News & Feature Stories
Hottest 100 Kiwi Craft Beers Of 2018
The results of the GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Beers Of 2018 are in and it's another show of dominance by Garage Project, with Behemoth not far behind. Hazy IPAs are on the rise as formerly independent brands fall away.
Crafty Crawls: The Frankston Line
We kicked off our Crafty Crawls series with a public transport route – the 86 tram in Melbourne – and here's another. It's arguably not the most likely, yet it offers access to some of Victoria's best breweries, bars and bottleshops.
FogHorn Sounds Anew
Late in 2018, word spread that FogHorn, the highly-rated Newcastle brewpub was up for sale. In truth, it was a case of one founder looking to get out and the other, head brewer Shawn Sherlock, looking to the future. And now he is.
Who Brews Hop Hen Beers?
A new year brings a new brewery for the Yarra Valley as a former primary school headmaster switches to brewmaster. Hop Hen opened just ahead of the Australia Day long weekend so we wasted no time finding out more.
Behind The Hottest 100 Beers Of 2018
There's been a couple of days for the dust to settle on the eleventh running of the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers, which has given us enough time to chat to the people behind the breweries and beers making the stories in 2018.
Crafty Dozen – January 2019
After a rush to start the new year and with more waiting in the wings, it's time to round up the most recent new additions to our brewery, venue and bottleshop directories with a dozen(ish) stretching from Albany in WA to a trio in Brisbane.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers Of 2018: The Results
Well, what an interesting countdown that has proven to be. The top four might not have changed but there's some big wins for some unlikely newcomers and big drops for the breweries that are now part of bigger brewing companies.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers Of 2018: Infographic
The results of the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2018 have been revealed, which means it's time for the annual Crafty Pint infographic! We pored over the results and made them into pictures for your visual pleasure!
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers Of 2018: Analysis
Maybe there's as much of the data nerd as the beer nerd within the Crafty team but we do enjoying taking the Hottest 100 results and seeing what, if anything can be surmised. And here's what we came up with from the 2018 results.
Black Hops Set Crowdfunding First
Just six days after opening their equity crowdfunding campaign to the public, Black Hops have reached their maximum fundraising target of $400,000 – and broken a few records in the process.
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New Year. Lucky Beer
It's fair to say the Australian beer world isn't the most culturally diverse of places. But, as Chinese New Year approaches, the team at Temple is hoping to showcase aspects of that country's culture through a new "lucky ale".
Locals Heroes
They rarely rise to become big sellers for the breweries that make them and are often lagers or approachable pale ales, yet that hasn't stop a growing number of local brewers launching beers with their locals and locale front and centre.
Who Brews Seven Mile Beers?
After stints at Riverside and 4 Pines, Matt Wilson headed to Ballina to join his dad Lou and launch their own brewery. Within months, they'd snagged an Indies gold and discovered there was huge appetite for their beers.
Beer Travel: The Adelaide Hills
Once better known for its wines, the Adelaide Hills have become a treasure trove for beer lovers. Here, Matt King takes a meandering tour through the many breweries, venues and bottleshops that are found throughout.
Brew & A: Jack Purser
Indian Ocean Brewing Co, found in a marina on Perth's northern fringe, is a much-changed brewery from three years ago. Much of that is down to head brewer Jack Purser, so we decided to find out more about him.
The Milkman Of Human Kindness
For the past century, you were only ever likely to find lactose – AKA milk sugar – in the occasional sweet stout. These days, it's cropping up everywhere. Brewer and beer scholar Chris Brady examines why.
A Decade Of Oscar's Glory
Ten years ago, one of the best places to find a wide range of craft beer around Melbourne was a little bar in the Dandenongs. As Oscar's Alehouse's owners embark on a new beery venture, we invite them to reflect on a decade of beers.
Who Brews Styx Beers?
Styx is one of the smallest and newest breweries in New South Wales, brewing out of an old coal testing shed in Newcastle. We got in touch with the team there to find out more about them for our Who Brews...? series.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers Of 2018: The Voters
Voting is underway for the biggest public choice poll in the Aussie beer world. But faced with picking just five beers from thousands, how do you go about voting? And who's going to win? We posed questions of some of the nation's keenest beer lovers.
Brewed For Brendale
When we ran our Best New Queensland Beers Of 2018 feature, there was an honourable mention for a tiny brewery in Brisbane's northern suburbs. We soaked up the welcoming locals vibe at Brendale Brewing Co to find out more.
Beer Nuts: Dave Croft
Dave Croft is a man who likes to travel for beer. While many beer geeks make outrageous detours to drink beer from the source, Dave is truly a persistent pilgrim. We caught up with him to find out how it all started and how he plans to spend his 40th.
Aussie Exports: Lost And Grounded – Revisited
The very first entry in our Aussie Exports series featured the couple behind Lost and Grounded in the UK. They've since gone on to great things so, on a recent trip to his homeland, Neil Richardson called in to find out more.
Best New ACT Beers Of 2018
We wrap up our look at the year in beer for 2018 in the nation's capital as Mat Farrington, the man behind CanBEERra, collates the thoughts of two dozen ACT beer aficionados to see what's impressed most in the past 12 months.
Brisbane's Beer Yogi
Looking for a fun way to balance your festive (or year round) indulgences? Mick Wust joins yoga instructor Sammy Ball for a few sessions – with beer at the heart of it all.
The Best Of The Crafty Pint In 2018
For a final reflection on 2018, here's a look back at the year through the eyes of The Crafty Pint writers who spent their time covering the biggest year yet for Australian beer – as well as some of our coverage from beyond these shores.
