vic
The Best Of Beer 2023: Victoria
It's time to kick off our annual jaunt around Australia to see who and what has stood out from the crowd in 2023. We start in Victoria with a selection of standout moments, beers, breweries and bars.
More Grant Assistance For Victorian Producers
Victorian breweries and other craft producers have until March 26, 2021, to apply for up to $15,000 in grants from the state government's "Small-scale and Craft Program" to develop their business operations.
2020: The Year In Beer – Victoria
It might have been a year to forget in many ways, yet there was still plenty to admire and celebrate in Victoria's beer scene in 2020. Join us as we try to make sense of the madness.
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.
More Good News For Victoria's Brewers
The day after they were able to open for the first time since July, Victoria's brewers have received more good news by the state government. Those with producer's licenses are now eligible for the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund.
Postcards from the Edge No.58: #ShoutAVicADrink
With Melbourne's venues finally set to open as restrictions ease significantly across Victoria, the team at an Armadale bar and bottleshop have launched a campaign enabling people to shout people exiting lockdown a drink.
Postcards from the Edge No.12: The Beer Essentials
Fancy saying thanks to the essential workers helping us get through the COVID-19 pandemic? A new campaign, A Good Beer Always Helps, offers you the chance to do just that while supporting craft brewers too.
Boston Come To Town
Great Southern brewery Boston today open the doors of their new Vic Park outpost. The Perth venue will help them reach more customers in the city and offer a wider range of their beers than found anywhere else.
From The Country To The City
It's challenging gaining a foothold in Melbourne for any brewer or small producer these days, and it's tougher still if you're based in the regions. New venture FROM the Collective hopes to change that by bringing the country to Carlton.
Wolf of the Willows To Open A Brewery In 2020
Melbourne-based brewing company Wolf of the Willows are to open their own brewery and taproom in Mordialloc. They hope to open their new operation early in 2020.
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Three Cheers For Shepparton
Shepparton is a regional Victorian city that hasn't had its own brewery for a hundred years. So what will it look like now three new breweries are set to come to town within 12 months of each other?
Crafty Crawls: Geelong
Unlike many of the previous Crafty Crawls we've run, this one requires you to cover a little more distance to complete. But it's worth the effort as Geelong's fledgling craft beer scene is becoming a fun one to explore.
Who Brews As Paper Scissors Rock?
Breweries have been popping up in small tourist towns across Australia for years. Thanks to Paper Scissors Rock, anyone visiting Victoria's Halls Gaps can now enjoy a local beer while in The Grampians too.
Best New Victorian Beers Of 2018
It's been another monstrous year for beer in Victoria, with more breweries launching, more beers in more styles released than ever before and competition fierce as anything. Here, we try to cut through the noise and highlight some standout beers.
The Winemaker, The Chef & The Brewer
Victor's Place is a brewery, winery and kitchen that represents the realisation of a dream for three mates. Matt King called into the rustic McLaren Vale venue to catch up with one of the owners to find out more.
Aussie Exports: Cristal Peck – Parasite Produktions
If you picked up some cans of Wolf Of The Willow's third Acidulus release, you've experienced a little bit of Berlin's Parasite Produktions. Formed by an American-Australian couple and focused on experimenting with booze, here's the Aussie half, Cristal Peck, to tell us more.
Who Brews Mitta Mitta Beers?
The town of Mitta Mitta, in Victoria’s northeast, is a place better know for dairy farms and outdoor pursuits. But now it's got a brewery too so we asked founder and brewer Tim Cabelka to join us for the latest in our Who Brews? series.
Who Brews Jetty Road Beers?
Towards the end of last year the Mornington Peninsula gained another two new breweries. Blake Bowden is the head brewer of Jetty Road, which launched with a contract brewed pale ale and has just opened its own venue in Dromana.
Best New Victorian Beers Of 2017
It's the state with the most brewing companies in Australia, which means there were plenty of new beers to taste in 2017. So, we cast our net wider than ever before seeking input before getting our panel together to select ten of the very best new Victorian releases of the year.
Who Brews At The Mill?
At the start of 217, The Mill Brewery opened its doors in Collingwood for the first time, joining the suburb's ever expanding craft community. As the year draws to a close, The Crafty Pint called in for a chat with the brewery's founder, Mirek Aldridge.
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Brew & A: Wilson Hede of Two Birds
He may not be a "bird", but Two Birds head brewer Wilson Hede has certainly played an important part in helping the Spotswood brewery stretch its wings. Here, he shares his brewing tips and insights as part of our Brew & A series.
Who Brews Hack Beers?
One of the original founders of Kooinda is back in the beer game with three mates. Together, the foursome go by the name Hack Brewing and have so far brought out one beer: the Golden Ale.
Holgate's Bloody Big Endeavour
Before Paul Holgate sat down to chat about the sizeable expansion his brewery is undertaking, he said something to Kerry McBride that was immediately apparent on entering the new space. “It’s bloody big, isn’t it?” He wasn’t lying.
