News & Feature Stories
Best New WA Beers Of 2019
Just as it kick-started the modern craft beer industry, once more WA kicks off our annual Best New Beers series. Guy Southern canvassed more than 30 beer experts to come up with the best of the best.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: OJ
Owen Johnston was head brewer at Moo Brew when it launched and now works for HPA, helping get Aussie hops into the hands of brewers across the world. Here he is as we reach day 18 in our Advent Calendar.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Scotty Hargrave
Along with his Balter co-founders, Scotty Hargrave has been part of the biggest story at the end of a big year. Here's what the head brewer has to say about the past decade and his thoughts on the industry now and to come.
Who Brews Grassy Knoll Beers?
Beer and music have a wonderful ability to bring people together, and both lie at the heart of Grassy Knoll. The gypsy operation was founded by three mates, with head brewer Jeff Argent also a drummer with indie quartet Pirra.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Kate & Shev
They're the dictionary definition of work hard, play hard and continue to make an indelible mark on the Melbourne and wider Australian beer community. Behind door 16, it's the irrepressible Kate and Shev.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Richard Adamson
From playing in bands to brewing with native ingredients at Barons, from kickstarting the Inner West's beer revolution in Sydney to becoming an educator, Richard Adamson has brought much to the local beer world.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Mick Cameron
After careers that took in bars, brewing and distribution here and overseas, Mick Cameron, son Jack and his best mate Red Proudfoot launched Pirate Life, a brewery that had instant impact before selling to AB InBev.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Pia Poynton
She's worked in bars, repped for breweries, helps run the Pink Boots Society in WA, ran one of the country's most prolific beer blogs. But Pia Poynton is also one of those people who just makes the beer world better.
Boston Come To Town
Great Southern brewery Boston today open the doors of their new Vic Park outpost. The Perth venue will help them reach more customers in the city and offer a wider range of their beers than found anywhere else.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Corey Crooks
He was raised in a family of publicans and has taken what's in his blood to help turn his hometown of Newcastle into a craft beer city. We chatted to Corey Crooks of the 100 percent independent Aussie beer venue The Grain Store.
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Crafty's Advent Calendar: Peta Fielding
Long before the Gold Coast became nationally recognised as a home of good beer, there was a couple trying to sell their beers to locals. Thirteen years on, here's Burleigh co-founder Peta Fielding reflecting on the change.
Meet The New GABS. Same As The Old GABS
As voting opens for the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Beers of 2019, we introduce the man who took over both festival and poll earlier this year, Mike Bray, and find out where he plans to take the two in the coming years.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: David Cryer
It's time for a trip across The Ditch on day ten of our Advent Calendar, not for a New Zealand-themed entry in the series but to catch up with a man whose work will have made it into many of the beers you've enjoyed.
All Aboard The Beer Quality Motorhome
In recent months, Lallemand Brewing's technical manager Dan McCulloch has been taking a motorhome around Australia visiting breweries. Will Ziebell jumped on board to find out what he was doing and, more importantly, ask why.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Paul and Tash Holgate
Paul and Tash Holgate recently celebrated twenty years as an independent, family-run brewery. It makes them one of the longest-established brewers in Australia so we asked them to be part of our end-of-decade series.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Stephen Nelsen
Stephen Nelsen has been integral to the rise of the craft brewing industry in his home state of SA and his influence crosses state lines too. We spoke to the former Brewboy for day eight of our end-of-decade Adventy Calendar.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Willie Simpson
Back when there was about one-hundredth as much to write about in the local beer world, Willie Simpson was documenting the country's beers and brewers. Today, he's a brewer and hop grower in North West Tasmania.
Crafty Crawls: South & Port Melbourne
The contrast in beer offerings north and south of the Yarra is no longer as stark as it was. To prove it, join us as we set sail on a Crafty Crawl through the best beer spots in South and Port Melbourne.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Gillian Letham
Time to head to Brewsvegas for day six in our end-of-decade series. We could have picked any number of legends from the city's beer scene but decided Gill formerly from The Mill could speak for them all.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Richard and Tracy
Back before "craft beer" was a thing, there was one man doing cool shit in Canberra. He still is, along with his partner and ever-growing team, and here he is as part of our Advent Calendar end-of-decade series.
CUB Buy Balter
The rumours swirling around the beer industry have turned out to be based in reality as CUB today confirmed they've added Balter to a stable already containing the likes of Pirate Life and 4 Pines.
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.
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.
