A new karaoke bar unlike any other is opening next to Brisbane's Netherworld. It features local beer, intricate art design, and "theme park level karaoke". You'll be singing to save your soul.
Breweries have transformed warehouses into social spaces and created new kinds of hospitality experiences. But what makes a good brewery venue and what do founders think about before they start building?
The Keys Leisure Centre could well be Melbourne's most multifaceted venue, with the Preston haunt including a bowling alley, arcade, bistro, beer garden and three bars. As it opens, we chatted to one of the founders.
Want to own a bar for free? The founders of crafty Preston hangout Hard Rubbish are moving on and have decided the best way to find the right owners for their beloved Hardo is to give it away to the people with the best vision for its future.
It's a pretty good time to be a lover of lager but breweries and venues are finding ways to ensure such beers are perfectly poured. We chatted to the Australians dedicated to the fine art of the side-pull; a Czech traditional that's gaining ground locally.
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.
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.
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.
By the time Matilda Bay released their first new beer following the return of founder Phil Sexton, they'd tipped 27 trial batches down the drain. Now they're offering drinkers a chance to try four of the beers that didn't quite make the grade.
It's not uncommon to enjoy a free beer while getting a haircut but La Bodega is taking things further. We caught up with the people behind the barbershop-meets-beer bar for a chat about their plan to bring craft beer to Williamstown.
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Blockchains. Crypto. The metaverse. They're terms we hear about a lot these days but do they have much common ground with the world of beer? We spoke to two Australian brewing companies embracing digital currencies to find out.
Gluten-free beer has come a long way in Australia in recent years and one new retailer has committed to stocking the widest variety anyone can find. We spoke to David Lilley about his decision to launch the online Gluten Free Beer Shop.
How'd you fancy climbing a tree to find a rare bottle of Cantillon? It might sound wild, but if a new venture featuring Purvis Beer, a Melbourne-based software developer, and Oculus Quest comes off, it could become your virtual reality.
Beer clubs and brewery memberships are far from new but recent years have seen such them grow alongside online beer sales. We spoke to Molly Rose, Black Arts and Van Dieman Brewing about their exclusive clubs and why they do it.
Is that decal really moving or is it time to head home? If you're in a bar featuring decals from Perth's Vertek Innovations, don't worry: they really are moving. We chatted to the couple bringing beer brands to life on the bar.
No one's ever accused the folk at The Scratch of being normal. Their festivals have cult followings, and the videos they make to promote them can be downright disgusting. We sat down with manager Becca King to find out more.
Alcohol-free alternatives to beer, wine and spirits have come a long way in recent times and soon Melburnians will have a dedicated space to try those offerings in. We got in touch with the Brunswick Aces team to find out more.
Mixed brewery packs appeared in an instant as the shutdown hit and have kept on coming – in diverse arrangements too. But, with restrictions starting to ease across Australia, will they have post-pandemic staying power?
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
There's a new breed of beer festival on the rise, one that combines elements of those from craft beer's earlier days with a more tightly-curated program of beers and brewers.
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.
Since their debut in Australia just a handful of years ago, beer-filled advent calendars have become remarkably popular, with thousands expected to be sold this year. Will Ziebell spoke to some of the people putting them together.
As the audience for craft beer grows and competition intensifies, quality and education are more important than ever. We speak to a Brisbane brewery and Melbourne retailer finding their own ways of spreading the fresh is best message.
With more beers fighting for tap and fridge space than ever before, the challenge of capturing beer drinkers' attention has never been greater. Label manufacturer Graphix is hoping a moving new development will appeal to brewers looking to stand out.
The "fresh is best" message is gaining traction in the beer world. But, for the vast majority of beers, keeping them cold is crucial too. As a couple of new businesses launch with cold storage and transport in mind, we look at why staying cool matters.
While many brewers are happy to stick to the [Brewery Name] [Beer Style] format when naming their beers, there are plenty who take great pleasure coming up with beer titles. We find out why from three of the most avid fans of beery wordplay.
Brisbane has its offbeat bars. And Australia has other venues that combine gaming and arcades with craft beer. But there's quite possibly never been anything quite like Netherworld. Ahead of its huge Monster Menagerie, we crawl tentatively inside...
In one of the more innovative promotional gambits we've seen, Moo Brew founder David Walsh has commissioned a roulette style vending machine filled with the brewery's cans – and one option drinkers may wish to give the bullet.
Following on from our look at branding in the beer industry, Ross Lewis chats to a couple of designers working on Australian breweries' cans as well as a brewery owner whose tinnies are among the most spectacular you'll see.
The team behind Perth's Northbridge Brewing Company is set to open a brewpub in a northern suburbs shopping mall. And the move could be a sign of things to come as the nature of shopping centres evolves.
It's not just standard tinnies that are on the rise in the local craft beer world. Slowly but surely, more venues and breweries are investing in CANimals, the repurposed food packing technology pioneered by Oskar Blues in the US.
When it comes to delivering the message of "Fresh is best", has anyone gone to greater lengths than the duo from Adelaide's Big Shed Brewing Concern? Matt King reports on their unique Cannonball Run of beer.
The flurry of new brewing companies opening in Tasmania continues apace. Yet it's fair to say that Ocho stands out. Not just because it opened with a barrel-aged saison, but because its means of getting beer to punters is rather unusual.
Guy Southern chatted to Colonial Brewing's manager-cum-raconteur Richard Moroney to get the story behind their uniquely packaged Small Ale. He walked away with an insight into the essence of beer and why it pays to remember that it is, after all, just beer.
One of the many marvellous things about Canberra's Bentspoke is its unique tap handles. We chatted with the retired cartographer behind them.
A former circus and sideshow performer, roller derby coach and ceramicist has started creating custom tap handles for Australian craft breweries.
The cans keep on coming. A couple of weeks ago, we reported on the launch of the first canned beer from WA's Colonial Brewing and now we've been lucky enough to get our hands on the four tinnies from Brisbane's…
There's no doubt this weekend's Meredith Music Festival will, in one sense at least, be like none of the 23 preceding Meredith Music Festivals. In the not too distant past, those who made beer their tipple…
Of all the brewers to have played around with the new wave of Aussie hops, none has delved quite as deep as Ben Kraus at Bridge Road. With one of the country’s main hop farms, Rostrevor, just down the…
People have tried various means of educating people about beer. You’ll find tasting notes on the bars of breweries, menus with suggested food and beer pairings, posters outlining the various beer families,…
Craft beer drinkers are all too aware that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. The path to discovering better beer is intrinsically linked with an understanding, or at the very least an appreciation,…