News & Feature Stories

On The Frontline Of Online

Since venues shut down, there's been a flurry of new startups looking to offer new marketplace solutions. Will Ziebell spoke to three businesses – one that was already in the works – about their plans for the pandemic.

Postcards from the Edge No 25: Help Yourself

The impact of COVID-19 has left many beer businesses striving to adapt. As part of the #keepinglocalalive campaign, brand designer Jessie Jungalwalla is pulling together a panel of experts to help guide people through.

Postcards from the Edge No.24: Grain Re-Store-d

After a short break to take stock, the Grain Store team leapt back into action last month as a takeaway and home delivery service. They've even reimagined their legendary beergustations for Novocastrians to enjoy at home.

Show Us Your Swag!

The beer community is about much more than beer and the people that brew, sell and celebrate it. There's a whole world of beer swag out there and the Keeping Local Alive campaign has created a day in which we can all show it off.

Postcards from the Edge No.23: IsoMateship

Staying connected with friends and family during these challenging times is crucial. And, as we approach May 8 – Mate Day to many – there are beer businesses doing what they can to facilitate this and support people's wellbeing.

Postcards from the Edge No.22: Have A Beer Together

Plenty of beer businesses have been connecting with their fans online since venues were shutdown. And a new YouTube channel launched the day after they closed has been bringing a variety of shows to isolated beer fans too.

The Growler Renaissance

People have come up with many new concepts as they attempt to navigate the COVID-19 crisis. But it's a rather older one that's been helping keep many businesses afloat and our drains free of delicious draught beer.

Who Brews 7th Day Beers?

It all started with the hunt for a good craft pilsner and grew from there. From footy dads in a garage to a crowdfunding campaign to a brewery in Brookvale, you have to ask: Who Brews 7th Day beers?

Postcards from the Edge No.21: Crafting New Connections

After an epic and brewery-filled road trip with her partner and their dog, Ziggy, Erin Skubiski launched Crafted Connections with the aim of connecting regional brewers with venues. Then venues closed...

Postcards from the Edge No.20: All Together Now

Just months on from the global Resilence Beer project in support of bushfire-impacted communities, brewers around the world are rallying again to support hospo workers hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Black Bad Boy Bao 2024 B
Pickled OnMarket
Postcards from the Edge No.19: Green Lighted District

They're involved in brewing companies, distribution and venues and, in time for Easter weekend, the Drysdales and Canevas opened District Bottle Store in Pascoe Vale. We spoke to Joel about his ups and downs during the pandemic.

Brew & A: Ash Hazell

He started homebrewing at 17 before cleaning kegs at Little Creatures followed by a stint with Barrow Boys led to the head brewer role at one of the biggest craft breweries in the land. Here's Ash Hazell to tell us more.

Postcards from the Edge No.18: From Menulog To Menudog

If you live around Carlton North you may have seen an unusual form of home delivery service in recent weeks. The Great Northern team have been sending beer and food out via their security dog and barman on skateboard...

Who Brews Bondi Beers?

Beach Beer Bondi appeared as if from nowhere to land at 46 in the GABS Hottest 100 of 2019. Many beer drinkers hadn't heard much about them so we caught up with founder Paul Parks to ask Who Brews Bondi Beers?

Postcards from the Edge No.17: Winston's Winners

The Winston name is one that shares a close connection to craft beer in Tasmania and, while the North Hobart pub might be temporarily shut, Winston Cellars has opened with some slightly serendipitous timing.

Brewer Be-Guiled

Since launching his first book on historical homebrewing recipes, Peter Symons has continued scouring the world for more. As he returns with Guile Brews, we got in touch to find out where his research took him this time.

Postcards from the Edge No.16: Isolation Degustation

Many beer venues aren't just sending beer and food home through the shutdown, but looking to have fun with it, from "Isolation Degustations" in South Brisbane to classic pub Daily Deals in Port Melbourne.

Postcards from the Edge No.15: Pandemic Punch

Many brewers have been left with returned or no longer needed kegs of beer thanks to the pandemic. At Dainton, they decided to blend a bunch of their orphan kegs to create two new beers, Pandemic Punch and Rye-solation.

Who Brews Blackflag Beers?

Launching a brewery as the country is about to be hit by a pandemic isn't ideal, but the team behind Mooloolaba's Blackflag have been taking stock while continuing to knock out beers and sling cases from their hole-in-the-wall.

A Keeping Local Alive Easter Message

The message at the heart of the #keepinglocalalive campaign is simple. As we enter what will be a very strange Easter weekend, here's the Australian beer community to remind us why is matters.

Postcards from the Edge No.14: The Chain Gang

While none of us know what the beer and hospo scene will look like once measures to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic are over, two Melbourne breweries are eager to support the businesses that have supported them.

Postcards from the Edge No.13: Tumut To Go

Pubs and breweries across the country have been switching to home delivery as a means of #keepinglocalalive. But few are clocking up the kilometres – or doing it with the panache – of Tumut River Brewing Co.

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.

Postcards from the Edge No.11: Finding Funky Solutions

It's not venue and brewery owners and staff that have been hit hard in the beer world by the recent shutdown – there's the industry-within-an-industry of entertainers, musicians and trivia hosts looking for ways to adapt.

Aussie Beerstagrammers: All Of The Beers

He fell down the rabbit hole of beer in London and has brought his passion to bear with the @allofthebeers Instagram account. Guy Southern spoke to Matt Kukura for another entry in our Beerstagrammers series.

