Articles by Will Ziebell
Under Pressure: A Perfect Storm Brewing For Beer
Today's excise tax hike completes the biggest financial year rise in decades, yet it's just one of myriad pressures on the local industry. We examine the "perfect storm" engulfing a beer world facing a fourth straight year of harsh challenges.
Who Brews & Blends Barrel Shepherd Beers?
Wollongong has always been a manufacturing city but these days it feels like much of that production is beer. The Barrel Shepherd has joined the city's thriving beer scene, bringing with it a unique tale and love for barrels, local fruit and yeast.
Crowdfunded Brewery Future Magic Opens Today
The Future Magic team open the doors to their Brisbane brewery today. They launched their operation on the back of a crowdfunding campaign, so we chatted with co-founder Sean Astill to find out more about their approach.
Going Green: Bearhug Pallet Wrap
Plastic is often a necessary evil in the beer world: it can help keep beer safe but often ends up in landfill. It's an issue being tackled by Bearhug Pallet Wrap, a startup looking to move beer safely while cutting out single-use plastic.
Spotty Dog's Hobart Home Is Here At Last
It's been a long road for Spotty Dog but the Tassie brewers who launched their first beer in 2016 finally have a home in Hobart. Co-founder Klimt Donohoe told us all about their new venue and what beer lovers can expect.
A Cold Change Hits WA's Beer Scene
For the last five years, WA's craft beer industry has been serviced by the cold chain logistics offered by Growler Depot and Beer Caddie. With the former acquiring the latter, we caught up with the people behind both to find out more.
Akasha Aim To Open A Newcastle Brewpub
Not content with opening one new venue in 2022, Akasha have seen off the year by acquiring The Edwards in Newcastle. We chatted to founder Dave Akasha about the purchase and their plans to install a brewery.
The Best Of Beer 2022: Victoria
It's been a funny old year in Victoria, with pioneers looking to exit the industry and many more battered from all sides. But there's been a whole lot of good beer and beautiful moments too; here we take a look at what stood out.
Your Mates To Open A Bowlo in 2023
Your Mates have already enjoyed an impressive 2022 and, as they year draws to a close, they've got one more major announcement up their sleeve. They're set to open a bowls club of their own in 2023 in the town of Cooroy.
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.
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Beer Cartel To Be Online Only In 2023
Beer Cartel are closing their physical store in Sydney at the start of next year, with the popular beer retailer deciding to move their operation entirely online. We spoke to co-founder Richard Kelsey about the decision and their future plans.
Capital Brewing: Five Years In Five Beers
It's been an impressive 2022 for Capital. Their green credentials have shone brightly and it also marks five years since their Fyshwick brewery opened. To mark the milestone, we invited them to head down Memory Lane.
The Collaborators: Beer Fans
Branded t-shirts, hats and hoodies have become a major part of craft beer. But when you've got beer to make, merch isn't always at the top of your to-do list. Enter Beer Fans: a business built to make beer merch easier.
Phantasm: The Ghost Coming To Your Beer
Hops and their vibrant aromatics create much excitement among beer fans but a ghostly new flavour is attracting attention among brewers. That ghost is Phantasm, so we chatted to the man behind it and one of the first local brewers to try it.
Pirate Life To Open South Melbourne Venue
Pirate Life are opening a venue in South Melbourne next year. It will be Pirate Life's first home on Australia's east coast, located near the iconic South Melbourne Market, and is set to pour beers from their Port Adelaide home.
The Suburban Brew Open Their Second Taproom Today
Adelaide's beer drinkers can walk into a new brewery built by familiar faces from today as The Suburban Brew open a second home in the 'burbs. Before they swung open the doors in Glynde, we got in touch for a chat.
Moon Dog Plan To Take Over Franco Cozzo Footscray
Moon Dog plan to build a new home in Melbourne's most iconic furniture store, with the brewery submitting an application to redevelop Franco Cozzo in Footscray. We chatted with cofounder Karl van Buuren to find out more.
Brew & A: Carla Naismith
Brewing isn't a career many chose while in school and, while Carla Naismith is no different, she soon discovered a passion for the industry she's never been able to shake. We invited Shapeshifter's senior brewer to join us for a Brew & A.
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 Dusty Lizard Beers?
Dusty Lizard opened in Wollongong in later 2020 and, while their taproom has proved a hit, the runaway star has been Dustin the lizard. He was too busy to chat, so ahead of their second birthday we chatted to the founders instead.
Who Brews Cold Hands Beers?
The crew behind Cold Hands Brewing only started brewing together in February but they've wasted no time launching with their first commercial release out in September. We got in touch to hear how they brought it all together.
Bonza Airlines Will Take Flight With All Indie Beer
Bonza Airlines are a new low-cost airline set to launch in the near future but when they do, its beer and food offering won't look all that low-cost. Instead, they'll be stocking entirely indie beer from the likes of Your Mates, Ballistic and Spinifex.
Tar Barrel: Old Dog, New Tricks
After three years, the links between Tar Barrel and Mornington Peninsula Brewery are no more. As owner Matt Bebe makes a fresh start where he began, we chatted to him about staying local and the lessons learnt along the way.
Wild Yeast Zoo
Wild beers are the oldest form of brewing and still capture a certain romance. Stepping into that fray is Wild Yeast Zoo, a Newcastle-based venture that hopes to uncover new yeast strains of yeast and bring the public along for the journey.
The Keys To A Good Time – Yours From Today
The Keys Leisure Centre could well be Melbourne's most multifaceted venue, with the Preston haunt including a bowling alley, arcade, bistro, beer garden and three bars. As it opens, we chatted to one of the founders.
