News & Feature Stories
The Balter Sale: Analysis
Following today's Balter sale to CUB, we spoke to an expert in the business of beer about the potential ramifications for the industry as the IBA puts out a statement about independence.
The Sobah Option
There's a growing focus on lower alcohol options across the drinks industry. Within the local beer world, Sobah are looking to go a step further, with the Aboriginal-owned and run operation creating non-alcoholic craft beers.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Joel Beresford
We head west on day four of Crafty's Advent Calendar and into the arms of Joel Beresford, a man who via Cellarbrations Carlisle and The DTC has put wonderful beers and a passion to learn into the mouths and minds of thousands.
The Collaborators: Louie SK
There's plenty of common ground between the worlds of craft beer and gaming, both of which collide at Bar SK in Collingwood. Will Ziebell caught up with co-owner Louie Roots about his mission to bring gaming to local beer.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Dave Bonighton
Would the beer scene in Melbourne look like it does today without Mountain Goat? Highly unlikely. In day three of our end-of-decade Advent Calendar series we feature one half of the duo that helped build a beer city.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Jayne Lewis
For day two of our end-of-decade Advent Calendar, we turn to a trailblazer of the local beer world. Jayne Lewis is one half of the duo that founded Two Birds Brewing and has an influence that spreads far beyond that brewery's Nest.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Brad Rogers
As a momentous month for beer in Australia comes to a close, we look back and forward with 25 people who've helped shape the industry in our spin on a beer advent calendar. First up, Brad Rogers of Stone & Wood.
Selecting Our Best New Beers
At the mid- and endpoints of each year, we publish articles on the best new beers released around Australia. Here's a guide as to how we go about making sense of so many beers.
Crafty Crawls: Canberra's Breweries & Brewpubs
If Canberra's a good place from which to run the country, it must be a good place to brew beer. (That's how they choose a location, right?) So, here's our guide to where you can drink beer at the source in our nation's capital.
Behind Bars: Beer Cartel At Ten
What started as two guys hand-packing boxes of beer to put in the mail has grown into one of Australia's largest online beer retailers. It's fair to say Beer Cartel have come a long way in ten years.
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Space Yeast, Rare Fruit & Roving Coolships
Dozens of international breweries send their beers to Australia, but there's only one we know of using yeast harvested at 70,000 feet and a roving coolship. Will Ziebell chatted to the man behind Lanikai's Hawaiian beers to find out more.
Sailing On A Black Flag
When the 75th Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race takes place this summer, the local beer world will have skin in the game. Gold Coast brewery Black Hops are sponsoring 114-year-old spinnaker Katwincher.
Founders First Continue To Accelerate
Founders First, the "craft accelerator" that started out with an investment in Jetty Road, today they'll announced they're adding SA beverage company Sparkke to their portfolio, continuing a frantic burst of activity ahead of their IPO.
Gage Roads: Fifteen & Fizzing At The Bung
Since pouring their first beer fifteen years ago – a lager they're reinventing for the occasion – Gage Roads have carved out a unique path. Here, Guy Southern joins the WA brewery's "entwined peers" for a trip back in time.
Crafty Crawls: Adelaide's Small Bars
They may not offer bars lined with taps – or lengthy bottle and can lists – but, since a 2013 law change opened the door for them, many of Adelaide's small bars have been leading the way with craft beer, with enthusiastic staff serving well curated offerings.
BrewDog Brisbane Opens
BrewDog's long-mooted DogTap venue finally opened today with the Scottish brewing company pledging to donate all earnings from their first day to bushfire relief as the Queensland State Government launched two new ventures too.
Insect The Unexpected
Craft breweries are no strangers to innovation. But BentSpoke Brewing have arguably set a new standard by making a beer with local yeast, a hangover relief drink, crickets and fly larvae.
Beer Nuts: The Indies Lovers
We've featured some impressively keen beer lovers in our Beer Nuts series over the years, but never any quite like Jess and Locky. Marie Claire Jarratt got in touch with the couple who got engaged onstage at indie beer's biggest night.
Wildflower Top The First Drink Easy Awards
A beer from Wildflower has been voted Best Drink In Australia at the inaugural Drink Easy awards. It was judged the finest entry from around 1,250 entries spanning beer, cider, wine, spirits and soft drinks.
From The Country To The City
It's challenging gaining a foothold in Melbourne for any brewer or small producer these days, and it's tougher still if you're based in the regions. New venture FROM the Collective hopes to change that by bringing the country to Carlton.
Philter Find A Home In Marrickville
Three years on from launching their first beer, Philter have found a site for their own brewery. It's in Marrickville, the home suburb of the brewing company's founders, and will add to the area's vibrant indie brewing scene.
Hop Nation Movin' On Up
Hop Nation are to embark on a major expansion project in 2020. They've secured a new site close to, but far larger than their existing home in Footscray and plan to build a 25 hec brewery and 100-plus capacity venue.
Black Hops' Nightmare Before Christmas
Black Hops have announced a product recall like no other. It's the beer they'd brewed for Christmas Day in Beer Cartel's advent calendar and has been sent to thousands of homes this week.
Who Brews Terra Forma Beers?
They run one of Perth's leading digital agencies and have a passion for underground music and great beer. Now the team behind Terra Forma is combining their passions in a new nanobrewery based in West Leederville.
Margs' Mermaid Megsy Gets A Makeover
They've become a much-loved part of the Margaret River food and drink scene and now, three years after launching, Brewhouse Margaret River have unveiled a new look and new cans as they look to spread their vibe across WA.
