crafty's advent calendar

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.


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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.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Joel Beresford

​We head west on day four of Crafty's Advent Calendar and into the arms of Joel Beresford, a man who via Cellarbrations Carlisle and The DTC has put wonderful beers and a passion to learn into the mouths and minds of thousands.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Dave Bonighton

Would the beer scene in Melbourne look like it does today without Mountain Goat? Highly unlikely. In day three of our end-of-decade Advent Calendar series we feature one half of the duo that helped build a beer city.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Jayne Lewis

For day two of our end-of-decade Advent Calendar, we turn to a trailblazer of the local beer world. Jayne Lewis is one half of the duo that founded Two Birds Brewing and has an influence that spreads far beyond that brewery's Nest.

Crafty's Advent Calendar: Brad Rogers

As a momentous month for beer in Australia comes to a close, we look back and forward with 25 people who've helped shape the industry in our spin on a beer advent calendar. First up, Brad Rogers of Stone & Wood.