Big Shed: Ten Lessons From Ten Years
Big Shed's story is the quintessential craft beer tale of two homebrewers taking a chance on themselves and their beers. As they celebrate a decade since launching, we asked Jason and Craig what they've learnt over the years.
A Day In The Life Of: A Beer Steward
Ahead of the 2022 Indies awards, we went behind the scenes at judging. While there, Will Ziebell spent time with Joslyn Erickson, the Indies Coordinator, to find out who and what goes into becoming a beer awards steward.
The Beer Slingers: Bobbie Peels
After years running various hospo businesses, including launching Burnley Brewing, old mates Phil Gijsbers and Neil Mills have their first pub. With renos complete at the historic Bobbie Peels, we invited them to kick off a new series.
Jarrah Boy Brings Native Ingredients To The Fore
A new Sunshine Coast-based brewing company showcasing native ingredients is set to launch later this month. Jarrah Boy is the latest venture from Dale Vocale, an Indigenous chef, entrepreneur and proud Monero Ngarigo man.
Exit Australian Brewery. Enter Esker Beer Co
The Australian Hotel & Brewery is entering a new era with the launch of Esker Beer Company. The new name and design was picked to better connect the longstanding brewery with their surrounds in Sydney's outer northwest.
The Spirit Of Oztoberfest
Oktoberfest celebrations have long been a fixture in the beer calendar but 2022 has seen such events go into overdrive. We chatted to some of those behind the feast of fests to find out what they love about this time of year.
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.
Du Cane's Brewery & Dining Hall Launches In Launceston
Launceston will have a brewpub of its own from this week as Du Cane Brewery & Dining Hall opens its doors. We chatted to founder Will Horan about what beer fans can expect from the space and his new partnership.
Who Brews Squinters Beers?
A squinter is someone who lives in Western Sydney and drives into the city early morning looking at the sun, only to face the same fate on the way home. That reality has inspired Penrith's newest brewery, Squinters Brewing Co.
Brick Lane Join The B Corp Brigade
Brick Lane Brewing have joined the tiny but growing number of Australian breweries with B Corp certification. The accreditation can only be achieved by businesses whose environmental and social actions meet a high standard.
The Collaborators: South West Hops
It's not just the brewing scene that's expanding apace in WA's South West – there's a growing number of local producers supplying brewers too. Among them is South West Hops, who significantly stepped up their output in 2022.
Brew & A: Reckless Brewing's Grace Fowler
Reckless have brought local beer back to Bathurst and leading the way is co-founder Grace Fowler. We caught up with the longtime brewer to hear how she went from a "baptism of fire" to head brewer of her own operation.
Steph Howard's New Heights
She started out in the beer industry as a 20-year-old that didn't drink beer but has become one of the best-known individuals both here and in NZ. We sat down with Steph Howard as she steps into an even bigger role at Cryer Malt.
The Collaborators: Chilled Solutions
Chilled Solutions are dedicated to helping bartenders pour perfect pints but their essential role tends to be hidden from beer drinkers. We caught up with the founders of the small Melbourne business to find out why they launched and how they become the beer techs of choice for indie bars and breweries.
Capital Become A B Corp Business
Capital Brewing have secured B Corp accreditation, making them just one of three Australian brewing companies to secure the status in acknowledgement of their positive social and environmental impact.
Want To Own A Bar For Free?
Want to own a bar for free? The founders of crafty Preston hangout Hard Rubbish are moving on and have decided the best way to find the right owners for their beloved Hardo is to give it away to the people with the best vision for its future.
Hops 'n' Robbers
It's not uncommon for brewpubs to have a stack of games for anyone looking to settle in but no there's a card game with breweries at its heart. We caught up with the creators of Hops ‘n’ Robbers to find out more.
HPA Invest In Major New Pellet Plant
The country's largest hop grower is investing in a major pelleting plant in Victoria which will allow them to keep up with their expanding farm capacity. Hop Products Australia also believe it will provide more consistent hops for brewers.
Sobah & The Good Beer Co Coral’ate For The Reef
Sobah and The Good Beer Co have long supported important causes. Now, with their latest beer they have come together to give the Great Barrier Reef a bit of TLC.
Curly Lewis Bring Brewing To Bondi
Sydney's west is bursting at the seams with breweries yet the city's inner east hasn't enjoyed the same beer boom. That looks set to change, however, with Curly Lewis about to open the doors to their Bondi Beach brewery and bar.
$6m Lager Brewery To Open In SE Queensland
South East Queensland will welcome a lager brewery next year when Perentie Brewing opens in the Distillery Road Market precinct. Although it's new, there are some experienced hands involved in the six million venture too.
Valhalla To Open A Brewery In Geelong
Valhalla Brewing have spent six years making beer without a home of their own. That's set to change in March next year, now that owner Scott Hunt has signed a lease on a space in North Geelong’s Federal Woollen Mills precinct.
2022: Craft Beer's Strangest Year Yet?
Lockdowns are a thing of the past yet 2022 is proving to be another grim year for many in the beer industry. We ask why, and look at what can be done to ensure better days lie ahead.
Who Brews On King Island?
King Island is rugged and isolated but, just like a growing number of small communities, it's also home to a brewery. We caught up with the family behind King Island Brewhouse to find out about living and making beer in the Bass Strait.
The Story Of: Lark Imperial JSP
It's not hard to find barrel-aged beers in winter but Wolf of the Willows' Lark Imperial JSP still manages to stand out. As brewer and distiller celebrate the fifth vintage of their collaboration, we take a deep dive with Wolf co-founder Scott McKinnon.