Best New NSW Beers Of 2018
In his last Best New Beers roundup before he heads back to New Zealand, Nick Oscilowski commandeers the votes of many to land upon a list that flits from barrels to peat to the rainforest and back – and even includes a humble pilsner.
Big Years In Beer – 2018
It's been a big year for beer in Australia, but some have had bigger years than other. Here, we invite people from each state and territory who've had momentous years in one way or another to reflect on the past 12 months.
Unfamiliar Territory
Slowly but surely, the beer scene in the Northern Territory is coming alive. Two more breweries opened in 2018 and more venues are dabbling too. We spoke to some of the Territory's pioneers and newcomers about the scene up Top.
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.
Best New SA Beers Of 2018
At the current rate of development, there will be few corners of South Australia without a brewery to call their own. So, as another big year for beer in the state comes to a close, our SA team looks back at the new releases that impressed.
Best New Queensland Beers Of 2018
At the end of another momentous year for beer in Queensland, we look to pluck the shiniest gems from a grotto's worth of gems in our 2018 Best New Beers feature, ably stewarded by Mick Wust.
Best New Tasmanian Beers Of 2018
The beer scene in Tasmania continues to evolve, with the state's brewers as happy taking inspiration from overseas as they are showcasing local produce. But which beers impressed most in 2018? Bert Spinks endeavoured to find out...
Crafty Cabal Update - December 2018
As 2018 draws to a close, it's time for a final update from The Crafty Cabal for the year. We've got heaps of festival tickets to give away, our largest beer prize pack to date, new offers plus plenty of great new signup offers too.
Best New WA Beers Of 2018
It's been a phenomenal year for beer in WA in 2018, however you look at it. Here, Guy Southern looks back at the past 12 months and puts together a rundown of the year's best beers as selected by contributors from across the state.
Small Brewers. Bigger Beers
There could be good news on the horizon for Newcastle's small brewers following an announcement that a trial from Sydney's Inner West is set for the city and would allow them to sell full-sized beers instead of just tasters to customers.
Best New Beers Of 2018: An Introduction
Ahead of our state by state by territory look at the best new releases of 2018, we thought we'd take an overarching look at how we go about it and the challenges inherent in attempting such a task in this crazily busy beer world.
The Abbotsford Renaissance
In recent times, you were more likely to see FOR LEASE signs going up on Abbotsford's historic pubs. But that's all changing, as new owners have injected life into a trio of pubs, helping turn it into one of Melbourne's best 'burbs for good beer.
The Incubators: Batch Brewing
As they prepare to turn five, we look at how Batch has acted as an incubator for so much talent in and around the Sydney beer scene through the eyes of its founders and those who've worked there over the years.
Beer Garden Brews
After a career in the mines, the Butterworths moved to Port Lincoln with their kids for a seachange. They took over a mothballed bakery and now the grain deliveries are flowing again to fill the mash tun at Beer Garden Brewing.
The Story Of: Pacific Ale
As 2018 draws to a close, Stone & Wood has been celebrating a decade of brewing. That means its first beer, Draught Ale or, as it became later, Pacific Ale, is ten too. Here, we trace its story and weigh its role in the growth of craft beer.
Hottest 100 Beers: Memory Lane
Other than the poll's founders, few people have been as close to the annual Hottest 100 Craft Beers poll as Pete "Prof Pilsner" Mitcham. As voting opens for year eleven, he takes a look back down Memory Lane at its evolution.
Who Brews Mephisto Beers?
It's been a while now since we first spoke to Pete Wellington of Mephisto as part of a look at the next wave of SA brewers. Now, with his beers a regular fixture at indie venues in Adelaide, we went back to find out more.
Paying For Beer
As Endeavour becomes the first Australian brewing company to launch a public equity crowdfunding campaign, we look at the growing number of options on the table for brewery owners looking to build their businesses.
Aussie Beerstagrammers: Beers In The Sun
Summer's here so it must be time for beers in the sun. Or, more accurately, Beers In The Sun, the unique Instagram account featuring illustrations of Aussie beer cans.
Getting Blind With Crafty: NEIPAs
For the first time in many years of running blind tastings, we've had a brewery go back to back in top spot. In our final panel tasting of 2018, we looked at NEIPAs from breweries across Australia and here's how they fared.
Sensing Something New
Meadmaker Joel Robinson suffered a brain injury while setting up his business that has left him with an incredibly rare condition that makes everything smell rotten. But he's battled through and started winning fans for his unique meads.
Double Ton Up For Radio Brews News
Many beer sites, blogs and podcasts have come and gone since the first episode of Radio Brews News was recorded. As the team prepares to mark its 200th episode with a live special, we caught up with Brews News founder Matt Kirkegaard.
Beer Food: The Brewer & The Chocolatier
Seven Sheds and House of Anvers are stalwarts of the burgeoning food-and-booze scene in Tasmania's north-west. Bert Spinks invited them to blend their two worlds – beer and chocolate – as they told him about their traditionalists' approach to production.
Who Brews One Barrel Beers?
He's worked in the military, the wine industry, been a private investigator and driven trucks around the country. Now, the Too Many Zooz-loving Mark Prior is focused on his beer operation, One Barrel Brewing.
The Most Importantest Beers of 2018
What's the best thing about December? No, not the impending summer holidays, the festive season or the music festivals. It's the torrent of Best Of lists. And we're getting in quick this year at The Crafty Pint.
