News & Feature Stories
The Collaborators: Flavour Logic
Taste is highly subjective but if you work in the beer industry or are passionate about beer, recognising off-flavours can be essential. Which is where sensory analyst Briony Leibich – AKA Flavour Logic – comes in.
Catchment Buy Fellow QLD Brewery Fortitude
Catchment Brewing have acquired Fortitude Brewing Co and their offshoot brand Noisy Minor as part of ambitious future growth plans. The West End-based operation is targeting ten venues and more brewery brands.
Brew & A: Stuart Taylor of Homestead
As he sets about making his mark on Homestead's beers, we caught up with Stuart Taylor in the Swan Valley to chat about his journey from front of house to helm of brewhouse, uncool hops, early Hop Hog, and stupidly-patterned pants.
The Wild Ones: Two Metre Tall
The Wild Ones is a series showcasing Australian brewers creating spontaneously fermented ales. Here we caught up with the couple behind the truly unique farmhouse operation that is Tasmania's Two Metre Tall.
The Mateship Tour: Shouting Beer In The Remotest Spots
There are worse ways to make new mates than to spend three months touring around Queensland giving away free beer... so Hep from Your Mates Brewing decided to do just that. Welcome to the Mateship Tour.
A Grodziskie Wins The Perth Royal Beer Awards
The rarely-seen historical Polish beer style, grodziskie – a low-alcohol smoked wheat ale – was named best beer at the Perth Royal Beer Awards tonight. It's from Rocky Ridge, who also claimed Champion Large Brewery.
Sam Sets Sails For Bali
One of Australia's best-known and most-awarded brewers is setting sail on a new adventure. Sam Füss is off to Bali to become chief brewer at Beaches Brewing Co Bali, where she hopes to help develop the exciting young beer scene.
Brew & A: Frenchies' Vince de Soyres
Vince de Soyres is one half of the team behind Frenchies Bistro & Brewery in Sydney. Ahead of their fifth birthday (and Bastille Day) we invited him to tell us about the unique path that brought him to Australia.
Carving Out A Niche: Small Festivals. Big Ideas
It's been a tough couple of years for beer festivals but events both large and small are roaring back. We chatted to the folks behind Juicy Fest, Rauchbier Festival and Lagerland to hear how breweries are carving out a niche in the festival space.
Who Brews As Lucha Brewing?
Long-time public servants Damien and Sandie Odger decided to have some fun, quitting their jobs and following their dream. We got in touch with the founders of Lucha Brewing in Brisbane's west to find out more.
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Feral Boar Out. Slumdog In
Brewing is back at the former Feral brewpub in the Swan Valley. Feral co-founder Al Carragher has brought in former Feral brewer Will Irving to helped launch Slumdog Brewing at what will reopen as the Baskerville Tavern.
Who Brews Tinshed Beers?
Tinshed Brewery opened in the small NSW town of Dungog in 2016 in a main street where few shops were occupied. Six years on, not only has it become a community hub but the town's other businesses have whirred back to life too.
Australian International Beer Awards 2022 – The Winners
There was plenty of home state glory at the 2022 AIBAs as Hawkers, Stomping Ground and Dollar Bill took out three of the four Champion Australian Brewery titles. Moffat Beach completed the set, with a pastry sour winning Champion Beer.
James Atkinson's Ever-Evolving Drinks Adventures
James Atkinson has spent years covering the drinks industry for various publications and his Drinks Adventures podcast has seen him pick up multiple awards, including the Best Media trophy at last year's AIBA. Ahead of this year's awards, we caught up with the drinks writer to hear what the award means and where his focus lies.
Men, Men, Men, Men, Manly Men, Men, Men
A year on from craft beer's #MeToo reckoning, Pink Boots Society president and Beer Agents For Change co-founder Tiffany Waldron asks just how much things have changed. And if the local beer industry remains very much a boys' club.
Aussie Exports: Annette May
Three decades after moving to the US, Annette May has gone from someone who didn't drink beer to “that strange Australian woman with all that hair who knows a lot about beer” and now a Brewer's Association Mentor Of The Year.
