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As Beer's Bleak Winter Ends, Is Optimism Starting To Take Root?
Winter is over, which feels like as good a time as any to pause and reflect – and to attempt encapsulate the hundreds of conversations we've had with people across Australia on the present and future of craft beer.
Craft Beer's Next Generation
Is craft beer becoming cringe or cheugy? Listen to many senior figures and you could easily draw the conclusion Gen Z poses an existential threat but is the industry really engaging with Zoomers? We chatted to craft beer's next generation.
I'm Growin' Down: Lessons From America's Shrinking Breweries
Late last year, Tomme Arthur did something brewery owners don't often do: talked about shrinking The Lost Abbey to survive. Will Ziebell caught up with him in America to find out what's happening in a country often seen as craft beer's future.
The Year Of No Booze
In 2020, Australia witnessed the launch of a number of alcohol-free brewing companies and brands, and in 2021 sales rocketed, quality rose and options blossomed. As 2022 starts, look at why booze-free beer has struck such a chord.
Seltzers: Hard Sell Or Easy As?
At the start of 2020, we looked at the arrival of hard seltzers in Australia. With local producers hoping for a summer of seltzer ahead, we chatted to those making and selling them to find out how far they've come and where they're heading.
What We'll Be Drinking Next
The local beer and hospo world needs a big beer-drinking season like never before. So, with spring approaching and the drinks landscape more complex than ever, we've invited a few experts to peer into their crystal balls.
The Club Life
More sports clubs are making the switch to craft beer and reaping the rewards. Will Ziebell spoke to a golf club in Toowoomba and a smaller bowlo in Brisbane's southwest about their successful recent conversions.
TikTok On The Beer Clock
TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform on the planet, but is there any craft beer content on there? And, if so, should Aussie beer lovers and breweries be using it? Will Ziebell heads down the rabbit hole...
H100 Aussie Craft Beers Of 2020: Analysis
Nearly 40,000 people cast close to 200,000 votes. There was change at the top and a mix of consolidation and surprises below. Here's what we made of it all.
Black Hops & Love For Local Dominate Beer Cartel's 2020 Survey
Support for local beer rose sharply in 2020 as drinkers rallied behind their locals during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Beer Cartel's annual survey. It also says Black Hops replace Balter as the country's favourite brewery.
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More Sober, More Often
As Ocsober kicks off, the choices for anyone wanting an booze-free beer, wine or spirit in their hand is bigger than ever before. Heck, there's even a new online retailer specialising in them.
Downsizing: The Global Looking Local
The rise of the brewpub and taproom model is one of the most striking aspects of the changing beer landscape in Australia. And it's an area in which the world's biggest brewing companies and their brands are playing too.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers Of 2019: Analysis
With the results of the 2019 Hottest 100 now confirmed, it's time for our annual deep dive to see what your votes tell us about the state of the local beer world.
Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers Of 2019: Infographic
Time to unveil our graphic designer's favourite job of the year: the annual GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers Infographic. We've added some new sections this year as we head into outer space.
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.
Balter Top Australia's Biggest Craft Beer Survey
Balter have been voted Australia's best brewery in the biggest ever survey of craft beer drinkers. More than 23,000 people took part in Beer Cartel's annual survey, which is now in its fourth year.
The Great British Beer Writer
Pete Brown started out in beer marketing before becoming one of Britain's best-loved writers on beer and wider booze and pub culture. We caught up with him in London ahead of his keynote address at BrewCon.
Winter's Still Coming
Winter is traditionally the toughest time for brewers as sales slow. With competition already fierce and more brewing companies closing or selling, can we expect to see bloodshed? Or does the future remain bright?
A Critical Hit: Beer & Games
Dedicated gamer and homebrewing beer geek Judd Owen looks at the flourishing bond between those two worlds in the company of the owners of Brisbane's Netherworld and Sydney's 1989.
Join The Club
The wartime munitions still hang on the walls, the old members still share stories on the greens outside, yet at many RSLs and bowlos around Australia craft beer is playing a role in attracting new members and keeping the joints alive.
