Episode 005: Matt & Ant From Brewski

August 22, 2024, by James Smith

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Episode 005: Matt & Ant From Brewski

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Brewski, Barleywine & Brisbane's Beautiful Beer Community


For the second week running, we found ourselves in the midst of some breaking news with our podcast guests – this time good news.

A few days before this episode went live, we heard an exciting rumour about Matt Emmerson and Antoinette Pollock from Brewski and My Beer Dealer. We gave the couple a call and, sure enough, at that very moment they were signing paperwork that will see them open a new My Beer Dealer in Fortitude Valley – one they intend to make one of the biggest drink-in bottleshops in Australia

Given the ink is still drying on their agreement, we'll wait until nearer opening – pencilled in for October – to tell the full story of the Alfred St Bar & Bottlo, but it makes for an upbeat opening to this week's episode (which is full of love and laughs anyway).

The main interview was recorded a few weeks back, with Mick Wüst and Craig Williams joining Matt and Ant at their Caxton Street venue just after they'd announced they were closing the legendary Brewski and adjoining My Beer Dealer to focus on their other bottleshops.

They reflect on the ten years-plus at the helm of one of Australia's finest craft beer venues, the rise of Brisbane's colourful beer scene, Brewsvegas, barleywine events and the emotions that come with bidding farewell to their second child.

The couple also offer insights – on creating a successful brand, how their backgrounds in marketing helped them experiment with events, creating a community, and the future of craft beer and beer-focused venues – all while sharing stories from more than ten years of beer.

Given the main recording was set up before we'd actually launched The Crafty Pint Podcast, without our producer on hand to assist with setup, and in a drink-in bottleshop, we did face a few technical challenges. As such, this show is audio-only – something that will occur on occasion – so if you've been enjoying past episodes on YouTube there's no vision with this one. There's also some inconsistency in the audio, even after Matt risked his life clambering over the My Beer Dealer fridges in an attempt to shut them off and reduce background sound as best as possible.

However, you're here for the chat and that, as you'd expect from two such legends of the industry, is as entertaining as it is enlightening.

You can find the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. And, with a few episodes under our belt, we've also created a dedicated section for The Crafty Pint Podcast on the site, as well as on the homepage.

And if you'd like one last hurrah (or a few) at Brewski, last drinks are being called on August 31.



We're keen to work with partners looking to reach new audiences and achieve their objectives in fun and creative ways. So, if you'd like to be part of the action, get in touch.

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