Foreign Import
It's not unusual for you startup breweries to seek advice from experts. They don't often fly them in from the other side of the world, however. Will Ziebell meets the former Pilsner Urquell brewer assisting the team at Brunswick's Foreigner.
Brewing Up Excellence
The Victorian State Government recently announced it was contributing half a million dollars towards the development of a Centre of Excellence for beer in Ballarat. Will Ziebell finds out more from the man driving the project.
1,000 Brews And Counting
Mornington Peninsula Brewery recently brewed the 1,000th batch of beer at its original site. So we chatted to the man at the helm for them all, a brewer who's been making beer since the early days of Mountain Goat.
Two Birds II
Today sees Two Birds Brewing founders Jayne Lewis and Danielle Allen celebrating the completion of their journey from contract brewers to fully self-sufficient brewery owners. They're marking it with a new beer and new look too.
Beer Travel: High Country Part II
Earlier this week, we ran the first part of Kerry McBride's jaunt through the Victorian High Country, calling in on the members of the region's Brewery Trail. Today, she completes the trip at three more breweries.
Beer Travel: High Country Part I
The High Country Brewery Trail has expanded to stretch hundreds of kilometres and include seven breweries. Over the course of a three day weekend, Kerry McBride stopped in at each and every one.
Brew & A: Greg Mace – The Craft & Co
It's Waitangi Day and the first ever Hottest 100 Kiwi Craft Beers countdown too. So it feels like as good a time as any to run our Brew & A with Greg Mace, a Kiwi brewer who now plies his trade in Melbourne.
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.
Tour de Brew
You don’t have to look far to find a beer lover who also spends a fair bit of their time in the bike saddle, especially in Victoria. Kerry McBride speaks to three Victorian breweries helping keep the state’s cyclists well hydrated about the bonds between the two worlds.
Who Brews as Mr Banks?
The Mornington Peninsula is becoming quite the craft beer destination and the ranks are swelling again as new kids on the block Mr Banks Brewing Co set up shop in Seaford. Meet them in our latest Who Brews...? feature.
A Grave You Can Dig
Sailors Grave is a brewery breathing fresh life into the historic former butter factory in Orbost. Its core range includes a gose featuring locally harvested seaweed and its beers will start hitting Melbourne this month.
The Story Of: Bridge Road Brewers Chevalier Saison
It's Australia's longest brewed saison, a style that's becoming increasingly popular, and continues to charm drinkers and judges alike. Will Ziebell brings us the story behind Bridge Road's Chevalier Saison.
Who Brews Valhalla Beers?
For our latest Who Brews...? feature, we head to the Surf Coast where crowd-funding helped Valhalla get off the ground. Their second release is coming soon, while are plans for a taproom on the coast too.
Who Brews Australia's Highest Beers?
If there's one brewery above all others that won't be struggling to keep its beers chilled this winter it's Blizzard. "Australia's highest brewery" opened in the Victorian alps in March, brewing next to a Dinner Plain ski lift.
By The Power Of Dainton
It's been a long time coming for Dainton Family Brewery but they're close to brewing in their own brewery. As they celebrated, Kerry McBride sat down with Dan Dainton and father Kevin to chat about the winding road that led them to Carrum Downs.
The Past, Present & Future Is Bright
Today sees Bright Brewery mark ten years since they first opened the doors of their brewery site in the Victorian High Country. Much has changed – and is changing – so we fired some questions at co-founder, and still owner, Scott Brandon.
The Latest Dozen
Each time we've added another dozen breweries, venues and bottleshops to our directory, we like to gather them in one place so you know they're there. So here's 12 new listings featuring good beer folks from Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
The Northside Busts Out Another Newie
Melbourne's northside is set to welcome another brewpub. Hot on the heels of Stomping Ground's pre-opening shindig on the opening weekend of Good Beer Week, Bodriggy in Abbotsford is hosting a gig in the former mechanics it will one day call home.
Breaking New Ground
The irrepressible trailblazers behind The Local Taphouses and GABS are adding another string to their bow. Later this year, they open Stomping Ground Brewery in Collingwood. Before then, you can have a sneak peek during Good Beer Week.
2 Brothers 2.0
Melbourne's southeast may be turning into a hub for microbreweries these days, but it was 2 Brothers who were first to set up stall there. With their Beer Hall just redesigned and expanded, we called in to find out what else is new.
Surfing A Rogue Wave
The beer choices along Victoria's Surf Coast are unrecognisable from a few years ago, with many of the beers appearing on tap and in fridges coming from breweries that call the region home. Among them is Aireys' Inlet's Rogue Wave.
Colonising the East
When asked to forecast five breweries to watch out for in 2016 for James Halliday's Wine Companion magazine, we included Colonial. The WA brewery has long had the potential to explode; its new Eastern outpost should see that happen.
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.
'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.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2015: The New Kids
Among the winners in yesterday's Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2015 countdown were three breweries new to the list in 2015. Pirate Life and Hawkers Beer both launched in 2015, while Big Shed came in with three entries. We spoke to them all.
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.
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?
