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A Full Colour Life: From Brewer To Leader
Most people open a brewery or become brewers because they love making and drinking beer. Yet, as businesses grow and careers progress, brewing can play second fiddle to management tasks requiring very different skills.
Looking After The Lake, Man
Last week, Lakeman Brewing took out the Supreme Beer Award at the New World Beer & Cider Awards. Here, Michael Donaldson tracks the unique journey of the Taupō brewery from farming to making award-winning beers.
Behind Bars: Mongrel
If you're into skeletons, sour cocktails and sausage daddies – or, at least, if they don't scare you off – then Mongrel's brand of weirdness is for you. We chatted with the pint-pouring pooches at the Milton bar for our Behind Bars series.
Crafty Crawls: The Breweries Of Marrickville
Five years on from our first Marrickville Crafty Crawl and much has changed, while some has remained the same. Join Benedict Kennedy-Cox for a guided tour of the most brewery-soaked suburb in the land.
Eagle Bay Leap Through Hoops... Slowly
Eagle Bay have launched Hoops, a years-in-the-making series celebrating wild ferments, barrel-ageing and patience. We chatted to brewer Keegan Steinbacher about the passion project launched with a little help from 3 Ravens.
Who Brews At Mixtape?
Spooning Goats was a pioneering craft beer venue – not to mention one of the quirkiest joints in Sydney. And while it fell victim to COVID, the founders' vision lives on at Mixtape Brewing & Bar in Marrickville.
The Garage Project Story
Garage Project and their beers are much-loved on both sides of The Ditch, with the Wellington-based brewery making a mark on a global scale too. Here, Pursuit of Hoppiness editor Michael Donaldson explores their incredible story.
Blasta: Five Years In Five Beers
As Blasta turn five this weekend, it's a chance to reflect on a trophy-filled start to life driven by relentlessly high standards. Yet, with huge plans for the year ahead, founder Steve Russell is just as keen to look to the future.
Crafty Crawls: Darling Harbour & The Rocks
In the heart of Sydney and keen to enjoy some waterside views with a local beer in hand? Well, whaddya know... here's a guide to just that. Join us for a tour of the craftiest spots in Darling Harbour and The Rocks.
Who Brews & Blends Barrel Shepherd Beers?
Wollongong has always been a manufacturing city but these days it feels like much of that production is beer. The Barrel Shepherd has joined the city's thriving beer scene, bringing with it a unique tale and love for barrels, local fruit and yeast.
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Going Green: Bearhug Pallet Wrap
Plastic is often a necessary evil in the beer world: it can help keep beer safe but often ends up in landfill. It's an issue being tackled by Bearhug Pallet Wrap, a startup looking to move beer safely while cutting out single-use plastic.
Spotty Dog's Hobart Home Is Here At Last
It's been a long road for Spotty Dog but the Tassie brewers who launched their first beer in 2016 finally have a home in Hobart. Co-founder Klimt Donohoe told us all about their new venue and what beer lovers can expect.
The Collaborators: Candy Warhol's Colouring Cans
If a colouring book featuring 148 beer cans from breweries across Greater Sydney appeals to you, then you're in luck – ex-graphic designer Connor Dempsey has made one to scratch his own creative itch and support good mental health.
Who Brews Gallows Beers?
The brand may have a dark name and dark labels (and started with a dark beer), but the story of Gallows Brewing is one of sunshine as three friends were drawn back together in gorgeous Coffs Harbour to start a brewing company.
The Best Of Beer 2022: The Territories
They’re far from being neighbours and you wouldn’t draw too many similarities between the ACT and NT either, but once again we’re running the Territories together as our Best Of Beer 2022 series draws to a close.
The Best Of Beer 2022: South Australia
Our Best Of Beer 2022 series heads to South Australia for a look at the highs, lows, twists and turns via the standout moments and beers, the newcomers to the scene, and those who experienced a memorable 12 months.
