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Lockdowns, Locals & Future Mountain
As Melbourne emerges from another long lockdown, it's worth remembering how much local support has meant to many brewers. In Future Mountain's case, they've found a unique way to pay tribute to those who helped them survive.
Otherside's Anthem Named WA's Best Beer
Otherside's Anthem has been named Beer Of The Year at the WA Good Food Guide Awards. The IPA pipped Crate Digger Pale Ale from Nowhereman and Eagle Bay Brewing's Lager at an awards ceremony at Optus Stadium on Monday.
Uraidla & Heaps Normal Fly High At Drink Easy
Uraidla Brewery landed two beers in the overall top ten best Australian drinks at the second Drink Easy awards. They were joined in the best of list by Heaps Normal's Quiet XPA, flying the flag for non-alcoholic beers.
The Wild Ones: Van Dieman
The Wild Ones is a series showcasing Australian brewers creating spontaneously fermented ales. Following our launch piece last week, here we head to a farm in Tasmania to catch up with Van Dieman founder Will Tatchell.
Firies-Supporting Brewing Company Wins Brew Rocket Grant
A brewing company created to support emergency service workers has won the first Brew Rocket grant designed to reward sustainability and social responsibility. Firehouse 51 was selected by a panel put together by Craft Instinct.
The Overland Corner Hotel Flowers Anew
There have been many heartwarming and inspirational tales to come from the beer world during the pandemic, but few as colourful as this. Here's how a Sydney family went from hitting the road to a houseboat to an historic pub.
Yarragon-na Love The New Ale House
The Yarragon Ale House has been serving drinkers and homebrewers in Gippsland for 15 years. But, following a major refit it's been reinvented as a 15-tap bar and bottleshop that wouldn't be out of place in Brunswick or Collingwood.
Seltzers: Hard Sell Or Easy As?
At the start of 2020, we looked at the arrival of hard seltzers in Australia. With local producers hoping for a summer of seltzer ahead, we chatted to those making and selling them to find out how far they've come and where they're heading.
Brick Lane & O'Brien Toast World Beer Awards Success
Brick Lane and gluten free beer specialist O'Brien Beer woke to good news with both winning trophies in the World Beer Awards. Brick Lane's Revolver claimed World's Best Porter and O'Brien's Belgian Ale Best Gluten Free Beer.
BecauseWeCAN Vol.4: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stouts
The colder months tend to bring out the beasts inside brewers, beasts that often take the shape of barrel-aged imperial stouts. Here, we take a look at three of the biggest and most unusual to hit Aussie fridges this winter.
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Dr Benny's Crafty Fixes: Lockdown Loneliness
Stuck in lockdown and over Zoom events and refreshing your Instagram feed? Well, so is Dr Benny, who's here with some ideas on how to make it through to the other side – maybe with some new beer-loving mates to boot.
Help #emptythekegs
Much of Australia has faced lockdowns through 2021, making it difficult for breweries and venues to sell kegs. In response, one beer lover has launched the social media campaign #emptythekegs to help keep tap beer moving.
The Welder's Dog Pack Grows Again
Seven years on from the launch of their first craft beer bar in Armidale, The Welder's Dog team have opened a third. They've renovated the 135-year-old Oxford Hotel in Inverell, installing 20 taps and with a kitchen on the way.
Who Brews In Kalbarri?
The Finlay's name has an association with the WA coastal town of Kalbarri stretching back decades. These days, it's attached to a family-friendly brewery serving beers inspired by the region and a seafood driven menu.
The Crafty Pint's Best Of 2021 – So Far
After skipping a year due to the madness of COVID, our Best New Beers – So Far mid-year feature is back. It's a little different this time around, reflecting the changing beer landscape, and so late it's barely mid-year for that matter...
Vale On Top At Adelaide Awards
Vale Brewing claimed Champion Large Brewery and Most Outstanding Beer In Show for their Fox Hat Phat Mongrel at the 2021 Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards, which saw a large number of awards go to darker beers.
Dave Heads Deep South
Former Moo Brew head brewer Dave Macgill finally threw open the doors to his new brewpub venture this month.We called in to see what's on offer at Deep South Brewing Co as they join North Hobart's beer community.
An Elegantly Craftd Renaissance
Craftd brought stylish glassware to many beer lovers' homes. Now, the company is reborn after a pair of mates in WA bought the business from its founders and relaunched it with a new look range.
The Dark & Disgusting Minds of The Scratch
No one's ever accused the folk at The Scratch of being normal. Their festivals have cult followings, and the videos they make to promote them can be downright disgusting. We sat down with manager Becca King to find out more.
Two Birds: Ten Lessons From Ten Years
Two Birds Brewing celebrate ten years of beers in 2021, after a decade of blazing a trail through the Australian beer industry. We invited the founders of the country's first female-owned brewing company to reflect on the journey so far.
Postcards From The Edge Revisited
We hoped we wouldn't have to resurrect this series, but with most of Australia back in some form of lockdown or restrictions, we chatted to two Sydney brewers who've pivoted back into action since the weekend.
Newstead Open A Taproom At Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is the latest to take a crafty turn, with Newstead Brewing opening a taproom at the Domestic Terminal, marking another major partnership for the Queensland brewery.
Who Brews Smart Brothers Beers?
The Smart Brothers were born in England, but started brewing after moving to Australia. We chatted to them about their small batch operation on the Mornington Peninsula where they look to blend both their homes in one.
Unbridled Joy For Blasta At Perth Royal Beer Awards
Blasta continued their impeccable run at the Perth Royal Beer Awards by taking out Champion Beer for the second year running while adding Champion Large Brewery and Best IPA to their swollen trophy cabinet too.
