Crafty Cabal Update - March 2019
As ever, there's plenty going on in the world of The Crafty Cabal, the place for readers of The Crafty Pint to become supporters and gain access to thousands of bucks worth of goodies around the local beer world.
Now That's Good Drinking
We all know that beer can be good and, for a number of Aussie beer businesses, it's also being used for good. Mick Wust got in touch with five people using beer to raise funds and awareness around a number of causes.
In Memoriam: Benji Bullen
Late last year, a popular figure from the Melbourne beer community, Benji Bullen, took his own life. Ahead of a fundraiser for his family at their brewery, KAIJU! co-owner Callum Reeves pays tribute to the beer rep, barman and mate.
Gage Roads Heads East
WA brewery Gage Roads have announced the next stage in their expansion: moving into the Sydney market with a new brand that will have a brewery and taproom home in Redfern.
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Gold Coast Brewers Dominate Queensland's Beer Awards
It was another day of triumph for Gold Coast brewers as Burleigh Brewing, Black Hops and Balter all picked up trophies at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards, with Burleigh's new Bock taking out Champion Beer.
The Big Issue: Withdrawing The Line
There's been a clutch of product withdrawals in the local craft beer and cider industry in recent months. Here, we ask why, look at what steps brewery owners are taking and why knowing how to handle a quality issue is key.
Black Hops II Launches
The milestones keep flying past for Black Hops Brewing with the opening of their second brewery and venue on the Gold Coast the latest.
Women In Drinks
International Women's Day 2019 will see a new festival celebrating women working in beer, wine and spirits launch in Sydney. We spoke to two women leading the way in the local beer world to find out more about their experiences and changing times.
Help Us Get Blind: XPAs
For our first blind tasting of 2019 we're going to look at XPAs. Sure, it's a category that remains open to some interpretation but plenty of people are brewing and drinking them so it seems only right.
Kveik – Something Borrowed, Something True Blue
In part one of this mini-series, Mick Wust took a journey into the history of Norwegian "super-yeast" kveik. Here, he speaks to some of the early adopters in Australia to find out more about its unique appeal.
Aussie Beerstagrammers: Beer Thread
For our first Aussie Beerstagrammers feature of 2019, Guy Southern got in touch with the man behind the Beer Thread Facebook group to find out more about his approach to beer photography.
Kveik – Something Old, Something New
There's a new yeast in town. Actually, it's not new at all, but it is extraordinary. Here, Mick Wust delves into the romantic history of Norwegian kveik before speaking to Australian brewers and bar owners who've fallen for its charms.
New Model Modus
They rebranded within months of opening, were the first local brewery to use CANimals, pioneered single design cans with labels and were early proponents of packaged on dates. So, as they unveil a new look lineup, we asked Modus Operandi why.
Brewmanity Go On Another March
After raising more than $35,000 for Fight MND with their first Beer March, the team at Brewmanity is preparing to go again, enlisting around 30 venues on the East Coast for a month-long fundraiser. We caught up with the duo behind it.
Going Green: SolaBrew
When Scott Shomer designed Helios Brewing in Brisbane with his business partners, the aim was to produce the most energy efficient brewery he could. Under the SolaBrew banner, he's keen to help other brewery owners do the same.
Beer Nuts: Deb Lieu
They're up there as one of the most unusual and inspired ideas in the local beer world: beer-themed cookies and desserts. We chatted to the woman behind them, Deb Lieu, for our Beer Nuts series.
Hopping Into The Wild
The burgeoning beer scene in the South West of WA grew again this week with the opening of Wild Hop. Jono Outred joined the team on their family farm to find out more about one of the most highly-anticipated new operations in the state.
Craft Beer Heroes: Marty Keetels
He announced his intentions in the most comically unlikely of manners and has gone on to create one of the country's leading beer festivals while helping build Brisbane's beer community. So we invited Marty Keetels to tell us more.