The Best Of Beer 2022: Tasmania
It's time to head south for the sixth entry in The Best Of Beer 2022 series as we cross the Bass Strait to check in on a busy year of openings – both new and from existing operations – and delicious beers from around Tasmania.
The Best Of Beer 2022: Queensland
The remarkable rise of Queensland's craft beer scene continued apace in 2022, even in the face of floods and the challenges faced by the industry across Australia. Here's our take on the tumultuous 12 months that was.
The Best Of Beer 2022: WA
Join us as our touring review of the year in beer touches down in WA. It's a cracker too, not just looking at the trends and highlights of 2022 in the state but also addressing some of the broader issues at play for beer in Australia right now.
The Best Of Beer 2022: Victoria
It's been a funny old year in Victoria, with pioneers looking to exit the industry and many more battered from all sides. But there's been a whole lot of good beer and beautiful moments too; here we take a look at what stood out.
The Best Of Beer 2022: NSW
From Bondi to Bangalow, craft beer continued to crop up in more corners of New South Wales during 2022. Join us as we attempt to make sense of it all via the standout moments, beers and new arrivals from the past 12 months.
The Best Of Beer 2022
Christmas is approaching so it must be time for us to look back at the year just gone. And in a change from past years, we're kicking off with a look at the standout themes of 2022 on a national scale.
Future Mountain's Reservoir Brewpub Up For Sale
Future Mountain have listed their Reservoir brewery and venue for sale – but it's not what it seems. The founders plan to move to different parts of Victoria with their families and create a new Future Mountain with two rural bases.
Beer Cartel To Be Online Only In 2023
Beer Cartel are closing their physical store in Sydney at the start of next year, with the popular beer retailer deciding to move their operation entirely online. We spoke to co-founder Richard Kelsey about the decision and their future plans.
Capital Brewing: Five Years In Five Beers
It's been an impressive 2022 for Capital. Their green credentials have shone brightly and it also marks five years since their Fyshwick brewery opened. To mark the milestone, we invited them to head down Memory Lane.
Phantasm: The Ghost Coming To Your Beer
Hops and their vibrant aromatics create much excitement among beer fans but a ghostly new flavour is attracting attention among brewers. That ghost is Phantasm, so we chatted to the man behind it and one of the first local brewers to try it.
Sobremesa Scoop Top Beer At Drink Easy Awards 2022
The small, family-run Sobremesa scored the top beer at the 2022 Drink Easy Awards, finishing third overall in the competition that features all forms of drinks. Brick Lane, Mismatch and Molly Rose all made the best beer list too.
Archer Touch Down In Newmarket
What better place for an aviation-themed brewery to set up home than inside a World War Two era hangar? After a turbulent few years, Archer Brewing are landing in Newmarket with a new brewery to call home.
King Road IPA Scoops WA Beer Of The Year
King Road Brewing have scooped another major trophy for their IPA, with the much-loved beer from the farm-based brewery 35 minutes of Perth claimed the WA Good Food Guide Beer Of The Year for 2022 last night.
Who Brews Dusty Lizard Beers?
Dusty Lizard opened in Wollongong in later 2020 and, while their taproom has proved a hit, the runaway star has been Dustin the lizard. He was too busy to chat, so ahead of their second birthday we chatted to the founders instead.
Revolution In The Riverina
There are many people who have changed the nature of beer and brewing in Australia over the years. Yet what's happening in the Riverina region of NSW feels as transformative as anything else happening in the industry right now.
The Story Of: Moff's Summer Ale
How does a session IPA designed for easy beach drinking beat out both session beers and bigger IPAs for beer awards? None of us, including the brewer, seem to quite know the answer. But read about the beer that does it in The Story Of Moff's Summer Ale.
Tar Barrel: Old Dog, New Tricks
After three years, the links between Tar Barrel and Mornington Peninsula Brewery are no more. As owner Matt Bebe makes a fresh start where he began, we chatted to him about staying local and the lessons learnt along the way.
Who Brews Hedonbar Beers?
