called into Bowden Brewing for a chat ahead of their launch this week.
A Frothy Expansion In The South West
WA's South West hosts a heaving beer scene these days and set to add to the local beer offering is Froth Craft Brewery, who are opening a second brewery in Bunbury. We caught up with the founders of the Exmouth-based operation to find out more.
Two Birds: Ten Lessons From Ten Years
Two Birds Brewing celebrate ten years of beers in 2021, after a decade of blazing a trail through the Australian beer industry. We invited the founders of the country's first female-owned brewing company to reflect on the journey so far.
Postcards From The Edge Revisited
We hoped we wouldn't have to resurrect this series, but with most of Australia back in some form of lockdown or restrictions, we chatted to two Sydney brewers who've pivoted back into action since the weekend.
Who Brews Kick Back Beers?
Kick Back launched in the beachside town of Aldinga in the middle of winter, but the cold weather hasn't stopped them packing in guests since they opened. We caught up with one of South Australia's newest breweries to find out more.
Blasta Secure $1m Government Grant
The good news keeps coming for Perth brewery Blasta after the trophy-winners secured a $1 million Federal Government grant to help fund the construction of a second brewery.
The Collaborators: The Vanilla Man
With adjunct-laden beers, particularly pastry stouts and sours, consumed in ever greater numbers by Australian drinkers, we met with Natural Vanilla’s Owen Henderson, one of Australia’s largest suppliers, to talk all things vanilla.
Newstead Open A Taproom At Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is the latest to take a crafty turn, with Newstead Brewing opening a taproom at the Domestic Terminal, marking another major partnership for the Queensland brewery.
Who Brews Smart Brothers Beers?
The Smart Brothers were born in England, but started brewing after moving to Australia. We chatted to them about their small batch operation on the Mornington Peninsula where they look to blend both their homes in one.
Aussie Beerstagrammers: beers.2.review
The latest in our series focusing on the best of Australia's Beerstagrammers returns to Victoria's Surf Coast, where Guy Southern chats to the mates behind @beers.2.review.
Stone & Wood Is The New Beer Of The Wallabies
Ahead of the Wallabies matches with France, Stone & Wood have announced their Green Coast Lager has become the rugby union team's official beer, meaning it will be available at all upcoming tests.
The Big Issue: Skills Shortage
It goes without saying that the COVID pandemic has created huge problems for the local beer and hospitality industries. One issue it's exacerbated is a skills shortage, both when it comes to brewing and running venues.
Beer Basics: Waters Ain't Waters
It might seem like the most mundane of beer's four main ingredients, yet in his latest Beer Basics guide to the world of beer and brewing, Molly Rose founder Nic Sandery argues it's one of the key elements that turns a good beer into a great one.
Who Brews Precinct Beers?
The Gold Coast's transformation into one of the country's most exciting craft beer hotspots has been little short of remarkable. We got in touch with the team at one of the region's freshest, Precinct Brewing in Miami.
Unbridled Joy For Blasta At Perth Royal Beer Awards
Blasta continued their impeccable run at the Perth Royal Beer Awards by taking out Champion Beer for the second year running while adding Champion Large Brewery and Best IPA to their swollen trophy cabinet too.
Mighty Craft To Buy Mismatch In $47m Deal
Mighty Craft continue to snap up craft breweries and other alcoholic beverages, today announcing plans to acquire the Adelaide Hills Group, which includes Mismatch Brewing, in a $47m buyout.
Looking On The Bright Side
It might not be the 15th birthday weekend they had planned, but the team at Bright Brewery have a lot to be cheerful about. We caught up with owner Scott Brandon to discuss the brewery's impressive history and what's around the corner.
Capital's B Corp Journey
Capital Brewing are on track to become the latest Australian brewing company to achieve B Corp status. We chatted to the man driving the process for the Canberran brewery.
Who Brews Dangerous Ales?
As they work on a major brewery expansion at their home in Milton, NSW, we caught up with Dangerous Ales founder and head brewer Damo Martin to find out how he went from big wave-chasing chef to brewery owner.
