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Starting A Brewery Part I
More people than ever are hoping to open their own brewing company in Australia. But turning a dream into reality isn't easy; in fact, it's bloody hard work. Over two days, we're offering advice from experts, starting with brewers themselves.
A Complete Shambles
The craft beer scene in Hobart continues its dizzying rise. The latest brewpub to open in the Tasmanian capital is also one of the most polished you'll find in Australia. As Ruth Dawkins discovers, it's a case of Shambles by name not nature.
Beer History: The Kingdom of Hops
We've written plenty about the latest goings on in the Australian hop industry. But what of the past? In his first article for The Crafty Pint, beer loving historian Will Ziebell delves into the earliest days of hop growing in Tasmania's Derwent Valley.
The Future Tastes Bad
The Crafty Pint will soon be starting a series looking at the steps brewers are taking to reduce brewing's environmental impact. Before then, however, Young Henrys is highlighting the impact climate change could have on your beer via beer.
The Story Of: Boatrocker Ramjet
For the second in our series looking at the story behind some of the coolest, most iconic or most sought after beers in Australia we showcase Boatrocker's Ramjet. The imperial stout even has its own day, with the first Ramjet Day on April 9, 2016.
The Collaborators: Where There's Hope, There's Hops
An American couple who have been growing hops for their home brew for years have launched a hop farm in Margaret River. Karridale Hop Farm has enjoyed a successful first harvest and is looking to bring an old variety back to life.
New Events Wrap – 11.03.16
As the first whiff of fresh hops from this year's harvest wafts across the land, we turn attention to some of the celebratory events held in the name of hops. Then it's onwards to beer dinners, tap takeovers, festival action and craft of a slightly less beery persuasion.
March's Crafty Dozen
It looks like we've added another dozen new brewery, bar and bottleshop listings since last time we did a roundup. So, if you missed them, here's the latest additions to the Crafty directory from QLD, NSW, VIC, SA and WA. More very soon!
'Bo Hop Selecta
The owner of Oscar's Ale House in Belgrave is embarking on a long held dream to run a brewing company. Yellingbo comes with a difference though: Brad Merritt and wife Gypsy are using hops from the farm planted on their land first.
Aussie Beer Blogs: The Beer Healer
When he left his job with Lion, Chris Lukianenko was still keen to have an outlet for his passion for beer. So he launched The Beer Healer blog in the middle of 2015, a blog that has been developing very nicely ever since.
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Trials and Fermentations
Former Moo Brew head brewer turned Australian hop guru Owen Johnston has returned to brewing. Hop Trial is his way of trying to educate people about the much-loved ingredient via beer. Ruth Dawkins met him to find out more.
The Big Issue: Hops
There have been shortages in the supply of certain hops in past years but 2016 promises to be the first in which there is a significant impact on Aussie brewers. We speak to four key growers and suppliers to find out why – and how to prepare.
Calling All Beer Media
Submissions are open for the 2016 Australian International Beer Awards, which includes a new trophy for New World Pale Ales. It's also a third chance for people covering the beer world to be crowned AIBA Media champ.
The Story Of: Watermelon Warhead
We're kicking off a new series looking at the story behind some of the coolest, most iconic and downright funky beers to come out of Australia. With 100 kegs ready for a major release, first up is Feral's Watermelon Warhead.
The Collaborators: Getting A Handle On The Beer World
It's not just brewers and those that sell their beer that are thriving as the craft beer industry grows; others are sharing in the success. One WA firm has a fast-growing division that has small brewers to thank for its existence.
New Events Wrap – 12.02.16
Want to know what's coming up in the beer world? Every week, we'll be rounding up all the latest beer events added to the Crafty Pint Events Diary. If you'd like to see yours appear there and here, drop us a line at events@craftypint.com.
A Farmer's Tail
Beard and Brau started out in an Adelaide warehouse. But its owners, Chris and Tanya, always dreamed of a more rural life. Today, they have it, running an award-winning environmentally-focused farmhouse brewery in South East Queensland.
Stop, Collaborate & Mill In
As recently as five years ago, a brewing collaboration was a genuine novelty in Australia. These days, as this look at what's brewing in SA right now, it's far more commonplace, even if the outcomes turn out to be genuine novelties themselves.
Sign Up Here
Cicerone certified staff, expertly curated beer lists and fine food and wine in the very heart of Perth. The WA capital has been slow on the craft beer uptake but, as Petition Beer Corner shows, now it's catching up it's doing it in real style.
Mads For Aussie Beer
As Noma Australia's long sold out run kicks off in Sydney, it's not just the ingredients on the plate that have a strong Australian focus. The drinks list features several Australian beers, including some created especially for the restaurant.
Who Brews Norman, Brian & Randy Daniels?
From a Surry Hills vegetarian restaurant of the same name sprung Yulli's Brews. Stepping in tandem into the brewing world are Yulli's founder Karl Cooney and homebrewing staff member James Harvey. With their first of their beers now in cans, we find out more.
Arrogant Bootlegging Bastards
Margaret River brewery Bootleg has scored quite the coup and been invited to become one of a handful of breweries invited to brew Stone's legendary Arrogant Bastard. And all because of a bit of cheek and a spot of mountain biking through WA.
