News & Feature Stories
St Patrick & The Black Stuff
As Irishmen and women – genuine and honorary-for-the-day – prepare to celebrate St Patrick's Day across the planet, we look back at the day's origins, how it become synonymous with Guinness and how it was and is celebrated in Australia.
Who Brews Into Six Tanks?
Slowly but surely, a craft beer scene is taking shape in and around Darwin. Six Tanks Brew Co is playing a key role, brewing a range of beers onsite that share the venue's 26 taps with other local and independent Australian brewers.
Aussie Exports: Jess Wolfgang
Jess Wolfgang spent years working with Keith Grice at Hunter Beer Co before being convinced to move to her partner's homeland in New Zealand. Together, they started Rhyme and Reason in Wanaka, where they brew local beer for anyone enjoying the town's splendour.
Getting Merry On The Ferry
4 Pines has struck up a deal with the company responsible for bringing many visitors to their Manly brewpub over the years. It means you'll now find 4 Pines bars on four of the ferries operated by Harbour City Ferries.
Crafty Cabal Update - March 2018
It's a jam-packed update from The Crafty Cabal, our beer lovers bonus scheme, with heaps of offers, competitions, free beer, events and more for anyone who wants to support what we do to enjoy.
Brewsvegas 2018 Launches
Brisbane's citywide celebration of good beer and the community that surrounds it is ready to roll. There's more than 70 events at 50 venues over the next ten days, including Pint of Origin showcasing the best of Australia, the US and New Zealand.
More Pink Boots Made For Brewing
The evolution of the Pink Boots Society, set up to assist and encourage women working in beer, continues apace. As the 2018 series of collaborative brews kicks off, the Australian wing of the global society has its own hop blend to play with and is launching in Tasmania too.
Fresh, Wet, Green & Hoppy
Hop harvest has started across Australia, with the first fresh or wet hop beers already hitting taps and fridges. But what are they and why are more and more brewers looking to brew them every year?
Craft Beer Heroes: Les Riddell
From the Pineapple Hotel via a dark lager epiphany in Canada to The Local Taphouse in Darlinghurst, Bright Brewery, countless snow-covered slopes and then back to the Pineapple Hotel... We take a journey through good beer with Brisbane's beery Spiderman, Les Riddell.
Brew & A: Ben Simmons
When the family that owned the Clifton Hill Hotel decided to move it from being an Irish pub with TAB to inner-city brewpub, we doubt they envisaged it would lead to the development of a sour beer program. We caught up with the brewer that started taking it in that direction.
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A Day In The Life Of: A Hop Farmer
Of beer's four main ingredients, it's hops, those pungent, sticky wee green cones, that have done more to drive the growth of craft beer than any other. Pia from girl + beer spent a day during harvest at Karridale in WA getting up close and personal with them.
Bubbling Up: The Rise Of Craft Lagers
There's been talk of a renaissance for lager within the craft beer world for some time now. And, with more small breweries adding one to their lineup and a rise in the number appearing in the 2017 Hottest 100, maybe we're starting to follow America's lead once more.
Bigger. Brighter.
It's been a big few weeks for Bright Brewery. One of the first breweries to open in the Victorian High Country opened a second production facility this month and, at the weekend, took out a Silver Award at the Australian Tourism Awards.
We're Going On A Beer March
Fundraising brewing company Brewmanity is set to embark on its most ambitious venture yet in support of FightMND. Beer March aims to raise tens of thousands of dollars throughout March. We caught up with David Neitz and Neale Daniher to find out more.
The Crafty Dozen: February 2018
We've added another dozen brewery, bottleshop and bar listings to the site since our last roundup in December. So, as is our wont, we've gathered the latest together in one place in case you missed them when they first went live.
Beer Food: Baby Mammoth
There are few places in Australia that put as much emphasis on the marriage of beer and food as Baby Mammoth in Perth. The restaurant was founded by Ryan and Tania Lambson and here's the former – also the head chef – with his first pairing suggestion and recipe for us.