Holgate's New Taproom Opens As They Enter Decade Three
As they enter their third decade of brewing, Paul and Tash Holgate are as busy as ever. As their long-mooted Taproom & Visitor Centre opens, we chatted to Tash about the milestones and future plans.
Brew For Dipper & Land A Head Brewer Role
A local brewer or homebrewer could land a head brewer role at a new Victorian brewpub after starring on a Channel 7 show with AFL legend Dipper. The second series of his Backyard BBQ Wars show is seeking applicants before shooting starts next year.
Artisan Brewing: Five Years In Five Beers
They're one of the smallest brewing operations in Australia but Artisan and their Belgian-inspired ales punch well above their weight. As they celebrate a half decade of brewing, we look back over those five years via five beers.
Beer Travel: Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie might be best known for its pristine beaches, surrounding natural beauty and koalas. But there's three breweries that call the town home too. Will Ziebell called in at them all – plus Port Mac's other beery outlets.
Podcast People: The Chosen Brew
If you work in beer or just have a passion for it, chances are there are key beers that brought you to this point. That's the topic at the heart of The Chosen Brew, a podcast that's celebrating its third anniversary this week.
Two Rabbits & A Roo Walk Into An Izakaya
As first collaborations go, it takes some beating. Southern Highlands Brewing, based in regional New South Wales, recently completed a brew with Japan's Two Rabbits. We spoke to both brewers to find out how.
GABS Founders Sell Their Festivals
GABS, the beer festival meets circus that has grown into a multi-city extravaganza over the past decade has been sold. Founders Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone have sold it to focus on their Stomping Ground brewing operation.
Crafty Does Movember
The Crafty Pint crew will be turning into Mo Bros and Mo Sistas and getting behind Movember. The Bros will be sculpting 'taches, the Sistas setting themselves other challenges throughout the month.
Crafty Dozen – October 2019
Such has been the nature of recent weeks, we've overshot the mark again, adding more than a dozen new listings to the site before we knew it. So, before we get too far into the next dozen, here's the new arrivals since August.
Beer Travel: Auckland
For years, Auckland's beer scene was left in the wake by Wellington and Christchurch. But that's all been changing in a city that even has its own Beer Mile. Jono Galuszka checked it out in the company of its beer-loving inhabitants.
Down With The Sweetness?
From pastry stouts to milkshake IPAs and fruity cream sours, there's an argument to be made for 2019 being the year of the dessert beer. Mitch Wilkins spoke to people brewing and serving them about their sugary appeal.
Who Brews Wild Polly's GF Beers?
Can brewing with ancient grains win you the title of Australian Father of the Year? Probably not. But Tim Sides is having a fair crack at it with Wild Polly, one of the newer brewing companies found in ACT.
Sauce To Open Brewpub In Cairns
Marrickville hazemeisters Sauce are heading north. They're to open a brewpub in the heart of Cairns in the middle of 2020, thanks to a new partnership with "craft accelerator" Founders First, who are already invested in Jetty Road and FogHorn.
Behind Bars: East of Everything & Rosalita's
Gen and Michael Cotter started bringing good booze to Melbourne's eastern suburbs a decade and a half ago. As they prepare to open Rosalita's – a third venue in the same building – we caught up with the team.
Liberty Triumph At NZ Beer Awards
It was a huge night for Liberty Brewing as they collected a swag of trophies, including Champion Exhibitor. Fork Brewcorp and Lion went back to back as champion breweries too, as Steam Brewing went five for five too.
The Collaborators: Bluestone Yeast
From brewing yeast pioneer Chris White to an Aussie startup looking to bring locally produced yeast to Aussie brewers, in this Collaborators feature we find out all about the brothers behind Melbourne's Bluestone Yeast.
Balter Top Australia's Biggest Craft Beer Survey
Balter have been voted Australia's best brewery in the biggest ever survey of craft beer drinkers. More than 23,000 people took part in Beer Cartel's annual survey, which is now in its fourth year.
Brew & A: Bright's Reid Stratton
As Bright Brewery prepare to launch their first "Mystery Beer" we caught up with head brewer Reid Stratton. The recent signing from New England Brewing Co has a fascinating past take in Jolly Pumpkin and musical squeaks and farts.
Matilda Bay's Founder To Return
The man credited with kick-starting a revolution in Australian beer is to return to the brewing company he founded. Phil Sexton is to open a Matilda Bay brewery venue in Healesville in partnership with CUB.
Who Brews Reckless Beers?
From homebrew in the bathtub to brewpubs in Portland then gypsy brewing in Sydney's Inner West, the story of Reckless Brewing is one of three friends who could have their own sitcom.
Crafty Crawls: Newcastle
Newcastle's history is one of hard working and hard drinking and today the coastal city boasts a plethora of excellent spots to enjoy good beer. The recently built light rail means it's easier than ever to get between them too.
Aussie Beerstagrammers: beerstagram_au
As users explore the possibilities within Instagram, beer-loving users are becoming ever more creative. A fine example is Sergio Montenegro, who has started bringing beer labels to vivid live at @beerstagram_au.
The Collaborators: White Labs
Chris White is a hero among brewers worldwide. His White Labs operation has been supplying a growing number of yeasts to brewers (and winemakers) for decades. We caught up with him when he was speaking at BrewCon.
Crafty Cabal Update - October 2019
Want to know what's going on with The Crafty Cabal, our beer lovers bonus scheme? In this update, there's more giveaways, more specials and info on an upcoming event too.
Who Brews Old Slang Beers?
Idioms and old sayings are a popular source for breweries seeking inspiration for beer names and that's where new Victorian operation Old Slang have gone too. We caught up with the man behind the beers to find out more.
