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AMSAT: Adelaide's New, Locally-Focused Maltster
AMSAT Character Malts is a new malting company based in South Australia which has just launched a range of specialty malts for craft brewers and distillers. But it's also steeped in malting history.
The Hop Selectors: Harvest Time In The Pacific Northwest
Some of Australia and New Zealand's top brewers have been in the US, touring hop regions and selecting the hops they reckon will work best in their upcoming beers. We chatted to two of them on their return.
Beer Travel: Denver's RiNo District
The Denver Nuggets waited a long time to become NBA champs but you don't have to wait long - or travel far - to find excellent beer in the Mile High City. Join Will Ziebell for a stroll through the city's RiNo district, soaking in the local beer.
Ziebs' Final Letter From America
In the last of his Letters From America, posted as he awaited a boarding call in LAX, Will Ziebell reflects on a few days spent exploring the breweries of San Diego on a hunt for the perfect West Coast IPA.
Who Brews Hiker Beers?
A celebration of the great outdoors, beers ranging from Scottish light ale to highly-rated hazy IPA, and a big airy venue with a place for everyone. Meet Hiker Brewing Concern in this instalment of our Who Brews...? series.
Who Brews Tiny Fish Beers?
When demand for his homebrew started to outstrip the rate at which he could make it, Brett Whiting decided it was time to step up. So he launched Tiny Fish, bringing a bunch of the mates who'd been enjoying his homebrew along for the ride.
Spicy, Beery & Barrelicious
Craft beer and hot sauce share a surprisingly close bond and now one former head brewer has collaborated with his old workplace to break the barrier down further. Check out The Village Pickle's collaboration with Brisbane Brewing Co.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
Who Brews Ursa Major Beer?
Ursa Major is only visible in the Northern Hemisphere but the brewing company bearing the name brew their "otherworldly beer" in Australia. The founders are global brewers, who met in another city and still make beer from two bases.
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.
Stomping Ground Bought By Good Drinks
Good Drinks, the company that includes beer brands such as Gage Roads, Atomic and Matso's, has bought Stomping Ground. The 100 percent acquisition sees the ASX-listed company expand its portfolio and establish a foothold in Victorian.
Little Bang Bought By SA Pub Group
What one of the brewery's founders called "the worst-kept secret in South Australia" is no longer secret. The fast-growing Duxton Pubs Group has bought Little Bang Brewing in a move that sees a highly-rated SA brewer join the Stepney business too.
Catchment Buy Fellow QLD Brewery Fortitude
Catchment Brewing have acquired Fortitude Brewing Co and their offshoot brand Noisy Minor as part of ambitious future growth plans. The West End-based operation is targeting ten venues and more brewery brands.
Sam Sets Sails For Bali
One of Australia's best-known and most-awarded brewers is setting sail on a new adventure. Sam Füss is off to Bali to become chief brewer at Beaches Brewing Co Bali, where she hopes to help develop the exciting young beer scene.
Ministry Of Beer Welcomes A New Congregation
In five years, Brett Reimann has gone from brewing with a single barrel in a shed on his farm to opening an impressive cellar door in the Barossa Valley. Matt King called in to sample from its 16 taps.
The Lord Nelson Set For Sale
For the first time in 35 years, Sydney's Lord Nelson is up for sale. We caught up with Blair Hayden, the man who turned it into a brewpub in the 80s, to find out what's next for him and one of the country's most iconic pubs.
Feral To Be Sold As Coca-Cola Exit The Beer Market
Just days after we reported one of Feral's original founders was to buy back the brewpub where the brand started comes the news the brand is to be sold. Owners Coca-Cola EuroPacific Partners (CCEP) have decided to exit the beer market in Australia.
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The Big Sale: Is It A Big Deal?
Last week's announcement that Stone & Wood's founders had agreed to sell their business to Lion sent shockwaves through the industry. But, as the dust settles, what has really changed for indie brewers and those who buy indie beer?
Lion Buys Stone & Wood
In news that will send shockwaves through the local beer community, Lion have today confirmed the acquisition of Stone & Wood as well as associated brands in the Fermentum Group, including Fixation and Two Birds.
Fermentum To Lion: The Founders' Tale
Following the sale of the Fermentum Group to Lion, we chatted to co-founders Ross Jurisich and Jamie Cook to get more on how they reached this point.
Beer Basics: Waters Ain't Waters
It might seem like the most mundane of beer's four main ingredients, yet in his latest Beer Basics guide to the world of beer and brewing, Molly Rose founder Nic Sandery argues it's one of the key elements that turns a good beer into a great one.
Mighty Craft To Buy Mismatch In $47m Deal
Mighty Craft continue to snap up craft breweries and other alcoholic beverages, today announcing plans to acquire the Adelaide Hills Group, which includes Mismatch Brewing, in a $47m buyout.
Her Story
The craft beer industry likes to hold itself to high standards, yet sexist behaviours and attitudes persist. Here, a woman raped by a brewer after a beer event tells her story and calls for impactful and lasting change.
