ipa
The Making Of A Champion Hazy
There's a lot of beer available and a lot of it's good but what separates a good beer from a great one? And what exactly goes on at beer judging? To find out, we spent three days tracing the judging of the Juicy-Hazy category and spoke to the brewer behind the overall winner to find out what makes a Champion Hazy Beer.
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.
Getting Blind With Crafty: Cold IPAs
Something a little different for our last blind tasting of 2021 as we tuck into an emerging style that's only been attempted by a small number of Aussie brewers. So, what did our panel make of the world of cold IPA?
BecauseWeCAN Vol.5: Crazy For Hazy
A hazy with no hops, another with next to no booze, and one with heaps of hops and heaps of booze... Welcome to the fifth instalment of BecauseWeCAN, our look at some of the more out there beers in Australia today.
Brewers Take A Cold Dip
Haze and DDH might be here to stay but brewers are trialling new ways to brew punchy, hoppy beers. We caught up with two Australian brewers taking cues from America to brew "dip hopped" and "cold IPAs".
Help Us Get Blind: GBW IPA Special
With the return of Good Beer Week comes the return of our Pint of Origin IPA Blind Tasting Championship. And, once again, we're inviting our lovely readers to help us choose the beers that will be on the lineup.
The Story Of: Korben
For many people, Riverside's 777 was their first taste of a quality – and fresh – West Coast style double IPA in Australia. Its successor is Akasha's Korben (née D), which keeps growing in popularity. We traced its history with the man behind it.
Fox Friday's Fantastic Foray
Fox Friday have announced major plans to expand in their home state of Tasmania and open a brewpub in Melbourne. We caught up with Benn Hooper from the hazy specialists to find out more.
2020: The Year In Beer
Well, who saw that coming? We kick off our end of 2020 coverage with a look back at some of the biggest trends and standout moments of the past twelve months.
Little Bang To Release 12,000 Hazy IPAs
Need more hazy IPA in your life? Then you're in luck as Adelaide's Little Bang are releasing 12,000 of them this December. We chatted to the lunatic behind the venture.
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Cheeky Monkey Win Inaugural WA Beer Of The Year
Cheeky Monkey's Hazy IPA claimed top spot in the inaugural WA Good Food Guide Beer Of The Year awards. The 18-months-in-the-making beer headed a top three featuring their fellow South West brewers Eagle Bay and Beerfarm.
There's A New Fox In Town
The sale of Hobart brewery Fox Friday went under the radar for most, but the hazy IPAs the new owners are producing are starting to create a stir. Dorian Broomhall caught up with the American brewer keeping hopheads happy.
Down With The Sweetness?
From pastry stouts to milkshake IPAs and fruity cream sours, there's an argument to be made for 2019 being the year of the dessert beer. Mitch Wilkins spoke to people brewing and serving them about their sugary appeal.
The Milkman Of Human Kindness
For the past century, you were only ever likely to find lactose – AKA milk sugar – in the occasional sweet stout. These days, it's cropping up everywhere. Brewer and beer scholar Chris Brady examines why.
Getting Blind With Crafty: NEIPAs
For the first time in many years of running blind tastings, we've had a brewery go back to back in top spot. In our final panel tasting of 2018, we looked at NEIPAs from breweries across Australia and here's how they fared.
The Most Importantest Beers of 2018
What's the best thing about December? No, not the impending summer holidays, the festive season or the music festivals. It's the torrent of Best Of lists. And we're getting in quick this year at The Crafty Pint.
Our Man In NZ: The Game Changer
There are plenty of far larger and higher profile beer competitions in New Zealand and Australia but, arguably, none as influential. Our Man In NZ travels back in time to trace the evolution of the annual West Coast IPA Challenge.
Brut D'état: IPA's Grand Usurper
If you've not heard of Brut IPAs yet, you soon will. The style was only born in San Francisco late in 2017 but the first Australian versions are already out. So, will this replace NEIPAs as IPA's style du jour? We chat to some of the early adopters.
Lessons From America
For years, the Australian industry has followed the lead of its American counterpart. So what can we learn from a beer culture that's far more ingrained than ours and has fought many of the battles facing local brewers and beer lovers today?
Big. Boozy. Fruity. Stoked.
When they learned their Boozy Fruit beer had taken out the People's Choice at the 2018 GABS festival, there was the odd tear in the house at Big Shed. Matt King called in to their brewery home to share a glass with co-owner Craig Basford.
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Behind Bars: Adam Lesk
It's not be that long since Adam Lesk switched working for a builder for running one of the craftiest bottleshops in Australia, but he's wasted little time becoming a guru. Already a Certified Cicerone and hunter of the world's best beers, here he offers some insight as part of our Behind Bars series.
A Fixed Abode
Fans of Fixation's IPAs have an additional reason to get excited. The award-winning brewing company is less than six months away from opening a brewpub in Collingwood. Will Ziebell finds out more from Mr Fixation, Tom Delmont.
Beer Travel: Much Ado About Pliny
Russian River Brewing Company - the home of Pliny the Elder - is one of the world's most admired breweries. Kerry McBride caught up with its owners to hear the lengths they go to so in keeping their fans sated and asks: "Will their beers ever make it to Australia?"
Brew & A: The Innovative Goat
Little did we know until recently, but a chance meeting with Alana Rees set her on the path to becoming a brewer. In a short space of time, she's gone from homebrewer to Innovation Brewer at Goat to AIBA trophy winner.
