News & Feature Stories
Who Brews Blackflag Beers?
Launching a brewery as the country is about to be hit by a pandemic isn't ideal, but the team behind Mooloolaba's Blackflag have been taking stock while continuing to knock out beers and sling cases from their hole-in-the-wall.
A Keeping Local Alive Easter Message
The message at the heart of the #keepinglocalalive campaign is simple. As we enter what will be a very strange Easter weekend, here's the Australian beer community to remind us why is matters.
Postcards from the Edge No.14: The Chain Gang
While none of us know what the beer and hospo scene will look like once measures to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic are over, two Melbourne breweries are eager to support the businesses that have supported them.
Postcards from the Edge No.13: Tumut To Go
Pubs and breweries across the country have been switching to home delivery as a means of #keepinglocalalive. But few are clocking up the kilometres – or doing it with the panache – of Tumut River Brewing Co.
Postcards from the Edge No.12: The Beer Essentials
Fancy saying thanks to the essential workers helping us get through the COVID-19 pandemic? A new campaign, A Good Beer Always Helps, offers you the chance to do just that while supporting craft brewers too.
Postcards from the Edge No.11: Finding Funky Solutions
It's not venue and brewery owners and staff that have been hit hard in the beer world by the recent shutdown – there's the industry-within-an-industry of entertainers, musicians and trivia hosts looking for ways to adapt.
Aussie Beerstagrammers: All Of The Beers
He fell down the rabbit hole of beer in London and has brought his passion to bear with the @allofthebeers Instagram account. Guy Southern spoke to Matt Kukura for another entry in our Beerstagrammers series.
Postcards from the Edge No.10: Can Together
The craft beer industry has always been one fired by the spirit of collaboration, something which has come to the fore during the COVID-19 crisis. We spoke to two brewers helping get their peers beers into punters' hands.
Postcards from the Edge No.9: Big Easy's Virtual Venue
As soon as they saw the writing on the wall the team behind three Adelaide venues pivoted fast, creating a new online service recreating the experience of their venues as best as possible and keeping many staff employed.
Postcards from the Edge No.8: Sanitation For The Nation
Brewers and distillers across the country have been switching production in recent weeks to help meet the country's need for more hand sanitiser.
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Postcards From The Edge No.7: Made By Mongrel
Fancy food and beer delivered to your door complete with a suggested soundtrack? The team at Mongrel in Brisbane have been moving fast to survive since their venue closed. Will Ziebell spoke to founder Annie Bingley.
Postcards from the Edge No.6: The Rocky Reality
For all that businesses are scrambling to survive in these drastically altered times, the reality is that no one knows if they'll make it out the other side. We spoke to Hamish Coates of Rocky Ridge about heartbreak and uncertainty.
Postcards from the Edge No.5: Isolation Island
Two figures from Tasmania's beer industry have launched the Isolation Beer Festival, a celebration of the state's independent breweries and beers designed to connect people at a time when we need to remain apart.
Brew & A: Caolan Vaughan
They might be best known for their Pacific Ale but the Counter Culture series has been exciting beer geeks since launching last year. Overseeing brewing of all Stone & Wood beers is Caolan Vaughan, so we invited him for a Brew & A.
Postcards from the Edge No.4: #dontdrinkalone
Self isolation and, in all likelihood, a full lockdown of society at some point, will prove challenging for everyone, but some more than others. The #dontdrinkalone campaign launched by a WA bottleshop hopes to spread virtual cheer.
Postcards from the Edge No.3: Quarantinnied
It's amazing how fast things can happen when the pressure's on. The team at Carwyn Cellars has created a special Canvent featuring 24 Victorian brewers in just a couple of days so people can enjoy beers together apart.
Postcards From The Edge No.2: GoFeedMe
What do you do if you're one of the thousands of beer and hospo people forced out of work by the COVID-19 pandemic? In the case of Deb Lieu and James Balboni, you launch a mission to feed others in your position.
Postcards From The Edge No.1: Cherry Cheer
As the beer and hospitality industries adapt to the new reality, there are some inspiring examples around. We joined The Cherry Tree crew as they launched their home deliveries by bringing cheer to the streets of Richmond.
#keepinglocalalive Is Live!
The #keepinglocalalive campaign, designed to encourage people to support their local beer community and showcase how businesses are adapting is now live.
Australians Join Brewgooder's Global Gathering
Brewgooder is a Scottish brewing company that diverts all profits towards clean water projects in Africa. Last year, they invite breweries around the world to join them and this weekend sees a bunch of Aussies launch their beers.
Keeping Local Alive
The restrictions on social gatherings and movement imposed in the fight against COVID-19 will have serious impacts on the beer, hospitality and events industries, among others. We look at how we can try to help them survive.
GABS 2020 Postponed Until August
GABS has announced it is moving its 2020 Australian festivals to August and is working on a new date for Auckland due to measures being taken to halt the spread of Covid-19.
Going Green: switcH2
Breweries produce a lot of wastewater, so what if they could use it in beneficial ways, such as creating heat or power for their brewery? Sydney-based tech startup switcH2 aims to help them do just that.
20 Years Of Nail
Few brewing companies in Australia have been around 20 years, few have picked up as many major trophies, and none has a story like that of Nail and founder John Stallwood. Guy Southern took a trip down Memory Lane.
Good Beer Week 2020 Postponed
Anyone eager to celebrate the tenth Good Beer Week will have to wait a little longer after the organisers took the decision to postpone due to the Covid-19 outbreak. They're now looking at August or September.
