News & Feature Stories

Who Brews Hoppy Puppy Beers?

The brewing industry seems to be obsessed with dogs more than most and now has another canine-themed operation in its midst. As their first beer hits taps, we find out more about Brisbane's Hoppy Puppy.

A Fresh Blast On The FogHorn

Fans of FogHorn beers may not have to travel to the source for much longer after the brewery unveiled plans to expand horizons and release their first cans as part of a relaunch from FogHorn Brewhouse to FogHorn Brewery.

Have Your Say On Australian Beer

The fourth edition of Beer Cartel's annual Australian Craft Beer Survey kicks off today, seeking to create a snapshot of trends within the local beer world. It's the biggest survey of its kind and you're invited to take part.

Drink Easy – A New Breed Of Award

Central to the craft beer revolution has been a tearing up of rule books and challenging of norms. Now, a new awards competition covering beer, wine, cider, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks plans to do the same.

Brew & A: Mattias Isaksson

Mattias Isaksson has a dual role heading up the brewing at Queenscliff Brewhouse while also part of Old Wives Ales – two very different operations making very different beers. We caught up with him to see how he does it.

Aussie Export: Dave Rooney

After a midlife crisis led Dave Rooney to Buenos Aires, he soon found himself falling for the city's craft beer venues and local breweries. Now he runs tours for those who want to discover Argentina's good beer scene.

3 Ravens, Feral & Innate Win Big At Perth Awards

3 Ravens, Feral and Innate Brewers took out the top trophies at the 2019 Perth Royal Beer Awards on Friday night. The Thornbury brewery claimed Champion Beer as Feral and Innate took out Champion Large and Small Brewery respectively.

Something For Cait

Drinkers in Wollongong can knock back a local pilsner for a good cause after a bartender at His Boy Elroy and Five Barrel Brewing created a beer to raise money for a cancer charity in honour of the former's mum.

Beer Travel: Vancouver

The US tends to consume most column inches when it comes to discussions of the North American beer scene, but there's plenty going on in Canada. Here, Marie Claire Jarratt takes us on a guide through Vancouver.

Making A Stand

From trestle tables and pull-up banners to 50s themed diners and entire breweries made of cardboard, brewery stands at beer festivals have come a long way. Mick Wust asks why it's important to stand out.

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Who Brews Ornith Beers?

Daniel Venema is a bird photographer and beer lover who brews for two Brisbane brewing companies. We caught up with him to find out how his love of birds and brewing led him from homebrewing to his dual brewing role.

Common Ground: Blending Beer & Coffee

Once predominantly the preserve of the occasional stout or porter, these days coffee is cropping up in all sorts of beers in a variety of fashions. Marie Claire Jarratt spoke to producers on both sides to find out more.

Behind Bars: Old Faithful Amos

He's one of the beer world's most colourful of characters – most passionate advocates too. For this Behind Bars feature, we get some insight on the Perth and WA beer scene from the inimitable Amos at Old Faithful.

Who Brews As Paper Scissors Rock?

Breweries have been popping up in small tourist towns across Australia for years. Thanks to Paper Scissors Rock, anyone visiting Victoria's Halls Gaps can now enjoy a local beer while in The Grampians too.

Crafty Cabal Update - June 2019

We've got plenty to update Crafty Cabal members on as we head into the depths of winter, with new competitions, giveaways and more.

Beer Travel: A Taste Of Mexico City

Dark beer lover Ann Deslandes moved from Australia to Mexico City and has been exploring the growing local craft beer scene. Here, she gives us an insight into the flavours of the day.

The Collaborators: Craft Instinct

Jessie Jungalwalla has spent close to three years leading Craft Instinct, a branding agency dedicated to making the craft beverage world look better. We caught up with her to talk branding and beer.

One Hell Of A Brew

He's their most-capped player, longest-serving captain and leading goalscorer – and has his own brewing company. Now, David Neitz has combined his two passions with the launch of Demon Brew with Melbourne FC.

The Drinks Adventurer

Do you like exploring the links between drinks? Past AIBA Best Media winner James Atkinson's podcast Drinks Adventures looks at beer, wine, and spirits, and the collaborations between those world.

Brew & A: Headricks Lane

Rockhampton gained its own brewery this year. Headricks Lane launched in March and Matt Aitken wasted little time calling in to catch up with head brewer Alex Taubert.

Beer Travel: The Breweries Of The Sunshine Coast

Not that long ago, the Sunshine Coast was home to just one brewery. Now, there's more than a dozen of one sort or another dotting the coast and Hinterland and more on the way.

What's The Damage?

A homophobic meme posted on Facebook by an Australian brewery has brought into sharp focus the impact such actions can have on the wider community.