The Golden Goose: On Beer's Frontier
Goose Island's arrival in Australia represents the meeting point between the biggest of Big Beer and Australia's craft beer industry. We find out why it's a big deal and ask what it means within the rapidly evolving landscape here and globally.
Looking For New England – The Haze Craze
New England style IPAs are appearing with ever greater frequencies on these shores. Frontiersman Guy Southern dove deep into their swirling, muddy pool in the company of four local proponents to find out more.
First Among Equals
A brewery’s first beer can tell you a lot about how the owners want to present themselves, acting as a marker of what's to come. Kerry McBride chats to three brewers about the nature of what comes first, and how it sets up all that follows.
West of Centre
Just southwest of Melbourne's CBD is a small brewery producing hop forward, West Coast USA influenced beers. Will Ziebell spoke to the American expat who opened Westside Ale Works with the aim of fostering even more love for the mighty hop.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2016: Infographic
In what's becoming a time-honoured tradition, we present a breakdown of the results of the Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers poll in colourful infographic form. Complete, appropriately, with lots of hops.
Behind Bars: Joel Beresford
For our first Behind Bars interview with one of Australia's leading venue operators, we return to WA to chat with Joel Beresford. He's Perth's Mr Beer, is involved in many facets of the industry and just loves his sours.
The Crafty Pint’s Top Stories of 2016
Time for one final look back at the year in craft beer that was 2016. This time, instead of reflecting via the prism of its best new beers, we gather together some of the most read stories on the site over the past 12 months.
Best New Victorian Beers of 2016
Each year, we assemble panels of experts around the country to come up with lists of the best new releases to come out of Australian breweries in the previous 12 months. This year, we kick off in Victoria, home to the most brewing companies in the land.
BentSpoke Shifts Up A Gear
Canberra brewpub BentSpoke is getting closer to opening its second production facility. Already the canning line there is up and running. Patrick Baggoley caught up with co-founder Richard Watkins at the launch of the first two canned beers.
Mashing In Anew
As it prepares to launch into its second decade of brewing, WA's Mash is starting afresh. Inspired by one of the newest members of the brewery team, they've unveiled a new look and are set to release some of their beers in cans too.
All Change At Kooinda
After years of changing ownership, management and brewers – plus concerns over consistency – a new team at Kooinda hopes a brand refresh and the outsourcing of much brewing will see the much-loved brewery rise again.
What Drinkers Want
The biggest ever survey of Australian craft beer drinkers has been carried out by Sydney bottleshop Beer Cartel. The results of what they plan to turn into an annual survey are out today.
Events Wrap – 05.08.16
From IPA Day to birthdays, moving festivals to Oktoberfest celebrations, degustations paired with beer through to dark beer and sea shanties, August really does have it all – including the launch of the very first Crafty Cabale.
Getting Blind with Crafty: IPA (Part II)
After two sessions, we've now put 40 Australian brewed IPAs to the test. In part II, we set about blind tasting beers weighing 6.5 percent and above. And here's the results; how did your favourites fare?
Drinking In Style: IPA
In advance of publishing the results from part II of our IPA blind tasting, our Resident Beer Scholar returns with a look at the style. Busting myths and telling the IPA's tale from the 18th century through to today's frenzied hop obsession.
Best Beers of 2016 – So Far
We're not big fans of lists here at Crafty Towers, but with so many new beers released every week we felt we'd make an exception to take stock midway through 2016. We asked contributors to nominate their best new brews and here are the top picks.
Getting Blind With Crafty: IPA (Part I)
It's been a while, but our blind tastings are back. And, having punished panelists with some less than thrilling lineups previously, here we tackle flavour of the month IPA. With so many now available, we're splitting the tasting over two panels.
Ocho's Online Brewery
The flurry of new brewing companies opening in Tasmania continues apace. Yet it's fair to say that Ocho stands out. Not just because it opened with a barrel-aged saison, but because its means of getting beer to punters is rather unusual.
Fixated On IPA
Australia is set to get its first IPA brewing company. Fixation is a new venture between the Stone & Wood Group and IPA-loving former Mountain Goat rep, Melbourne beer legend Tom Delmont, that will release nothing but India Pale Ales.
40 Acres Brewing
His working life as a Navy electrician has taken him to China, Vietnam, Malaysia and China again. But, following a holiday on the Murray, Trevor Mitchell has planted his family on land in Central Victoria and turned 25 years of home brewing nous into 40 Acres Brewing.
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.
Brew & A: Hendo from BrewCult
The latest to take the hot seat for our Brew & A grilling is Hendo from BrewCult, who tells us what got him started, what he loves and what's important.
Fox On The Loose
Vale Brewing has launched a second label, the tittersomely titled Fox Hat Brewing, as the place for head brewer Jeff Wright to cut loose with his beery theories.
Getting Into The Spirit
Marrickville's Batch Brewing Company has teamed up with Rosebery spirit producer Archie Rose to create a rye IPA and a rye spirit distilled from the same beer.
Getting Blind With Crafty: XPA / Session IPA
For our first Blind Tasting of 2015, we assembled a panel of beer lovers, experts and brewers to assess XPAs and session IPAs, two hot-right-now "styles".
Getting Blind With Crafty: IPAs
After a couple of lager-centric panels to kick off what are now monthly Blind Tasting Panels, the third showdown saw a sharp shift in direction into the beer style that is probably closest to the hearts…