Brewed With The Screams Of A Thousand Souls
How do you make a Jack Daniels barrel aged, 11 percent ABV imperial stout even more gnarly. If you're the Brewditos and White Lies Brewing, you expose it to the entire discographies of 14 metal bands while it's taking shape.
Newstead Kicks Off With Queensland Rugby Union
Brisbane's Newstead Brewing has become the official beer of Queensland Rugby Union as it continues to forge partnerships with local organisations and businesses in the state. It will see Newstead beers poured at Ballymore and beyond.
Who Brews In The Huon Valley?
The Tasmanian brewing industry more than doubled in numbers over a two year period. One of the new arrivals on the state's beer scene was Church Hill, founded by Bradley Churchill on his property in the Huon Valley.
Pirate Life Lands A $2 Million Bounty
Pirate Life took a massive step towards the completion of its proposed $15m second brewery site today with the announcement that the SA State Government has given the business a $2 million grant.
Getting Blind With Crafty: Session Sours
For our first blind tasting of 2018, we lined up a pretty eclectic selection of beers that form part of the beer world's current fondness for sour styles. And the year got off to a fine start with a winning beer from a brewpub few readers will yet have visited.
Crafty Cabal Update – February 2018
With a few offers and event registration deadlines imminent, it's time for our monthly update from The Crafty Cabal, our beer lovers bonus scheme for readers who want to support what we do and get heaps of good stuff in return.
The 2018 Brewsvegas Program Is Live
Brisbane is home to one of the most vibrant and fun beer communities you'll come across. Brewsvegas is the week of the year in which that community celebrates everything that's best about beer. And, as of today, the program for the 2018 festival is live.
Aussie Exports: Trystam Hayden
He grew up skateboarding around the bar of Sydney's oldest continuously licensed pub, the Lord Nelson. Now, having moved to the other side of the planet, Trystam Hayden is keeping the family brewing tradition alive at the Britannia Brewing Co in Vancouver.
We're Gonna Need A Bigger Shed
Big Shed Brewing Concern is set to get a whole lot bigger after they announced plans for a $2.5m expansion. They were joined by SA Premier Jay Weatherill, whose government is providing more than one million dollars in grant funding and a low interest loan.
Behind The Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers Of 2017
There were plenty of stories within the second GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers countdown, from Panhead holding on to top spot to Garage Project supplying almost one in five beers and Liberty claiming the highest new entry. But we're going to tell three different ones.
Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers Of 2017: The Results
The results of the second GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers poll are in and Panhead has made it two for two with Supercharger holding top spot. The now retired Death From Above takes a posthumous bow in second, joined by fellow Garage Project beer Pernicious Weed on the podium.
Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers of 2017: Analysis
Is the "Craft Beer Capital" baton passing from Wellington to Auckland? Why are there so few beers from South Island brewers? Which styles dominated? And more as we cast an eye over the results in the second GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers poll.
Who Brews As Sunday Road?
With so much attention understandably given to the phenomenal rise of breweries in Sydney’s inner west, it can by easy to overlook the inroads craft beer is making into and outwards in other…
Beer Travel: Bavaria
Himmel Hünd Brewery co-founder Annabel Meagher won a Pink Boots Society scholarship last year that saw her travel to Germany's south. There, she immersed herself in Bavarian beer culture –
Behind The Hottest 100 Beers Of 2017
There were plenty of stories and talking points to be found in this year's GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers results. Here, we chat to the brewers behind four of them, from Balter, BentSpoke, Black Hops and Hop Nation.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2017: The Results
The results from the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers poll are set to be revealed from 100 to one on January 27. We'll be announcing the results as they come in here from 12.35pm AEDT before publishing our analysis and annual infographic.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2017: Infographic
The results of the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2017 are in, which means it's time for the annual Crafty Pint Infographic. Here, we break down some of the stats and trends from this and previous years.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2017: Analysis
At a glance, there are some obvious stories that leap from the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2017 list. Yet, if you drill down a little deeper and look at how the list has evolved over the years, you find much more revealed.