Brew & A: Luke Cooper
One of the country's first alcohol-free brewing companies, the proudly indigenous-owned and led Sobah recently appointed their first head brewer, Wailwan man Luke Cooper. We caught up with the "bushtucker brewer".
Supporting Flood Victims With Beer And Cheer
Craft Beer Coopery has spent years encouraging men to talk about their mental wellbeing. Their latest initiative sees them send their conversation-starting craft beer crates to Lismore in support of those impacted by recent floods.
A Good Week Of Beer
Good Beer Week is taking a breather in 2022 but some of Victoria's breweries and venues are running their events as planned. We caught up with some of those going full steam ahead to find out more.
Brew & A: Luigi Mensi
From mead-making in Italy via sweet potato-picking in Bundaberg to trialling souring bacteria in Marrickville, motorcycling metalhead Luigi Mensi has enjoyed a colourful path in life. We caught up with Batch's head brewer to find out more.
Pint of Origin – One Week To Go!
Pint of Origin returns to Melbourne for a tenth time on May 20. With no Good Beer Week this year, we decided to go solo and have added some sweet new features to the festival. Check them out and get ready for #PoO22!
From Backyard Brews To The Real Deal
The team at Margaret River Brewhouse launched their Backyard Brewing Tournament as a means of staying connected to their homebrewing roots. Little did they know it would help launch the brewing careers of others.
Who Brews Middle Island Beers?
Middle Island isn't as well known as some of Victoria's other coastal outposts but for Warrnambool locals, it holds a special place in their hearts. Middle Island Brewing Co is a new brewing company launched by a group of locals who want to put their island and region on the map for craft beer drinkers.
Philter: Five Years In Five Beers
Philter may only just turned five but somehow it feels like the brewing company has been part of the craft beer industry for longer. We caught up with two of the Sydney outfit's founders to walk us through their first five years in five beers.
Aussies Win Big At US Awards
It's been a big week for Australian brewers and designers, with many claiming awards at the World Beer Cup and the Craft Beer Marketing Awards. We spoke to some of those celebrating adding to their trophy cabinets.
The Collaborators: Mogwai Labs
Wollongong and surrounds already have a vibrant local beer scene; now adding to its crafty credentials is a new liquid yeast manufacturer, Mogwai Labs. We spoke to founder Josh Allen about foraging yeast and his plans for the business.
The GABSiest GABS Yet?
With the GABS 2022 season mere days away, we spoke to main man Mike about pulling it all together, then attempted to navigate our way through what must be the zaniest festival beer lineup to date.
Melbourne To Gain An Alcohol-Free Taproom
We've regularly covered the rise of non-alc beer, and while Monceau Co's main focus is kombucha their story mirrors that of many craft breweries. As they announce a Brunswick taproom, we spoke to the owners about their plans.
Molly Rose's Grand Designs
Molly Rose are working on plans that will allow them to take their collaborations with winemakers and chefs to a new level. We caught up with founder Nic Sandery to hear what he's been cooking up at his Collingwood home.
Who Brews Merino Beers?
Merino Brewery clearly take great pride in their region, putting its pioneering role in the Australian wool industry at the forefront of their business since opening in February. We caught up with them to find out Who Brews Merino beers?
GABS: Making A Stand
Brewery stalls at festivals have gone from spill-spattered trestle tables to interactive experiences as brewers look to cut through the noise. Ahead of the first GABS of 2022, we asked 2021's Best in Show winners how they made a stand.
The Disposable Hero Of Hopocrisy
He's been working in beer and hospo for more than three decades, has sold more beer than most Australians, and now finally has one of his own. We caught up with one of Melbourne's best known faces in beer to find out more.
Find All The Good Beer With Crafty!
With travel on the cards again and venues getting back somewhere close to normality, we’ve been creating the most comprehensive guide to good beer in Australia. Now we're calling on you to make sure there's nothing we've missed.
