News & Feature Stories
Year In Beer 2024: Victoria
The fourth instalment of our Year In Beer 2024 series finds us on home turf as we turn our attention to Victoria. Joining Will and James are Cherry Murphy and Good Land Brewing's Jimmy Krekelberg.
Dangerous Ales: Five Years In Five Beers
After travelling the planet as a bodyboarder and chef, Damien Martin decided to open a brewpub back home in Milton. Ahead of Dangerous Ales' fifth birthday, we invited him to share five key beers from the brewery's first half-decade.
Year In Beer 2024: Western Australia
Time to head west for the second instalment of our Year In Beer 2024 series. Our Western Australia show features Crafty writers Guy Southern and Jono Outred plus Phat Brew Club and indie retailers Copper & Oak.
Sailors Grave's Dunetown Home Opens This Week
Sailors Grave are set to open Dunetown this week, more than three years after they unveiled plans for a farmhouse-style brewery at their East Gippsland home. We chatted to co-founder Gab Moore about what lies in store for visitors.
Year In Beer 2024: South Australia
We kick off our state by state by territory reviews of 2024 in South Australia, where we sat down with longstanding Crafty contributor Matt King, brewer-turned-malt man Steve Brockman, and sensory guru Briony Liebich.
Year In Beer 2024: The National Picture
Roll up, roll up! Christmas is coming so it's time for us to launch our end-of-year review series. We start with a look at the major trends of 2024 nationally before switching to state by state by territories podcasts.
The Welder's Dog's New Tricks
It's ten years this month since The Welder's Dog team first welcomed guests to their original Armidale craft beer bar. As the anniversary approached, we called into their newest venture.
Former Staff Return Tumut River Brewing To Its Roots
Tumut River Brewing is set to reopen in the coming weeks. Former staff have bought the brewery months after the doors shut with plans to return to its roots as a community-focused brewpub and tourist destination.
FOUND. Subiaco Opens
Just in time for Perth's hot summer, FOUND. have opened their new HQ in Subiaco, with former Phat Brew Club head chef Ian Macintosh joining the team. Guy Southern dropped in before today's official launch.
Episode 019: Fighting For Indie Beer
As an immensely challenging year for indie brewers draws to a close, we invited key figures from the Independent Brewers Association to look back at the highs and lows of the past 12 months and ahead at their plans for 2025.
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Crafty Crawls: Fitzroy
Time for one of the most jam-packed, venues-to-distance-covered Crafty Crawls going. Join us for a meander through Melbourne's oldest suburb of Fitzroy, a journey that takes in classic pubs, cocktail joints and boozy dive bars.
That’s A Keeper: Sexton Family Turn Temple Into A Shrine To Pils
The former home of Temple will continue brewing but with a focus on one beer: Keeper Pilsner. Behind the new venture is drinks world legend Phil Sexton, his son Harry, and others from Matilda Bay, which was closed by Asahi in May.
Episode 018: Life's A Beach: Building A Brewery In Bali
We set sail for Bali in this episode to catch up with Sam Füss, one of the beer world's true characters, who moved there from Sydney to help launch Beaches Brewing Co after more than two decades in brewing and hospo in Australia.
The Benefits Of A Pink Boots Booster
Pink Boots was formed to support and empower women in the beer industry and their Leadership Scholarship lives up to that mission. Ahead of it closing, we spoke with some of last year's winners about their experience.
Westside Ale Works Sells But The Future Still Looks Hoppy
Westside Ale Works has sold to a new owner but the South Melbourne brewery will continue to look and feel the same. We chatted to founder Casey Wagner about the last eight years running the brewery.
Who Brews Half-Pace Beers?
The craft beer scene in Sydney's Northern Beaches continues to build with the arrival of Half-Pace Brewing in Warriewood. We spoke to them about their beer, spirits, funky ferments and making drinks with bread.