Postcards from the Edge No.10: Can Together

The craft beer industry has always been one fired by the spirit of collaboration, something which has come to the fore during the COVID-19 crisis. We spoke to two brewers helping get their peers beers into punters' hands.

Postcards from the Edge No.9: Big Easy's Virtual Venue

As soon as they saw the writing on the wall the team behind three Adelaide venues pivoted fast, creating a new online service recreating the experience of their venues as best as possible and keeping many staff employed.

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.

Postcards From The Edge No.7: Made By Mongrel

Fancy food and beer delivered to your door complete with a suggested soundtrack? The team at Mongrel in Brisbane have been moving fast to survive since their venue closed. Will Ziebell spoke to founder Annie Bingley.

Postcards from the Edge No.6: The Rocky Reality

For all that businesses are scrambling to survive in these drastically altered times, the reality is that no one knows if they'll make it out the other side. We spoke to Hamish Coates of Rocky Ridge about heartbreak and uncertainty.

Holgate at 25
Premium Machinery D2
Postcards from the Edge No.5: Isolation Island

Two figures from Tasmania's beer industry have launched the Isolation Beer Festival, a celebration of the state's independent breweries and beers designed to connect people at a time when we need to remain apart.

Brew & A: Caolan Vaughan

They might be best known for their Pacific Ale but the Counter Culture series has been exciting beer geeks since launching last year. Overseeing brewing of all Stone & Wood beers is Caolan Vaughan, so we invited him for a Brew & A.

Postcards from the Edge No.4: #dontdrinkalone

Self isolation and, in all likelihood, a full lockdown of society at some point, will prove challenging for everyone, but some more than others. The #dontdrinkalone campaign launched by a WA bottleshop hopes to spread virtual cheer.

Postcards from the Edge No.3: Quarantinnied

It's amazing how fast things can happen when the pressure's on. The team at Carwyn Cellars has created a special Canvent featuring 24 Victorian brewers in just a couple of days so people can enjoy beers together apart.

Postcards From The Edge No.2: GoFeedMe

What do you do if you're one of the thousands of beer and hospo people forced out of work by the COVID-19 pandemic? In the case of Deb Lieu and James Balboni, you launch a mission to feed others in your position.

Postcards From The Edge No.1: Cherry Cheer

As the beer and hospitality industries adapt to the new reality, there are some inspiring examples around. We joined The Cherry Tree crew as they launched their home deliveries by bringing cheer to the streets of Richmond.

#keepinglocalalive Is Live!

The #keepinglocalalive campaign, designed to encourage people to support their local beer community and showcase how businesses are adapting is now live.

Australians Join Brewgooder's Global Gathering

Brewgooder is a Scottish brewing company that diverts all profits towards clean water projects in Africa. Last year, they invite breweries around the world to join them and this weekend sees a bunch of Aussies launch their beers.

Keeping Local Alive

The restrictions on social gatherings and movement imposed in the fight against COVID-19 will have serious impacts on the beer, hospitality and events industries, among others. We look at how we can try to help them survive.

GABS 2020 Postponed Until August

GABS has announced it is moving its 2020 Australian festivals to August and is working on a new date for Auckland due to measures being taken to halt the spread of Covid-19.

Lallemand 1
Cryer E
Going Green: switcH2

Breweries produce a lot of wastewater, so what if they could use it in beneficial ways, such as creating heat or power for their brewery? Sydney-based tech startup switcH2 aims to help them do just that.

20 Years Of Nail

Few brewing companies in Australia have been around 20 years, few have picked up as many major trophies, and none has a story like that of Nail and founder John Stallwood. Guy Southern took a trip down Memory Lane.

Good Beer Week 2020 Postponed

Anyone eager to celebrate the tenth Good Beer Week will have to wait a little longer after the organisers took the decision to postpone due to the Covid-19 outbreak. They're now looking at August or September.

Crafty Crawls: Sydney's Northern Beaches

Whether you're going for a beach weekend or a beer weekend, Sydney's Northern Beaches has plenty to offer - you just need to know where to look.

My Bonny Lies Over In Fitzroy

The beer offering along Fitzroy's main strip of Brunswick Street continues to improve as Bonny joins Near & Far as a welcome new arrival. At its heart are some well known faces from the local booze scene and 27 taps.

Podcast People: Step Brewers

The Step Brewers Podcast brings banter, beers and brewing along with diversions into pop culture and plenty of laughs. We caught up with the Tasmanian trio ahead of their trip to host events at Brewsvegas 2020.

IBD Convention Postponed Due To COVID-19

The organisers of the IBD Convention due to take place in Perth next week – March 16 to 20 – have taken the decision to postpone this year's event due to escalating concerns over the spread of the coronavirus disease.

Resin Brewing Opening In The Illawarra

A quarter century after bumping into each other while surfing, Brendan Down and Steve House are set to open a brewery together. All being well, Resin Brewing in Bulli will be officially open from this week.

Sparkke To Fire Up In Melbourne

The female-led Sparkke Change will be bringing their unique brand of social activism through alcoholic drinks to Melbourne later in 2020. As they prepare to launch two new beers, we chatted about their grand vision.

Warrior Women

Ahead of International Women's Day 2020, many breweries across Australia have been celebrating the growing role of women in beer. Jakkii Musgrave spoke to some of them about the advances made and challenges that remain.