Stomping Ground 2 To Open Early 2020

Stomping Ground are off to put their mark on new territory after announcing they'll be opening a second brewpub in Moorabbin in Melbourne's South Eastern suburbs early in 2020.

Mission To Mahrs

Stephan Michel from Mahrs Bräu makes some of the best lagers in Germany. So, when he visited Australia recently, Mick Wust chatted with him about lagers and their place in a craft beer market.

Who Brews As The Sophisticated Beast?

It's one of the tiniest breweries in Australia and also produces cold brew coffee and pink oyster mushrooms. Jono Outred called into The Sophisticated Beast to find out more.

Crafty Dozen – June 2019

Time for another roundup of new brewery, bar and bottleshops added to the site as we've listed another dozen since the last wrap.

Winter's Still Coming

Winter is traditionally the toughest time for brewers as sales slow. With competition already fierce and more brewing companies closing or selling, can we expect to see bloodshed? Or does the future remain bright?

Saison D'Être

Many brewers love them, their characteristics are ideal for Australia's climate, they offer diversity and are wonderful with food. So why are saisons proving a harder sell than most in today's beer world?

Crafting A Healthy Conversation

Craft Beer Coopery is a beer club with a difference – it aims to tackle mental health issues by helping start conversations among mates. And now The Crafty Pint is joining forces to help them start even more.

Aussie Exports: Dean McLeod

After working with many of the pioneers of Australia's craft beer scene, Dean McLeod headed to Vancouver Island with his Canadian wife. Here, he offers insight on the beer scenes in both countries.

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Who Brews Humpback Beers?

Towards the end of 2016, Cliff Wallis started taking the pokies out of the Tathra Hotel and laid the foundations for a brewery. Now Humpback Brewery is up and running, we thought we'd find out more.

Going Green: One Drop's Box

As part of their mission to inspire change, young Sydney brewery One Drop have designed unique environmentally friendly packaging for their cans. Marie Claire Jarratt got in touch to find out more.

Sydney Beer Week 2019 Cancelled

The organisers of Sydney Beer Week have decided to cancel this year's festival, citing a "combination of reduced registrations and a pull-back of sponsorship support".

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.

The Wheaty At 16

It's gone from craptastic pub to pioneering beer venue to award-winning brewpub. As Adelaide's Wheaty turns 16, Alexis Buxton-Collins traces its evolution with owner Jade Flavell.

Take A Hike

Bushwalking guide Will Horan would spend his days in the Tasmanian wilderness dreaming up beer recipes. Since launching Du Cane, he now supplies bushwalkers – and others – with his beers.

Beer Travel: 48 Hours In Rome

While you shouldn't make your hunt for beer too much of a distraction from the city's iconic charms, Rome does have plenty to offer the visitor with a penchant for tasty local beer.

Aussie Beerstagrammers: Beer Australia

In the latest entry in our Aussie Beerstagrammers series, Guy Southern delves into the Instagram account and thoughts of the man behind Beer Australia.

Brew & A: Keegan Steinbacher

As they close in on ten years of beers, Eagle Bay have appointed a new head brewers as co-founder Nick D'Espeissis steps into a new role. We caught up with the new man for our Brew & A series.

Who Brews Hop & Clover Beers?

It started out as an impulse buy on Gumtree, led to a media buzz and is now taking shape as a brewery in Capertee. Mick Wust got in touch with Dave Henderson to find out more about Hop & Clover.

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Australian International Beer Awards Winners 2019

Familiar faces were among the big winners at the 2019 Australian International Beer Awards, with Balter, Green Beacon and 4 Pines adding to their swollen trophy cabinets and Blackman's claiming a big one too.

The Collaborators: Binary Beer II

Missing or stolen kegs can be a major pain for brewers, both in terms of cost and lost time. A Wollongong operation, Binary Beer, hopes it has the solution.

Beer Nuts: Kelly Whyte

Kelly Whyte has brought her brand of enthusiasm and passion for beer to the scenes in Melbourne and Perth over the past decade and more. So we got in touch to find out more for our Beer Nuts series.

The Big Issue: On A Wing & So Rare

The air-freighting of beers from some of the world's most hyped breweries to be showcased at Australian bars is on the rise. We spoke to a handful of people driving the movement to find out why.

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.

Crafty Crawls: Melbourne CBD – South

The beer offering in Melbourne's CBD has come a long way since we ran our first Crafty Crawl guide. So it's time to rework it into a two-parter. Here, we kick off in the city's southern half.

Bridge Road Splits From Australia

Bridge Road Brewers have issued a Declaration Of Independence, forming a micronation on the grounds of their brewery under the name Brewland.

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?

The (Pint of) Origin Story

When Good Beer Week 2019 kicks off, it will feature Pint of Origin for the eighth time. Before we forget too much about our little slice of the festival, we thought we'd reminisce with participants old and new.