News & Feature Stories
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...
Help From Afar
From Buenos Aires to Bethnal Green, people in all parts of the global beer community are doing their part in support of bushfire relief. Will Ziebell spoke to two people leading fundraising and awareness far from the fires.
Beer For Bushfire Relief Update
The response to the Beer For Bushfire Relief call out has been little short of remarkable with events launched in all parts of the country. Before the big day on Saturday, a quick update on where we're at.
Australian Resilience
The Resilience Beer project aiming to unite brewers and beer drinkers the world over in support of Australian bushfire relief is up and running. The recipe has been finalised and a website launched. Time to raise millions.
Who Brews Alchemy Beers?
Alchemy Brewing opened at the end of 2019, adding another option to Brunswick East's already impressive list of craft beer destinations. We caught up with the pair behind the brewery for our Who Brews...? series.
Resilience Brew For Bushfire Relief
As part of the local and international beer community's ongoing support for bushfire relief efforts, brewers in Australia and overseas are invited to join in a fundraising brew. Interested brewers can register now.
Beer For Bushfire Relief
The local beer industry has been rallying in support of those impacted by the unfolding bushfire crisis. On January 18, there will be fundraisers and special events taking place across the country.
Who Brews FICK Beers?
A couple who first launched a nanobrewery in Luxembourg have just opened FICK in the Brisbane suburb of Northgate. We called in to sample their European-influenced offering as they fired up their brew kit.
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The Beers Of The 2010s
You've had 25 articles looking back to at the past decade in Aussie beer, so what harm is one more? Here, our writers look at some of the beers that have helped shape the beer landscape.
Through The Looking Glass III
After a hiatus in 2018 (for reasons I can't recall) we're back with our New Year's Day look ahead at what the future might hold for the local beer world: what to look out for and where we might be headed.
Best New Queensland Beers Of 2019
The beer industry in Queensland keeps growing and changing, and even the drinkers are changing. But the more things change, the more they stay the same: great beer came out of the Sunshine State again in 2019.
Best New ACT Beers Of 2019
It's been an up and down year for ACT's beer scene with the capital's big two continuing to kick goals and new brewing companies launching yet with Wig & Pen and Pact calling it a day. Here, we look at the best new beers of 2019.
Best New Tasmanian Beers Of 2019
The past decade has seen the number of brewing companies in Tasmania rise from just seven to nearly forty. Here, we take a look back at the past twelve months via the prism of the best new releases from the state's brewers.
Crafty's Advent Calendar
If you'd like to check out our look back at the 2010s in Advent Calendar form, here's all 25 entries gathered in one interactive PDF. Open it in Acrobat to see who's behind each door and click each one to be taken to that day's entry.
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: Phil Sexton
He kicked the contemporary craft beer scene in WA in the early 80s and recently announced his return to Matilda Bay on a mission to reclaim its lost iconic status. We close out of end-of-decade series with Phil Sexton.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Wheaty Jade
From within the four walls of a corner pub in Thebarton, Jade Flavell, her colleagues and staff have not just blazed a trail for beer and beer venues in Australia but inspired and influenced thousands too.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Will Feral
He was a crap sales rep but turned out to be a bloody good brewer and these days leads the weay for Feral following the WA brewery's sale to CCA. He's also a goose's best friend; on day 23 of our Advent Calendar it's Will Irving.
Best New Victorian Beers Of 2019
Whether you're hot for hazies or have a passion for the puckering, there was much to enjoy from Victorian brewers in 2019. Such beers dominate our list, joined by a couple of lagers and a rich stout.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Steve & Guy
They met across a St Kilda bar in the early years of the century and have gone on to help shape the local beer industry through venues, festivals, a brewing company and more. Behind door 22 are Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Kris Miles
From a bottleshop in Brisbane to hop-infused spirits in Melbourne then MONA and finally a pub and brewery, Kris Miles has taken on many roles in the local beer world. Here he is on day 21 of our end-of-decade Advent Calendar series.
Best New NSW Beers Of 2019
Fruit sours, hazybois, coffee beer, barrel-aged blends and breakfast in a glass... You'd never accuse this roundup of the best new beers from NSW brewers in 2019 of being boring.
Beers From Near & Far
It started in 2014 in the UK, when Jason Cameron saw there was no good Aussie beer on offer. He set about remedying the situation, then bringing beers the other way, and now has opened Near & Far to showcase them all in Fitzroy.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Mulga
The Northern Territory has a few local beers to call its own these days, but one man who's been working to bring flavour to NT drinkers for almost two decades is Matt Mulga, who now runs three crafty bars in Alice and Darwin.