Vegan a la Beer: The Appetiser
Five years ago, Graham Frizzell stumbled upon a perfect burger and beer match – with a difference: it was a plant-based burger. It sparked an idea that's about to bear fruit: a guide to pairing beer with plant-based cuisine
Seasonal Win WA Beer of the Year With Black Oat Cream IPA Mudi
You rarely see breweries release black oat cream IPAs, but maybe that will change after Mudi from The Seasonal Brewing Co claimed the WA Beer of the Year title as the awards celebrated WA's beer scene for a fifth year.
Episode 017: 25 Years Of Holgate
Few small businesses make it to a quarter-century, let alone in the world of brewing, yet that's the milestone marked by Paul and Tash Holgate in 2024. We joined them at their Woodend pub to hear their remarkable story.
Shaking Up A Whole New Shed
Shedshaker are only moving a few metres but their new home heralds big changes for the Castlemaine brewers. We chatted to the owners about their growth, sustainability ethos, support for live music and community connections.
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Crafty Sprawls: The Far South Coast of NSW
The South Coast of NSW is one of Australia's most beautiful destinations and one that's increasingly crafty. Benny Kennedy-Cox took a trip to the southernmost stretch to soak up the beers and the serenity.
Choice Az! The Rise Of Kiwi Hops
Kiwi hops are in fashion like never before on these shores, so Jason Treuen decided to find out why: just what has grabbed the attention of Aussie brewers and fuelled this trans-Tasman takeover?
Back On The Bottle
"We're de-gentrifying everything!" Craft beer comes in cans... doesn't it? Here, three breweries in three states talk about their decision to go back to glass – and, more importantly, why.
Sobah Beverages Put Brewery On Market And Plan To Downsize
Australia's first non-alc brewers, Sobah Beverages, have announced plans to sell their production site. The decision will see them focus on "strategic downsizing" and a return to contract brewing.
Episode 016: Making A Positive Impact With Beer
What does it mean to be a sustainable business or to brew in a sustainable manner? How can beer businesses have a positive impact on the world around them? We sat down with sustainability expert James Perrin.
Alice Springs Brewing Buy Port Lincoln's Beer Garden Brewing
Alice Springs Brewing Co have purchased Beer Garden Brewing in Port Lincoln. We spoke to brewery founder Kyle Pearson about the decision to expand into South Australia and the brewery's regional focus.
The Beer Slingers: Daz Harry – The Pour House
From live music's glory days at Perth's Grosvenor Hotel in Perth via a decade in major retail and back to hospo in WA's South West, Daz Harry has carved out a unique career. We caught up with him behind the bar of the reborn Pour House.
Ten Lessons From Ten Years: Wolf of the Willows
As the Wolf of the Willows team prepares to celebrate turning ten, we chatted to founders Scott and Renae about their first decade and invited them to share their Ten Lessons From Ten Years.
Episode 015: From Beer Writing To The Brewhouse – Building A Local Brewpub In NZ
In Episode 015 we head overseas for the first time to join a man who swapped a career writing and commentating on beer in Australia for rebuilding a twice-liquidated brewery in his hometown on the South Island of New Zealand.
Brew & A: Charlie Claridge – Esker Beer Co
Balancing salt, sourness and citrus in a beer; balancing technical precision and a creative desire to keep improving; balancing constant changes and consistent quality. Everything comes back to balance with Esker's Charlie Claridge.
Working Inside Beer's Sinking Ships
Former staff at several business that have closed, changed hands, or been through administration over the past couple of years share their experiences, offering an insider's view of the often chaotic life at these sinking ships.
Episode 014: Moon Dog's Marvellous Medicine
This week saw Moon Dog open their third megavenue, Doglands, on the Marvel Stadium concourse. We joined founders Karl van Buuren and Josh Uljans there to trace the evolution of their unique story.
Beer Cocktails With Matt At Melville: Simcoe Smash
With summer in sight and the days getting longer and warmer, we're kicking off a series featuring beer cocktails and the people that make them. First up is a Simcoe Smash from Matt at Melbourne pub Captain Melville.
