News & Feature Stories
Our Man In NZ: Beer Camp Heads South
Beervana has lined up a meaty exclusive, luring Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp outside the US for the first time. With more American breweries looking at the Australasian market, Jono Galuszka looks at what it means for the festival and the NZ beer scene.
A Sporting Chance?
If you were to name one facet of Australian life small breweries are least likely to crack in a hurry, the nation's sporting citadels would be up there. But, asks Will Ziebell, do small wins here and overseas suggest there's hope?
Is The Tide Turning On Tax?
In today's increasingly polarised society, it takes something special to bring opposing factions together. Maybe craft beer can be the answer. This week saw Labor and Liberal politicians unite to call for fairer treatment of and greater support for craft brewers.
Getting Blind With Crafty: Hoppy Reds & Ambers
After an unplanned seven month break, we brought our blind tasting panel back. We focused on hoppy reds and ambers, with readers helping select the featured beers. Here's the results – and how readers can join us for a public version of the tasting.
Making Inner West The Best
Five brewers today launched a new brewing association for Sydney's Inner West in the company of a trio of local politicians. They've grand plans for their home, which has the greatest density of microbreweries in Australia.
Crafty Cabal Update – 16.06.17
This update on what we've got lined up for Crafty Pint supporters is as much about saving dates as anything else. We've got more events coming in various states, as well as some more giveaways and enticing signup bonuses too.
Beer Food: Pucker Tucker
Chef Paul Kasten explores the nuances of pairing sour beers with food, and how to work with varying levels of carbonation, sourness and the broad range of flavours to be found in sour beer.
The End Of A Cult?
As he settles into a new role as a shift brewer at Stone & Wood, BrewCult founder Steve "Hendo" Henderson has words of warning for others looking to follow him into the brewing game.
Aussie Beer Blogs: Sydney Beer
Sydney Beer is, we'd suggest, rather more than a blog. Tim Hodge has created a place where he gathers news, events, opinion and more, all united by one thing: they take place in or are about the burgeoning Sydney craft beer scene.
The Golden Goose: On Beer's Frontier
Goose Island's arrival in Australia represents the meeting point between the biggest of Big Beer and Australia's craft beer industry. We find out why it's a big deal and ask what it means within the rapidly evolving landscape here and globally.
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A Drop In The Ocean
For the first time in its history, Phillip Island has an operational commercial brewery. Ocean Reach is a small brewpub operation that opened in Cowes at the end of 2016 and is already winning over the locals.
Rocks Puts Its Brewery Up For Sale
One of Sydney's largest breweries is going on the market. One of the partners in Rocks Brewing has decided to exit the business meaning the brewery and venue in Alexandria – but not the brewing company – is set to be sold.
Events Wrap – 02.06.16
There are beer launches galore in the latest roundup of forthcoming beer events around Australia. You can also check out beer dinners, birthday parties, Solstice celebrations and even a sleepover in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
Breaking China II
In Breaking China, we spoke to Australian brewers looking to secure export to China on the challenges they faced. In part two, we seek a different perspective from Chinese beer writers and an expat in Melbourne working to establish a distribution network for Aussie brewers.
Carry On Grifting
The Grifter Brewing Co started out almost by chance. Today, it calls an impressive Inner West factory home to both its brewery and bar. As they mark five years in brewing, we invite two of its founders to look forward and back.
Help Us Get Blind: Reds & Ambers
After an eight month hiatus, we've found the time to bring our Blind Tasting Panel back together. And, given there's so many beers to pick from these days, we're inviting our readers to help us pick the beers we'll put to the test.
Beer Travel: The Other High Country Beer Trail
The High Country Brewery Trail in North East Victoria is one of the most popular and rewarding trips an Aussie beer tourist can take. The region is also home to some fine craft beer supporting pubs. And here are the best of them.
Beer Travel: Istanbul
Storyteller Spinks is off on another meander through the Northern Hemisphere. In his latest update, he calls in on two of the craft brewers of Istanbul and discovers the issues facing Aussie brewers pale in comparison.
Crafty Cabal Update – 26.05.17
With the last of the 70-odd people we're sending to GABS for free preparing to hit the Dome in Sydney, time to reveal the latest events, offers and prizes we've got lined up for Crafty Pint supporters around Oz.
Our Man In NZ: Kiwi Hops
The New Zealand hop industry produces some of the most sought after varieties in the world. Jono Galuszka spent time with NZ Hops and one of the lead scientists behind the development of new hops to find out more.
Brew & A: Mornington's Barrel Man
Earlier this month, Mornington Peninsula Brewery released the first beer from its barrel program, the luscious Old Pumping Station. Overseeing the program is young brewer Kristian Martin. Here, we find out more about him.
Australian International Beer Awards Winners 2017
Last night's beer awards in Melbourne put the seal on an incredible first year for Balter as the Gold Coast brewery took out three major trophies. They were among several multiple winners, which included several locals and Dagon from Myanmar.
The Big Issue: Weird Beers
It's that time of year when more new beers hit the market than at any other thanks in part to GABS. A good percentage will be highly experimental or outright odd, with the oddest tending to gain the most media hype. But is all news good news?
Independence Day
Today, Australia's small and independent brewers voted to remove large breweries from national trade body. What was the Craft Beer Industry Association (CBIA) is now to be known as the Independent Brewers Association.
The Secret Brewer: Price Wars Pt II
Yesterday, we presented an article from The Secret Brewer claiming a price war poses serious challenges and issues for the Australian craft beer industry. Here, a brewery owner, a sales rep and a venue owner respond to those claims.