The Collaborators: A Glimmer Of Hops
With hops in ever greater demand and supply shortages increasingly common, a South Australian is hoping to bring hop farming back to the Adelaide Hills. Matt King caught up with Stuart Binnion as he prepares for his first harvest.
Beer Travel: Hunting Down The Hottest 100
At the denouement of the Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2014 poll, Dan "Crafty Kev" McEvilly set himself the challenge of trying them all. A year on, he tells us about his mission and how the beer world rallied to help his cause.
Craft Shopping
Building upon their runaway success at in Croydon, the Public Brewery team has opened a second venue in a most unlikely spot: a shopping centre. The Cellar Door showcases local beer, wine and produce at Eastlands and could make mall shopping actually enjoyable.
Beer Travel: Adelaide's Craftiest Beer Gardens Part II
Last week, we kicked off a tour of some of Adelaide's craftiest beer gardens on a mission to find out what makes a beer garden great. Here's part two, as Matt King checks out another half dozen combining craft beer with al fresco action.
Beer Travel: Adelaide's Craftiest Beer Gardens
Summer's here, which means it's beer garden time. Matt King has been visiting many of the best and craftiest that Adelaide and surrounds has to offer, asking owners and patrons what makes a beer garden great.
Mining A Rich Seam
Visitors to WA's Great Southern region will probably have visited Boston Brewery and sampled its wares. Now, with a new brewery in place and bottling line on the way, you may not have to travel quite so far to check them out, as Pia Poynton discovered.
The Smoky, Hoppy, Spotty Dog
At the end of 2015, another new brewing company launched its first release into Tasmania's increasingly busy beer scene. Spotty Dog Brewers were already known to locals for their smoked BBQ treats; now they've got beer to go with it too.
Best New Beers of 2015: Queensland
We reach the end of our state-by-state (and territory) look back at 2015's best new beers in Queensland. Darren "250 Beers" Magin sat down with fellow beer gurus to pluck ten of the finest new drops to grace the Sunshine State last year.
Best New Beers of 2015: New South Wales
Time for our penultimate look back on the year in beer. This time our attention turns to New South Wales, where a panel led by Nick O cast their minds back over 12 months and came up with the new releases that impressed them the most.
Best New Beers of 2015: ACT
ACT welcomed a new brewing company into the fold in 2015 as champion home brewer Kevin Hingston took his beers to market as Pact. It gave our ACT panel four local breweries to pick from for their best new releases in the territory this year.
Best New Beers of 2015: Victoria
For the fourth of our Best New Beers of 2015 roundups, we look at the state with the largest number of breweries and brewing companies. Which ten beers did our panel reckon were the best of the year? And do you agree?
Best New Beers of 2015: Western Australia
We're (almost) at the halfway mark in our look back at the new beers released across Australia in 2015. This time we move to WA, where two of our regular contributors joined a pair of local beer experts to select their pick of the year.
Best New Beers of 2015: South Australia
The beer scene is booming in South Australia. Recent years have seen an explosion of new brewing companies and there's now a growing number of venues supporting them. Matt King gathered a panel to pick the best new beers to come out of the state this year.
Who Brews Watts River Beers?
When Lion announced its decision to move White Rabbit to Geelong, many bemoaned its loss from Healesville. But now two former White Rabbit brewers and their partners have set about bringing a new brewery to the town.
Best New Beers of 2015: Tasmania
We kick off our end of year best of roundups in Tasmania. A panel of beer gurus gathered at Saint John Craft Beer to chew the fat and come up with their top 10 from all the new releases in the state in 2015.
Down The Rabbit Hole
Last year, Lion announced it was closing the White Rabbit brewery in Healesville and moving Little Creatures' little sibling to Geelong. The move – and considerable expansion and diversification – is now complete, as Kerry McBride discovered.
Canny Moovers
Tasmania's highest profile microbrewery has been celebrating its tenth birthday with a "Month of Moo" celebrations across the state. It enters its 11th year with plans to launch its beers in cans and sights set overseas, as Ruth Dawkins discovered.
The Big Issue: Branding
As the beer landscape in Australia becomes ever more crowded and competition intensifies, it's not enough simply to brew good beer. How a brewery presents itself and its beers is perhaps more crucial then ever before, so we're addressing branding as our second "Big Issue" topic.
Five Star Deluxe Treatment
The long-mooted expansion of the Beer DeLuxe brand across Australia is gathering pace. In the coming weeks, new venues will open in Wagga Wagga and Darling Harbour with more planned, as Nick O discovers.
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.
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.
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.
On A Mission
What with all the column inches and conversations we've dedicated to issues such as transparency, integrity, ownership and so on in recent weeks, we thought it was time The Crafty Pint came clean.
Beer Travel: Copenhagen
As he heads homewards from the northern reaches of Europe, wandering Tasmanian Bert Spinks finds time to dip his toes into the "stylish", "serious" and "eccentric" beer scene in Copenhagen.
The Big Story of a Small Beer
Guy Southern chatted to Colonial Brewing's manager-cum-raconteur Richard Moroney to get the story behind their uniquely packaged Small Ale. He walked away with an insight into the essence of beer and why it pays to remember that it is, after all, just beer.