Going Green: Brew Rocket Launches
A new grant designed to encourage new brewing companies to put an environmental and/or social enterprise focus at the heart of their business has just launched. We spoke to the woman behind Brew Rocket to find out more.
Australian International Beer Awards Winners 2021
Dollar Bill proved hugely popular winners when they took out Champion Australian Beer at the 2021 Australian International Beer Awards as the beer industry gathered en masse again after missing out in 2020.
Thinking Drinking
A trio of uni mates have been bringing skills picked up in their studies to the world of brewing. Now, after honing their talents as part of Monash Uni's Brewlab, they're releasing beers with innovation at their heart to the public.
Doors To Dunnies Part II: Meet Me At The Bar
In his ongoing mission to find out what makes a great boozer great, Luke Robertson moves from the doorway to the bar, heading back in time to Pompeii and back again to the modern era of polished timber and glazed lava.
Black Hops Go AWOL
The Gold Coast has added another notch to its brewing belt with the opening of the region's first barrel room. AWOL sits behind Black Hops' original home in Burleigh Heads and is already home to more than 100 barrels.
The Collaborators: This Is My Boomstick!
Boomstick Glassware blend a love for craft beer, pop culture and collaboration into the design of unique creations from which you can enjoy your favourite crafties. We chatted to the small team behind the project to find out more.
Who Brews Rare Bird Beers?
They've known each other for 30 years and all brewed at home before joining forces to release beers commercially as Rare Bird Brewing. We got in touch with the tiny Hurstbridge operation to find out more.
Behind Bars: The TapHouse Townsville
Some thought they'd have to put Great Northern on to survive. Nine hundred craft beers through their taps later, it looks like the TapHouse Townsville crew backed the right horse after all.
West Bestern: The Rise Of The Hopheads
The Hopheads story started in Melbourne's outer west but has been moving closer to the city ever since. Ahead of their third store opening in Yarraville, we caught up with the team to chat about the bottleshop 'n' bar's rise.
Carwyn's Forgotten Beers
The mission at Carwyn Cellars has always been focused on bringing better booze to the people and now the bottleshop and bar team has started brewing. Well, brewing again. Well, releasing beer.
Heading Out For A Few Bo Gurks
Bo Gurks is a new bar in Melbourne's southeast with a nonsense name but serious dedication to craft beer. We chatted to founder Jarred Turnbull and the team at nearby Alice Rebel's to hear how Bayside residents are embracing local.
Behind Bars: Oldfield Cellars
Behind Bars is where we get in touch with retailers across Australia to find out what's hot with them and their customers, and get their insight on the evolving beer world. Here we chat to Central Coast legends Oldfield Cellars.
Sydney Brewery Claims Top Prize At Queensland Awards
Sydney Brewery claimed yet another major trophy for one of their lagers at the 2021 Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards, taking our Grand Champion Beer for their Pilsner.
Brunswick's Booze-Free Bar
Alcohol-free alternatives to beer, wine and spirits have come a long way in recent times and soon Melburnians will have a dedicated space to try those offerings in. We got in touch with the Brunswick Aces team to find out more.
Doors To Dunnies Part I: Let Me In
What makes a great boozer great? In a unique new series, award-winning beer writer and podcaster Luke Robertson sets out to find the answer, breaking down the experience of going out in Australia in the company of experts.
Hops Without Borders
In a normal year, brewers and other beer industry people would be preparing to visit the Southern Hemisphere's hop farms for harvest. It's not a normal year, however, leading Hop Products Australia to invite guests to join them online.
Boekamp Bier Relaunches As The Albert Brewery
Boekamp Bier's sudden closure in December last year was sad news for Tassie craft drinkers and lager lovers. Now co-founder Mark French has relaunched with a new look and name but with the same dedication to lager.
Brew & A: Chase Saraiva – Wildflower
COVID-19 hit during American brewer Chase Saraiva's two-month working holiday in Australia. He's turned the situation into a good one, however, now installed as head brewer at Wildflower working with fellow expat Topher Boehm.
A Book About Beer Geeks. For Beer Geeks. By A Beer Geek
SA beer writer Matt King has just released his first book. The Chronicles of Nelson Smart: Beer Connoisseur/Geek is a novel based loosely on Matt's experiences in the Aussie craft beer world over the past decade and is out now.
Who Brews The Hard Road Way?
Hard Road Brewing might have been a new name when they opened just before COVID-19 forced their brewpub doors to close. But the Bayswater team is far from new to beer, bringing together two existing Victorian operations.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers Of 2020: The Stories
From the beer in top spot via two Queenslanders bursting into the top ten with new entries and a hazy from the Margaret River region, we chat to some of the people at breweries making waves in the 2020 poll.
Crafty Crawls: The Venues Of South West WA
The South West of WA has long been a hotspot for local breweries. These days, you won't struggle to find quality bars and bottleshops supporting the brewers of the region and further afield.
2020: The Year In Beer – ACT
It wasn't just fires and COVID-19 that hit the ACT in 2020; they had a destructive hailstorm to deal with too. Yet, while there were losses, there were great beers, comebacks and new openings too.
Crafty Crawls: Ballarat
Ballarat is a city with a fine heritage when it comes to beer and brewing. It's one that continues today, where pioneering experimentalists rub shoulders with blenders, brewpubs and classic boozers.
Who Brews In Karratha?
It's one of the most remote breweries in Australia, but after surviving year one in good shape, the team at North West Brewing in Karratha are expanding and looking forward to sending beer outside the Pilbara.
Ryefield Hops: Securing A Future
At the start of last year, the small-scale Ryefield Hops' entire harvest was destroyed by drought and the subsequent bushfires. We caught up with co-founder Jade McManus to talk about the year that was and their plans for the future.