Young Henrys: Ten Lessons From Ten Years
Young Henrys have brewed so many collaborations, sponsored so many events, and sold beer at so many gigs you'd be forgiven for thinking they're older than ten. As they mark that milestone, they share some of the lessons learned.
Craft Beer & Blood: Meet Deathmatch Downunder
Fluorescent lights exploding on people's heads. Chairs wrapped in barbed wire being thrashed across blood-flecked backs. And a sweaty man in not a lot of lycra drinking a lager from The Albert Brewery. Meet Deathmatch Downunder.
Watch The High County Hop Technical Symposium
Once the party was done and dusted on the Saturday of The High Country Hop, industry figures gathered for the Bintani Technical Symposium at Beechworth Town Hall. Now you can catch up on the presentations.
Who Brews at Principle Brewing?
How do you focus on both quality of your beer and the local community? How do you both fit in with other breweries and stand out from the crowd? You follow your principles. Meet the team at Principle Brewing in another Who Brews...?
Follow The Brightstar
After years spent working overseas and soaking up the beer cultures of Germany and New England, Gareth and Megan Parker have opened their dream brewery. We called in to check out the shiny new Brightstar in Adelaide.
Capital Claim Carbon First As Aussies Brew A Greener Future
A number of Australian brewers are leading the way when it comes to sustainability, with Capital becoming the first Climate Active certified carbon neutral brewery, Rocky Ridge and Big Shed winning sustainability awards, and others going carbon neutral too.
Who Brews Brew Mountains Beers?
Watching his grandad brew fired a lifelong fascination with brewing for Craig Talbot, so he quit the commuting life to launch Brew Mountains. We invited him to take part in our long-running Who Brews...? series to find out more.
The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre Is Democracy Manifest
Hawke's Brewing have opened their brewery venue in Marrickville. Or to be more accurate, they've opened The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, a place that's less taproom, more a time capsule of not just of another era but another mindset.
Australians Brew For Ukraine
As war in Ukraine continues, local brewers are rallying in support. Prancing Pony, Barossa Valley Brewing and Route 9 Distillery brewed a collab this week, while Dangerous Ales are releasing their Ukrainian Imperial Stout today.
Biotransformation: Where Hops & Yeast Meet
Many fans of hoppy beers will have enjoyed the fruits of Sam Bethune's labour from his days at Fixation. These days, he's with ingredients supplier Bintani where he's been experimenting ahead of the 2022 High Country Hop.
Who Brews Welcome Swallow Beers?
Welcome Swallow brew in the heart of Tasmania's hop country – the realisation of a long-held dream of a local farmer and his mate. With the hop harvest underway, we invited them to take part in our long-running Who Brews? series.
One Drop Look To Clean Up
One Drop are a brewery that frequently experiment with beer ingredients and styles but it's their latest process that has the Sydney outfit most excited. They've been trialling a process they call Clean Fusion, which they say not only gets the most out of their hops but solves a number of technical issues too.
Grassy Knoll Become The New Seekers
A new brewery is set to open in the Gong this weekend, except it's not quite new. Seeker Brewing sees Grassy Knoll founder Jeff Argent take over the space that previously housed Bulli Brewing for a new joint venture.
Who Brews At Broulee Brewhouse?
The need for a community space in Broulee was brought to a head by the Black Saturday fires of 2019/20. So, over a few games of tennis, two couples decided to make it happen and, late last year, Broulee Brewhouse was born.
Fundraiser Launched For Wags' Family
A GoFundMe has been launched to support the family of Mark "Wags" Wagthorne, the much-loved beer world character who passed away from cancer at the age of just 44 last week.
Bionic Beer Builds Bionic Arms
At its core, brewing is a manufacturing process but Ocean Reach's Bionic IPA shows how local breweries can change lives for the better. The brewers have partnered with Free 3D Hands to help develop bionic arms at an affordable price.
Vale Wags
Tributes have been pouring in following the sad news that one of the most popular figures in the local beer world, Mark "Wags" Waghorne, has passed away after a years-long battle with cancer. We spoke to some of those who worked with and knew him.
