Bowling for Brews
Many bowling clubs have embraced easy-going evenings of Barefoot Bowling to help them survive. Others are turning to craft beer. Kerry McBride joined brewers, beer lovers and bowlers at Melbourne's Flem-Ken Bowlo to find out why.
From Cellar to Shed
After almost a decade manning one of the most archaic brewing setups in Australia, Lord Nelson brewer Damon Nott has abandoned cellars and ladders for life in Adelaide's Big Shed. Matt King caught up with him as he started in his new role.
A Dozen More
We've added a dozen more new listings to our brewery, venue and bottleshop directories since our last roundup. So, as has become our habit, here they are collected in one place in case you missed them first time around.
A Pallet For Your Palates
In a rare turnaround in traditions, Australia is exporting something crafted and beer-related to America. It's not beer, however, but new thinking drinker's beer mag Pallet, a joint venture between two Aussie journos and Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head.
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Toowoomba Becomes Brewoomba
The Spotted Cow in Toowoomba was one of the first Queensland venues to embrace better beer more than a decade ago. Now it's one of three venues joining forces to create the city's first craft beer festival, Brewoomba.
High Five
Wollongong is set to welcome its second brewery. Glen Humphries joined Phil O'Shea at the home of Five Barrel Brewing as he prepared to brew his first beers. Look out for the brewery's launch in the coming weeks.
Getting Blind With Crafty: Pale Lagers
For our final blind tasting of 2015, we looked at a style that's becoming increasingly popular with Australian craft brewers: pale lagers. We lined up 26 different beers (including a few "New World" versions) from brewers big and small. And this is how they fared.
Chicks Drink Pink Beer
Recent successes for Two Birds Brewing here and overseas, plus a trophy for the Pink Boots Society's latest collaboration, shows the strength of women in beer. Beer drinking woman Kerry McBride finds out how life is for the ladies making waves in the craft beer world.
Drinking In Style: Pale Lagers
Love lager or keen to know a little more about the world's most popular style? Before we publish the results of our pale lager blind tasting, here's Resident Beer Scholar Chris Brady with another colourful journey into beer's multifarious past.
The Call of Hops
It was such a big deal, at first they thought it was a wind up. But it was true. The makers of Call of Duty: Black Ops III – one of the biggest gaming releases in history – really did want Gold Coast's Black Hops to create a beer for them.
Amalgamation For The Nation
Australia's longest running beer week kicks off tomorrow night. One of the defining features of this year's WA Beer Week is the proliferation of colourful collabs. Guy Southern gets the lowdown.
Who Brews The Other Castlemaine Beers?
A new brewing company that takes its name from its home town of Castlemaine has started up in Victoria. It brings a decidedly old school approach to its beers, so we decided to find out why.
BentSpoke Beer For All
Just 18 months after opening the doors of its Canberra brewpub, BentSpoke Brewing today took possession of a second site that will allow them to increase production and package their beers.
Frothing At The Mag
Beer-loving historical book editor Emily Day wanted a beer mag to read while drinking in her favourite Melbourne pubs. So she went and created one. The first edition of Froth is out now.
Touch Wood
Boatrocker's Barrel Room is set for a soft launch tomorrow. Sitting across the road from the brewery, it will eventually house 300 barrels, as well as the 15-tap bar, making it one of the most ambitious ventures in the Australian beer world.
Back In The Dock
Since leaving the brewing company he put on the map, former Riverside man Dave Padden has relaunched as Akasha. After months brewing with friends at Rocks, he's about to release the first beers from his new Five Dock home.
Last Rites' First Rites
The microbrewery scene in Tasmania is in the midst of rapid growth. The latest to open its doors is Last Rites in Hobart. Premier Will Hodgman was there for the brewery's official opening. And so was Ruth Hawkins.
Sweet And Sour
A sour beer has been named Australia's best craft beer of 2015, while there was more champion glory for Two Birds and Modus Operandi, as well as Freo's Monk at last night's Craft Beer Awards in Sydney.