Our Story
In this companion piece to Her Story, we examine what needs to happen on an individual, societal, workplace and industry scale to tackle the issues of sexism, sexual assault and gender inequality.
Who Brews SixTwelve Beers?
SixTwelve Brewing was opened in late 2020 by husband and wife team Brad and Alle Reid. We got in touch to find out more about the brewpub operation for our long-running Who Brews...? series.
Ballistic Add To Their Arsenal
Ballistic Beer have welcomed two more brewpubs into their family, with the announcement the Queensland brewery has bought The Whitsunday Island Brewing Company in Airlie Beach and Bargara Brewing in Bundaberg.
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.
Who Brews At Snapper Point?
Why do you brew? "I love drinking beer." We got in touch with the man behind tiny SA brewing company Snapper Point to find out why he decided to make the move from homebrewing to pro brewing.
Who Blends Sobremesa Beers?
At the end of 2020, Casey Grieve and Hannah McErlane released the first farmhouse style release as Sobremesa Fermentary & Blendery. We caught up with the couple to talk about their vision for the new brewing company.
Two Birds Bought By Fermentum
Two Birds have been acquired by Fermentum, the parent company of Stone & Wood and Fixation, among others. It comes ten years after founders Jayne Lewis decided to form Australia's first female-owned brewing company.
2020: The Year In Beer – SA
Despite the bushfires and the pandemic, SA's craft beer industry continued to grow in 2020. With the support of dozens of industry experts, here's Matt King with his look at the year in beer in South Australia.
Dark Emu – Telling Stories With Beer
Sailors Grave are among the country's most avid and adventurous collaborators and harvesters of all things local to East Gippsland. But the Orbost brewery's latest collab really gets to the heart of the brewery.
Postcards from the Edge No.55: Check Yourself
Venues across the country have implemented COVID-Safe plans to let punters inside and now the Night Time Industries Association is calling on customers to do their part too.
Crafty Crawls: The Barossa
It's known globally for its wine, but over the years the offering from local breweries has grown. With a few venues supporting local beer and even a craft maltster in the region, the Barossa has plenty to offer beer tourist now too.
Beer Basics: Malt, Malt, Malt
A couple of years back, we launched a new series aiming to teach people about the basics of beer and brewing. It slipped through the cracks but is now back, ready to boost your beer knowledge and enjoyment.
Postcards from the Edge No.44: The Million Dollar Tip Jar
As soon as Lockdown Mk II hit, the team behind Tip Jar, a fund launched to support the hospitality sector, ramped up their efforts again. We chatted to them about their fundraising beer and cocktail and hopes for the future.
High Sobriety
As Dry July kicks off, we look at the rise of alcohol-free beers: how a new yeast strain is helping brewers create them affordably, the challenges involved in brewing them, and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Who Brews In The Slow Lane?
While living in the US, Alex Jarman quit the corporate life to start working at San Francisco breweries. Now he and wife Yvonne are making yeast-driven European ales at a small brewery around the corner from One Drop in Botany.
Postcards from the Edge No.8: Sanitation For The Nation
Brewers and distillers across the country have been switching production in recent weeks to help meet the country's need for more hand sanitiser.
Who Brews Sausage Queen Beers?
Killer snags, boss beers and mid-period Madonna... Judd Owen caught up with Chrissy Flanagan, the self-anointed Sausage Queen of Australia who also runs a brewing company of the same name (and a record label for good measure).
All Hands Changes Hands
All Hands Brewing House claimed the Champion Brewpub title at the 2019 Indies. And now it's become the latest brewery to change hands with Signature adding it to a portfolio that includes TGI Fridays and Foresters in Brisbane.
Mornington Peninsula’s New Old Brewery
Less than eighteen months after selling the business to Tribe Breweries, Mornington Peninsula Brewery founder Matt Bebe is back where he started – and with a new brewery and distillery on the way too.
Open For Business
Many businesses in tourist regions have been impacted badly by the current fire season. Mat from CanBEERra has compiled a list of breweries and supporting retailers in the wider Canberra region open and eager for visitors.
Unfinished Mead Business
Having moved from beer writing to brewing, Willie Simpson is planning another change of tack as he turns 70: a return to mead. And kayaking. And sourdough baking. And astronomy. And...
Best New SA Beers Of 2019
There are close to 70 brewing companies in SA now, and around 250 new beers were released in 2019. Matt King pulled together the thoughts of experts from across the state to compile our Best New SA Beers Of 2019 feature.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Sam Füss
If you've been involved in the local beer industry over the past decade or two, you'll have a story or three to tell involving Sam Füss. The multiple trophy-winning brewer from Philter joins us for day 19 of out Advent Calendar.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Stephen Nelsen
Stephen Nelsen has been integral to the rise of the craft brewing industry in his home state of SA and his influence crosses state lines too. We spoke to the former Brewboy for day eight of our end-of-decade Adventy Calendar.