A Curran Affair: Sunshine Coast's Oldest Brewery Passes To The Next Generation
The longest-running indie brewery in Queensland is changing hands – from parents to daughter. Sunshine Coast Brewery is growing and changing under Bernadette Curran too, but its connection to community is as strong as ever.
The Brewers Of The South West Launch Local Beer Trails
The Margaret River region has long been one of the best destinations for beer lovers and now ten of the region's brewers have launched Beer Trails to make visitors' experiences even better.
Episode 013: From Teaching History To Brewing It
If you were to draw up a list of Australian brewing greats of the past 20 years, Shawn Sherlock would be in the very upper echelons. The former Murray's brewer now in full control of FogHorn Brewery joined us on the podcast.
Aussie Exports: Emma Elmslie – Shining Peak, NZ
A few months ago, Emma Elmslie left Sydney to become head brewer at Shining Peak on New Zealand's North Island. We spoke to her about the move and what she's learned while brewing on either side of The Ditch.
Newcastle Becomes Brewcastle With Launch Of New Ale Trail
A decade ago, there wasn't a single brewery in Newcastle, despite its reputation as a beer city. Now, with heaps of breweries and craft beer venues calling it home, they've launched the Brewcastle brew trail.
Brew & A: Ted Carey
Freshly arrived in Australia, Ted Carey secured the a brewing role at Bucketty's in Sydney's Northern Beaches. We chatted to the former Dorking Brewery head brewer about all things cask, community and hops.
Range Open A Second Suburban Bar: Rays In Camp Hill
Range have opened a second suburban bar, the colourful Rays by Range in Camp Hill, which captures the energy of their first, Patio, while bringing something fresh.
Be A Pint of Origin Host Venue In 2025
Yes, May 2025 is still seven months away, but Pint of Origin waits for nobody. So, if you'd like your venue to be part of the one-of-a-kind festival when it returns to Melbourne for a thirteenth time, now's the time to let us know!
Episode 012: Social Media, Branding, Diversity & Non Beer
Episode 012 of our podcast covers so many topics in the company of Amanda "Bakes" Baker, part of the team at Lost Palms on the Gold Coast, it could have been a mini-series. Enjoy!
A Yeast For The Senses: Life Inside A Sensory Lab
Getting paid to drink beer - that's the dream, right? "It can be very tough, I tell you, to do beer evaluation in a cage for one hour..." See what sensory analysis is really like with Gabriela Montandon, head of sensory at Fermentis.
Going Green: Frogs Hollow's Off-Grid Brewery
After a night of being sung to sleep by frogs, Benedict Kennedy-Cox headed to Frogs Hollow to check out the off-grid brewery tucked into the yawning hills south of Bega.
Crafty Crawls: The Breweries Of Marrickville
Six years on from our first Marrickville Crafty Crawl and much has changed, while some has remained the same. Join Benedict Kennedy-Cox and Jason Treuen for a guided tour of the most brewery-soaked suburb in the land.
Episode 011: Brewing Traditional Beers In The High Country
Traditional beer styles have been enjoying a revival so, in the midst of the busiest Oktoberfest season we can recall, we invited a man who's been brewing them since launching his brewery in 2016 onto the podcast for a chat.
"Better Every Day" – Jervis Bay Become A B Corp
"It helped us become a better business." Jervis Bay Brewing Co have been certified as a B Corp business, telling The Crafty Pint the process has helped them make their corner of the world a better place.
Behind Bars: Natural Science Wine & Liquor
Natural Science Wine & Liquor opened in 2022 and brought a fresh approach to booze in Melbourne's east by focusing on Australian-owned products. With a bar now too, it seemed a good time to catch up with the team.
Brisbane-Based Felons To Open Another Waterfront Venue In Manly
Brisbane's Felons will soon have a new home in Sydney's suburb of Manly. It's set to open on October 18 with the team also planning to open a connected brewery in the near future.
Mountain Culture To Open A New Venue In Atomic's Former Home
Mountain Culture will have a new home in inner Sydney by the end of the year. The Blue Mountains-based brewery are taking over the former home of Atomic in Redfern, which was closed by Good Drinks a few weeks ago.
