News & Feature Stories
Dr Benny's Crafty Fixes: Special Occasion Beers
Ever found yourself in an awkward situation involving beer? Stuck in a quaffable quandary and can't see a way out? Meet Dr Benny, here to fix your every crafty dilemma. This time: what to do with an overabundance of big beers.
The Wild Ones: Van Dieman
The Wild Ones is a series showcasing Australian brewers creating spontaneously fermented ales. Following our launch piece last week, here we head to a farm in Tasmania to catch up with Van Dieman founder Will Tatchell.
Exclusively Yours: The Rise Of Brewery Subscriptions
Beer clubs and brewery memberships are far from new but recent years have seen such them grow alongside online beer sales. We spoke to Molly Rose, Black Arts and Van Dieman Brewing about their exclusive clubs and why they do it.
Oztoberfest
Across Australia right now, you can hardly move for German beers, pretzels, bratwurst and lederhosen. Yet our love for the wonders of traditional German styles fades through the rest of the year. Judd Owen tries to rectify matters.
The Mill Expand And Rebrand
Melbourne venues are looking forward to the end of the month but The Mill Brewery have more reason than most to be excited. They've recently finished work on a production brewery in Thomastown and rebranded too.
Shapeshifter's Taproom Opens Today
Shapeshifter have been building a reputation for their hazy beers, big stouts and willingness to embrace new trends since launching in 2019. Today, they open the doors to their new home, featuring a 12hL brewhouse and a dozen taps.
The Wild Ones
A spontaneously fermented beer won Champion Australian Beer at this year's AIBAs, and a number of Australian brewers are creating beers inspired by the lambics of Belgium. In The Wild Ones, we join them down the rabbit hole.
Firies-Supporting Brewing Company Wins Brew Rocket Grant
A brewing company created to support emergency service workers has won the first Brew Rocket grant designed to reward sustainability and social responsibility. Firehouse 51 was selected by a panel put together by Craft Instinct.
The Overland Corner Hotel Flowers Anew
There have been many heartwarming and inspirational tales to come from the beer world during the pandemic, but few as colourful as this. Here's how a Sydney family went from hitting the road to a houseboat to an historic pub.
Going Green: KlippaKan
Plastic can holders might be ubiquitous in craft beer but a local company has developed another way to keep your tinnies together. Johnston Packaging and Grifter have just unveiled the KlippaKan, which has been in the works for a year.
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The IBA Launches A Code Of Conduct
Australia's Independent Brewers Association has today unveiled its new code of conduct. It has been created on the back of allegations of sexual assault, harassment and discrimination in the beer industry both here and overseas.
Yarragon-na Love The New Ale House
The Yarragon Ale House has been serving drinkers and homebrewers in Gippsland for 15 years. But, following a major refit it's been reinvented as a 15-tap bar and bottleshop that wouldn't be out of place in Brunswick or Collingwood.
Brew & A: Stingray
When you work in a bar or brewery, you may well impart a little of your personality onto the business. For Bodriggy's Stingray, however, he's gone rather further: his name is now that of their upstairs bar and an offshoot beer brand.
Chappy's Crafty Chippies
It started as a side hustle in the food truck at Thunder Road and has since outgrown two kitchens and become a popular snack – and beer pairing item – in Melbourne's crafty venues. We meet the man behind Chappy's Snacks.
The Big Sale: Is It A Big Deal?
Last week's announcement that Stone & Wood's founders had agreed to sell their business to Lion sent shockwaves through the industry. But, as the dust settles, what has really changed for indie brewers and those who buy indie beer?
Seltzers: Hard Sell Or Easy As?
At the start of 2020, we looked at the arrival of hard seltzers in Australia. With local producers hoping for a summer of seltzer ahead, we chatted to those making and selling them to find out how far they've come and where they're heading.
Who Brews Lake Mac Beers?
It started out as a money-saving hobby, became a rather more expensive one, and ultimately turned into part of the craft beer culture on the NSW coast between Sydney and Newcastle. We got in touch to find out who brews Lake Mac beers.
Brick Lane & O'Brien Toast World Beer Awards Success
Brick Lane and gluten free beer specialist O'Brien Beer woke to good news with both winning trophies in the World Beer Awards. Brick Lane's Revolver claimed World's Best Porter and O'Brien's Belgian Ale Best Gluten Free Beer.
Lion Buys Stone & Wood
In news that will send shockwaves through the local beer community, Lion have today confirmed the acquisition of Stone & Wood as well as associated brands in the Fermentum Group, including Fixation and Two Birds.
What Next For Indie Beer?
The sale of the Fermentum Group to Lion raises a number of question, not least what it means for the indie beer sector. We've been speaking to people in the beer industry to see what they make of the move.
Fermentum To Lion: The Founders' Tale
Following the sale of the Fermentum Group to Lion, we chatted to co-founders Ross Jurisich and Jamie Cook to get more on how they reached this point.
BecauseWeCAN Vol.4: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stouts
The colder months tend to bring out the beasts inside brewers, beasts that often take the shape of barrel-aged imperial stouts. Here, we take a look at three of the biggest and most unusual to hit Aussie fridges this winter.
The Collaborators: Vertek Innovations
Is that decal really moving or is it time to head home? If you're in a bar featuring decals from Perth's Vertek Innovations, don't worry: they really are moving. We chatted to the couple bringing beer brands to life on the bar.
Dr Benny's Crafty Fixes: Lockdown Loneliness
Stuck in lockdown and over Zoom events and refreshing your Instagram feed? Well, so is Dr Benny, who's here with some ideas on how to make it through to the other side – maybe with some new beer-loving mates to boot.
KAIJU! Head For Home
Almost ten years after they first talked about opening a hospitality venue and two years after securing a site, KAIJU! are hopeful they may finally open their proposed 16-tap brewpub in Huntingdale by the end of the year.
Hop Nation Add A Still To Their Bow
Hop Nation are set to make their booze offering even more multifaceted in the coming months, with the brewery this week installing a still at their Footscray home.
Wildflower – Back From The Brink
A rogue element appeared in Wildflower's house culture recently, plunging the brewery team into despair. But, thanks to the kindness of friends in the food and drinks community, they're back from the brink.
Aussie Exports: Charlotte Feehan
During six months in Melbourne, Charlotte Feehan faced redundancies, a pandemic and a broken ankle. But despite that, it's still a city she loves dearly. Today, she's head brewer at Abandoned Brewery in NZ, which we feel makes her a fitting Aussie Export.
The Collaborators: Grain Totes, Totes Great
Matt Lawrence wants to see repurposed malt bags replace single use bags across the beer industry. We got in touch to find out how he’s making it happen one tote bag at a time.
What We'll Be Drinking Next
The local beer and hospo world needs a big beer-drinking season like never before. So, with spring approaching and the drinks landscape more complex than ever, we've invited a few experts to peer into their crystal balls.
Feral To Close Their Iconic Swan Valley Brewpub
After close to two decades, Feral's iconic Swan Valley brewpub is set to close in five weeks. The trailblazing brewing company, acquired by Coca-Cola Amatil in 2017, will move its pilot brewery to Bassendean with last drinks on October 3.
The Big Issue: Private Label Beers
Initial, Zytho, Tinnies, Colossal, Algorithm, Culture House, Gogo Fish – all the names of brands behind pales, IPAs, stouts and sours. And all brewed for the country's major drinks retailers. We look at the renewed rise of "homebrand" beers.
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.
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.