It was while travelling they decided to start a brewery, and a beer label in Hong Kong that gave them their name. We caught up with the couple behind Hedonbar as they prepare to open their brewery and taproom on the Yorke Peninsula.
From Cask Ale To The Beerfarm: Young Gun Emma Locke
Emma Locke's first brush with beer came while pulling pints of cask ale to help fund a uni degree in the heart of England. Now, having switched British pubs for WA's Beerfarm, she's been named Indies Young Gun of the Year for 2022.
Wild Yeast Zoo
Wild beers are the oldest form of brewing and still capture a certain romance. Stepping into that fray is Wild Yeast Zoo, a Newcastle-based venture that hopes to uncover new yeast strains of yeast and bring the public along for the journey.
Big Shed: Ten Lessons From Ten Years
Big Shed's story is the quintessential craft beer tale of two homebrewers taking a chance on themselves and their beers. As they celebrate a decade since launching, we asked Jason and Craig what they've learnt over the years.
Wayward & Batch Join Forces As The Local Drinks Collective
Wayward and Batch have today announced the formation of a new collective of independent breweries they hope will give them greater firepower to compete with the multinational beverage companies dominating Australia.
Akasha To Open A Sydney Barrel Room
They're best known for their mastery of hops, but the team at Akasha are set to showcase a rather different side to the brewery. We called into the soon-to-open Akasha Barrel Room in Leichhardt to get the lowdown.
The Indies 2022 Winners
White Bay claimed Champion Beer for their Lager at the 2022 Indies, a night on which Moffat Beach continued their remarkable run of form, and Jade Flavell of The Wheaty won a Champion Brewery trophy and the Services To Industry award.
A Day In The Life Of: A Beer Steward
Ahead of the 2022 Indies awards, we went behind the scenes at judging. While there, Will Ziebell spent time with Joslyn Erickson, the Indies Coordinator, to find out who and what goes into becoming a beer awards steward.
The Beer Slingers: Bobbie Peels
After years running various hospo businesses, including launching Burnley Brewing, old mates Phil Gijsbers and Neil Mills have their first pub. With renos complete at the historic Bobbie Peels, we invited them to kick off a new series.
Jarrah Boy Brings Native Ingredients To The Fore
A new Sunshine Coast-based brewing company showcasing native ingredients is set to launch later this month. Jarrah Boy is the latest venture from Dale Vocale, an Indigenous chef, entrepreneur and proud Monero Ngarigo man.
Bar La Sirène Opens In Alphington
More than a decade after moving into a warehouse in Melbourne's inner northeast, the farmhouse and wild ale specialists at La Sirène have opened their doors to the public. We called in for a chat, beer, food and champagne.
Vale Head Back To The Vale
After two months of trophy triumph here and on the global stage, Vale Brewing are heading back to the region from which they took their name. Ahead of tomorrow's opening, Matt King chatted to them about their taphouse in McLaren Vale.
The Collaborators: Deep Liquid's AI Recipe Designs
We live in an age of unlimited limiteds in which new releases are never-ending. Into this landscape steps Deep Liquid, an artificial intelligence program that aims to use customer feedback to help brewers design and brew better beer.
Steph Howard's New Heights
She started out in the beer industry as a 20-year-old that didn't drink beer but has become one of the best-known individuals both here and in NZ. We sat down with Steph Howard as she steps into an even bigger role at Cryer Malt.
Want To Own A Bar For Free?
Want to own a bar for free? The founders of crafty Preston hangout Hard Rubbish are moving on and have decided the best way to find the right owners for their beloved Hardo is to give it away to the people with the best vision for its future.
Sobah & The Good Beer Co Coral’ate For The Reef
Sobah and The Good Beer Co have long supported important causes. Now, with their latest beer they have come together to give the Great Barrier Reef a bit of TLC.
Who Brews Yard Kings Beers?
Yard Kings Brewing Co combines brewery, taproom and smokehouse in Morriset. We got in touch with one of the five families behind the venture to find out more about their decision to enter the world of pro brewing.