Trailblazing Women Of The West
The trailblazing women of Two Birds Brewing and the AFL Women's team Western Bulldogs have launched a new beer together. The Trail Blazer lager will be available throughout the 2018 season and sold across Australia too.
Newstead Forges An Old Alliance
It's 90 years since Sir Charles Kingsford Smith made the first trans-Pacific flight. To mark the occasion, Alliance Airlines has had one of its aircraft specially decorated and created a new collaboration beer with Newstead Brewing.
Throw A Foo Town Down
Newtown brewery Young Henrys is no stranger to the rock 'n' roll collaboration. But, as someone commented to us the other day, they may have reach peak collab with their latest, a beer brewed for the Foo Fighters 2018 Australian tour.
The Gang Of Sour
A Brunswick warehouse that initially housed Himmel Hünd's brewery has been turned into an incubator of sorts for small brewing companies playing with barrels. Will Ziebell finds out more.
Help Us Get Blind: Session Sours
For our first Getting Blind With Crafty tasting of 2018, we're going to embrace the broad church of beers that might be tagged "session sours" – Berliner weisse, gose, kettle sours and so on. And now is your chance to help us decide which to feature.
Beer Travel: The South Of The Great Southern State
While better known for its wineries, the region to the south of Adelaide has long been home to a number of small breweries too. With three more set to open venues in and around McLaren Vale in 2018, we figured it was ripe for a beer-themed travel guide...
More On The Perth Stadium Beer Announcement
Yesterday, the beer lineup was announced for Perth's new Optus Stadium, the first major stadium in the country to award pouring rights to an independent Australian brewery. Here, we find out more from Gage Roads' head brewers and COO Aaron Heary.
Beer Lineup Revealed For Perth Stadium
The new Perth Stadium is set to open this weekend and the beer lineup has been confirmed. While all general admission areas will only be pouring mid-strength beers due to liquor licensing restrictions, Gage Roads has brewed special versions of a number of its beers too.
The View From The Top
When we published our series of Best New Beers features for 2017, there was one thing missing: an entry for the Northern Territory. With a new brewery opening soon, that may change in 2018. For now, an update from NT's original craft brewery, One Mile.
The Collaborators: Rostrevor Hop Gardens
We took a trip to one of Australia's largest hop farms months out from harvest to learn about the farm's history, its ups and downs, the invigorating effect of craft beer and more in the company of the third generation family that runs it.
Who Brews Mitta Mitta Beers?
The town of Mitta Mitta, in Victoria’s northeast, is a place better know for dairy farms and outdoor pursuits. But now it's got a brewery too so we asked founder and brewer Tim Cabelka to join us for the latest in our Who Brews? series.
Big Shed Help West Thebby Get Social
The Big Shed team has a new home from home for its beer after hooking up with the owners of an Adelaide hotel to create a new craft beer venue. Matt King finds out more about the West Thebby Social Club.
What's In A Name?
While many brewers are happy to stick to the [Brewery Name] [Beer Style] format when naming their beers, there are plenty who take great pleasure coming up with beer titles. We find out why from three of the most avid fans of beery wordplay.
Show Us Your Sour Side
For the first Getting Blind With Crafty of 2018, we've decided to focus on all things acid. Alongside NEIPAs, at the pointier end of the beer world, sours have started appearing in ever greater numbers so we figure we should give them a blind taste test.
Who Brews Jetty Road Beers?
Towards the end of last year the Mornington Peninsula gained another two new breweries. Blake Bowden is the head brewer of Jetty Road, which launched with a contract brewed pale ale and has just opened its own venue in Dromana.
Bright Bares All For Mental Health
The issue of mental health is one that's been discussed increasingly openly in the beer world over the past year. Now, Bright Brewery's staff are looking to raise funds and awareness via the release of a new calendar in which they bare all.