Crafty Crawls: Sydney's Northern Beaches
Whether you're going for a beach weekend or a beer weekend, Sydney's Northern Beaches has plenty to offer - you just need to know where to look.
My Bonny Lies Over In Fitzroy
The beer offering along Fitzroy's main strip of Brunswick Street continues to improve as Bonny joins Near & Far as a welcome new arrival. At its heart are some well known faces from the local booze scene and 27 taps.
Podcast People: Step Brewers
The Step Brewers Podcast brings banter, beers and brewing along with diversions into pop culture and plenty of laughs. We caught up with the Tasmanian trio ahead of their trip to host events at Brewsvegas 2020.
IBD Convention Postponed Due To COVID-19
The organisers of the IBD Convention due to take place in Perth next week – March 16 to 20 – have taken the decision to postpone this year's event due to escalating concerns over the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Resin Brewing Opening In The Illawarra
A quarter century after bumping into each other while surfing, Brendan Down and Steve House are set to open a brewery together. All being well, Resin Brewing in Bulli will be officially open from this week.
Sparkke To Fire Up In Melbourne
The female-led Sparkke Change will be bringing their unique brand of social activism through alcoholic drinks to Melbourne later in 2020. As they prepare to launch two new beers, we chatted about their grand vision.
Warrior Women
Ahead of International Women's Day 2020, many breweries across Australia have been celebrating the growing role of women in beer. Jakkii Musgrave spoke to some of them about the advances made and challenges that remain.
Latest News From The Crafty Cabal - March 2020
We know it's only three weeks since the last of these but we've been busy, not least in launching the long-mooted new look Crafty Cabal homepage. We've also added a stack of events and giveaways so high time for an update.
Drink Up – Bushfire Relief's Global Brew
Well over 200 breweries across the planet have brewed a version of the Australian Resilience Beer in support of bushfire relief. Judd Owen spoke to those involved here and overseas – while lending a hand with one of them too.
The Beer Professor
Sam Holloway has combined his passion for craft beer (which includes owning a brewery) with his academic career in business management and entrepreneurship to help advise small brewery owners on building sustainable businesses.
Moffat Beach Win Big In Queensland
Sunshine Coast-based Moffat Beach received a timely boost ahead of opening their second brewery and venue with a swag of trophies at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards
Downsizing: The Global Looking Local
The rise of the brewpub and taproom model is one of the most striking aspects of the changing beer landscape in Australia. And it's an area in which the world's biggest brewing companies and their brands are playing too.
Who Brews Sausage Queen Beers?
Killer snags, boss beers and mid-period Madonna... Judd Owen caught up with Chrissy Flanagan, the self-anointed Sausage Queen of Australia who also runs a brewing company of the same name (and a record label for good measure).
The Collaborators: Hopping Mad
You can't grow hops in Queensland. But two small operations are giving it a red hot go, with UV lights to extend the days, help from growers and researchers worldwide and goodwill aplenty.
Crafty Crawls: Abbotsford
In three years, the beer offering in Richmond and Abbotsford has changed so much we've split what was a combined Crafty Crawl into two. Here's our guide to the best breweries, bars and bottleshops in the home of CUB.
Hard Seltzer: The Alcopopalypse Cometh?
Hard seltzer has taken the US by storm in the past few years and early examples are starting to appear here. But what is it, why has it exploded Stateside, and will it have the same impact with Aussie drinkers?
Who Brews Project Beers?
A visit to Watts River Brewing on opening day proved the catalyst for Braden and Caitlin Beggs to launch their own brewery. Today, Project Brewing brings locally-brewed beer to the people of Rowville in Melbourne's south-east.
All Hands Changes Hands
All Hands Brewing House claimed the Champion Brewpub title at the 2019 Indies. And now it's become the latest brewery to change hands with Signature adding it to a portfolio that includes TGI Fridays and Foresters in Brisbane.
Crafty Crawls: Richmond
When we first ran a Crafty Crawl guide to Richmond it was paired with Abbotsford. Such has been the growth of crafty offerings in both, we've now split them into two. Here's Richmond, with Abbotsford to follow.
There's A New Fox In Town
The sale of Hobart brewery Fox Friday went under the radar for most, but the hazy IPAs the new owners are producing are starting to create a stir. Dorian Broomhall caught up with the American brewer keeping hopheads happy.
Sprocket Dock
It's seven years since Sean and Andrea Ryan launched their first beers as Killer Sprocket. Now, after one lengthy gestation period, they're set to officially open their own brewery in Melbourne's east.
Stepping Out From InCider
The Beer InCider Experience combined killer band lineups with scores of breweries (and ping pong) to become one of the country's biggest festivals. George Levi sat down with founder Marty Keetels to find out why he's moving on.
The Matchmaker Of Deliciousness
It's rare to come across a chef eager to praise beer's qualities over wine, let alone one operating at the level of Rob Kabboord, now back in Melbourne at the pop-up Lekker! after four years helming Quay in Sydney.
Brew & A: Sow & Piglets
It's named after an iconic tourist spot, is found in a hostel, and the Sow & Piglets team are already working on a new brewery venture in regional Victoria. We sat down with the German brewer behind their traditionally-minded beers.
Crafty Crawls: South West WA Part I
The South West of WA is increasingly fertile ground for beer lovers. With so many breweries and good beer venues to explore, we took a weekend break to put together an extended Crafty Crawl featuring much of the best the region has to offer.