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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.
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.
The Golden Age Of Mids?
There's never been a better time to be in the market for a lower alcohol beer. But why is that? And is demand growing as fast as the quality new releases? We speak to brewers and retailers to find out whether it's the golden age of mids.
Bubbling Up: The Rise Of Craft Lagers
There's been talk of a renaissance for lager within the craft beer world for some time now. And, with more small breweries adding one to their lineup and a rise in the number appearing in the 2017 Hottest 100, maybe we're starting to follow America's lead once more.
Through The Looking Glass II
As in 2017, we attempt to peer into the future and decipher where the industry is headed and what issues are likely to dominate the coming 12 months. From independence and education to packaging and brewpubs, here's our thoughts on what lies ahead.
Getting Into The Spirit
Australia's craft spirit industry is enjoying a rapid rise not dissimilar to that enjoyed by beer in recent years. The connections between the two are strong, particularly at a growing number of breweries that are distilling in house.
Big Beer Monopoly
One of the visitors to this year's Craft Beer Awards was a German journalist and storyteller who has penned a book on the globalisation of beer. Matt King caught up with Dr Ina Verstl to find out more.
Where It's At: On Beer's Frontier II
Global or hyperlocal. Independent or "crafty". The beer world isn't just getting more competitive, it's getting more complex too. Here, we try to unpick the state of play today by studying the craft beer scenes both here and in the US.
Behind Bars: Jac Morgan
Behind Bars sees The Crafty Pint hop around the country asking people behind reputable beer bars what they're seeing in front of them: what are people drinking, what are the coming styles and so on. This time, it's Jac from Melbourne's Dr Morse.
The Australian Craft Beer Survey Returns
Last year, Sydney bottleshop Beer Cartel launched its Australian Craft Beer Survey, collecting feedback from 6,500 people. The 2017 version is live now as they look to capture a more detailed picture of the local beer landscape.
The Golden Goose: On Beer's Frontier
Goose Island's arrival in Australia represents the meeting point between the biggest of Big Beer and Australia's craft beer industry. We find out why it's a big deal and ask what it means within the rapidly evolving landscape here and globally.
Through The Looking Glass
While 2016 was a monumental year in many pretty terrible ways globally, for craft beer in Australia it was another in which we witnessed huge growth and ever greater diversity. So surely we're set for even greater things to come.
Behind Bars: Nick Pogonoski
There was a time when Tooheys was pretty much all you could hope for in Newcastle, but today venues such as the Grain Store are bring craft beer to the people. For our Behind Bars series, the venue's manager Nick Pogonoski tells us where tastes are at in Newy.
Behind Bars: Dane Adkins
We've written plenty about the burgeoning SA beer scene. Now, in our second Behind Bars feature, the owner of Sweet Amber Brew Café tells us what's hot at his bar and where he sees Adelaide's beer scene heading.
What Drinkers Want
The biggest ever survey of Australian craft beer drinkers has been carried out by Sydney bottleshop Beer Cartel. The results of what they plan to turn into an annual survey are out today.
James Halliday Feature: Rise of the Brewpub
Amid all the new brewing companies launching across Australia, the brewpub format is proving increasingly popular. Crafty Pint founder James Smith spoke to the men behind two of the newest.
2015: What Lies Ahead?
Happy New Year, beer lovers! We hope you all welcomed in 2015 in fine style and aren't suffering too badly today. After a mammoth year in 2014, Crafty Towers won't be properly staffed again until January…
2014: Shit's Gettin' Real
The first day of the year is always one for looking forward with hope and in high spirits (tempered only slightly by the dustiness that comes with seeing out the previous one with two bottles of Auld Bulgin'…
Rise Of The Beer Fest
The beer festival scene is booming in Australia. In a few short years, we’ve gone from next to no dedicated beer festivals to an absolute smorgasbord, with more being added every year. From November…
Gimme More More More
The craft beer revolution in Australia has been keeping plenty of Canadians busy in recent months. Brewery manufacturer DME has had its hands full keeping up with orders from Down Under, with the new brewhouses…