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.
Best New WA Beers Of 2019
Just as it kick-started the modern craft beer industry, once more WA kicks off our annual Best New Beers series. Guy Southern canvassed more than 30 beer experts to come up with the best of the best.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: OJ
Owen Johnston was head brewer at Moo Brew when it launched and now works for HPA, helping get Aussie hops into the hands of brewers across the world. Here he is as we reach day 18 in our Advent Calendar.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Scotty Hargrave
Along with his Balter co-founders, Scotty Hargrave has been part of the biggest story at the end of a big year. Here's what the head brewer has to say about the past decade and his thoughts on the industry now and to come.
Who Brews Grassy Knoll Beers?
Beer and music have a wonderful ability to bring people together, and both lie at the heart of Grassy Knoll. The gypsy operation was founded by three mates, with head brewer Jeff Argent also a drummer with indie quartet Pirra.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Kate & Shev
They're the dictionary definition of work hard, play hard and continue to make an indelible mark on the Melbourne and wider Australian beer community. Behind door 16, it's the irrepressible Kate and Shev.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Richard Adamson
From playing in bands to brewing with native ingredients at Barons, from kickstarting the Inner West's beer revolution in Sydney to becoming an educator, Richard Adamson has brought much to the local beer world.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Mick Cameron
After careers that took in bars, brewing and distribution here and overseas, Mick Cameron, son Jack and his best mate Red Proudfoot launched Pirate Life, a brewery that had instant impact before selling to AB InBev.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Pia Poynton
She's worked in bars, repped for breweries, helps run the Pink Boots Society in WA, ran one of the country's most prolific beer blogs. But Pia Poynton is also one of those people who just makes the beer world better.
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.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Corey Crooks
He was raised in a family of publicans and has taken what's in his blood to help turn his hometown of Newcastle into a craft beer city. We chatted to Corey Crooks of the 100 percent independent Aussie beer venue The Grain Store.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Peta Fielding
Long before the Gold Coast became nationally recognised as a home of good beer, there was a couple trying to sell their beers to locals. Thirteen years on, here's Burleigh co-founder Peta Fielding reflecting on the change.
Meet The New GABS. Same As The Old GABS
As voting opens for the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Beers of 2019, we introduce the man who took over both festival and poll earlier this year, Mike Bray, and find out where he plans to take the two in the coming years.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: David Cryer
It's time for a trip across The Ditch on day ten of our Advent Calendar, not for a New Zealand-themed entry in the series but to catch up with a man whose work will have made it into many of the beers you've enjoyed.
All Aboard The Beer Quality Motorhome
In recent months, Lallemand Brewing's technical manager Dan McCulloch has been taking a motorhome around Australia visiting breweries. Will Ziebell jumped on board to find out what he was doing and, more importantly, ask why.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Paul and Tash Holgate
Paul and Tash Holgate recently celebrated twenty years as an independent, family-run brewery. It makes them one of the longest-established brewers in Australia so we asked them to be part of our end-of-decade series.
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.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Willie Simpson
Back when there was about one-hundredth as much to write about in the local beer world, Willie Simpson was documenting the country's beers and brewers. Today, he's a brewer and hop grower in North West Tasmania.
Crafty Crawls: South & Port Melbourne
The contrast in beer offerings north and south of the Yarra is no longer as stark as it was. To prove it, join us as we set sail on a Crafty Crawl through the best beer spots in South and Port Melbourne.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Gillian Letham
Time to head to Brewsvegas for day six in our end-of-decade series. We could have picked any number of legends from the city's beer scene but decided Gill formerly from The Mill could speak for them all.
Crafty's Advent Calendar: Richard and Tracy
Back before "craft beer" was a thing, there was one man doing cool shit in Canberra. He still is, along with his partner and ever-growing team, and here he is as part of our Advent Calendar end-of-decade series.
CUB Buy Balter
The rumours swirling around the beer industry have turned out to be based in reality as CUB today confirmed they've added Balter to a stable already containing the likes of Pirate Life and 4 Pines.
The Balter Sale: Analysis
Following today's Balter sale to CUB, we spoke to an expert in the business of beer about the potential ramifications for the industry as the IBA puts out a statement about independence.
The Sobah Option
There's a growing focus on lower alcohol options across the drinks industry. Within the local beer world, Sobah are looking to go a step further, with the Aboriginal-owned and run operation creating non-alcoholic craft beers.