Cocktails On Tap
Good Beer Week 2017 has seen a small army of American breweries travel to Melbourne. And it's not just owners, brewers and barrel program managers who've come. Cocktail guru Jacob Grier has visited as part of the retinue from Portland.
The Secret Brewer: Price Wars
For the past couple of years, there has been much discussion around the prevalence of low priced kegs – and more recently cases – hitting the markets, particularly in Melbourne and Sydney. This Secret Brewer two-parter asks if it's good for beer.
Aussie Exports: From Melbourne To Tallinn
During Good Beer Week in 2016, if you called in to the Canadian Pint of Origin venue, you may well have been served by Rob Dooley. A year later, he's working for a brewery in Estonia after following his girlfriend when she headed home.
Who Brews Shifty Lizard Beers?
With his surname already ubiquitous in the craft beer world, Lee Stone had to find an alternative. He came up with Shifty Lizard and has since launched his first two beers following a successful Pozible campaign.
Events Wrap – 12.05.17
Good Beer Week will be dominating proceedings for many beer lovers over the next week or so. But there's plenty of action taking place elsewhere too, including some events in other cities taking advantage of international guests on their way to and from Melbourne.
Boatrocker's Kindred Spirits
Boatrocker is to merge with award-winning gin and vodka producer Hippocampus Metropolitan Distillery. The West Perth distillery will move in its entirety to the Boatrocker Barrel Room in the coming months.
Cheers To Change
From the deep bush of Papua New Guinea via one of Mexico's most dangerous cities to creating Eden in the Southern Highlands, Marie Claire Jarratt discovers one couple's journey to brewery owners has taken the road less travelled.
X Marks The... Something
It's been three years since Wolf of the Willows launched its XPA and the number of beers bearing that name is growing fast. But does anyone agree on what an XPA should be? We ask some XPA brewers about the X factor.
GBW PoO Crawl: South
At this year's Good Beer Week, Pint of Origin has spread its wings further outwards across Melbourne than ever before. To help you navigate all the awesome beers and brewers on offer, we've created three PoO Crawls complete with maps.
GBW PoO Crawl: North
At this year's Good Beer Week, Pint of Origin has spread its wings further outwards across Melbourne than ever before. To help you navigate all the awesome beers and brewers on offer, we've created three PoO Crawls complete with maps.
The Crafty Dozen – May 2017
We've added another dozen new brewery, bar and bottleshop listings since our last roundup. Which means it's time for another beery postcard and a reminder for you of the last 12 business to find a home on Crafty.
Crafty Cabal Update – 05.05.17
What with the long weekends, the Crafty relaunch and all manner of other distractions, it's been a while since our last update on all the goodies we've got for our supporters. Which means there's plenty to tell you about...
Aussie Beer Blogs: Little Hop Beers
The title of this article may be a little misleading as the latest person to appear in our featured beer blogs series isn't an Aussie. Hannah Louise Grugel is a Brit who started writing about beer in the UK and has continued since landing in Sydney last year.
Brew & A: Wilson Hede of Two Birds
He may not be a "bird", but Two Birds head brewer Wilson Hede has certainly played an important part in helping the Spotswood brewery stretch its wings. Here, he shares his brewing tips and insights as part of our Brew & A series.
A New Dawn
We've given Crafty a refresh. Out with the old and in with the new: a new logo, a new look and some new features, including Crafty Recommends – an enhanced map helping you find more of the goods stuff. We hope you like it!
Looking For New England – The Haze Craze
New England style IPAs are appearing with ever greater frequencies on these shores. Frontiersman Guy Southern dove deep into their swirling, muddy pool in the company of four local proponents to find out more.
Craft Beer Rides North
For all the talk about microbreweries bursting into life across Tasmania, the north has been lacking supportive retailers. That's steadily changing, with new venues opening and old ones enjoying a new lease on life.
A Day In The Life Of: A Beer Judge
Next month sees brewers and beer experts from across the globe gather in Melbourne for the Australian International Beer Awards. But what goes into being a beer judge? Is it the best job in the world. Nick O find out.
Breaking China
A growing number of Australian brewers is looking to break into the Chinese market. The craft beer market may be tiny percentage wise, but is still large in numbers. So how can brewers hope to make it there? And what beers are in demand?
Events Wrap – 14.04.17
Such is the splendour of the local beer world these days, there’s no time for idle sitting; new beers must be launched, birthdays must be celebrated, legends must be toasted.
Who Brews Hack Beers?
One of the original founders of Kooinda is back in the beer game with three mates. Together, the foursome go by the name Hack Brewing and have so far brought out one beer: the Golden Ale.
Holgate's Bloody Big Endeavour
Before Paul Holgate sat down to chat about the sizeable expansion his brewery is undertaking, he said something to Kerry McBride that was immediately apparent on entering the new space. “It’s bloody big, isn’t it?” He wasn’t lying.
Cavitation Salvation
Could techniques similar to those used by the remarkable mantis shrimp help revolutionise brewing? According to a group of Italian scientists, a process called cavitation could save time, water, energy and waste. Dan Sandy takes a look.
Behind Bars: Zach Hill
There's been a fair bit focus on Ballarat recently, with the launch a Beer Trail and announcements of a $100m brewery project and a Brewing Centre of Excellence. Here, one of the city's barmen tells us what's happening on the ground.
Brew & A: Thirsty Crow
Craig Wealands wasted little time putting Wagga's Thirsty Crow on the map, winning an AIBA trophy for his Vanilla Milk Stout within months of opening. With his new, bigger brewpub firing on all cylinders, he fielded questions in our latest Brew & A.
