The Crafty Pint Podcast

“These large multinationals aren't really interested in a diverse portfolio of beer. They would love it to be only two products but their hand is forced by independents."Bridge Road Brewers' story is one of the great stories of the craft beer era. It's centred around a family-founded (and now partially employee-owned) business and features everything from a cross-hemisphere love story, global collaborations and inspired innovation to major events and even the creation of an independent micronation.As they celebrate two decades of beers, we joined founders Ben and Maria Kraus at their ever-expanding brewery venue in Beechworth for a trip through the years – right back to the days when Maria was a ski instructor singing in a blues band in the Austrian mountains and Ben was washing glasses in a bar while learning how to make wine.While much of the chat focuses on the evolution of Bridge Road Brewers and the manner in which they've pushed the story of independence as well as anyone in Australia, we also discuss their successful move into non-alc beers, beer tourism, their 20th birthday celebrations, and delicious drunken cows.Before the main interview, Will and James cover the success of relative newcomer Eclectic Brewing at last week's Royal Adelaide Beer & Cider Awards, the launch of our new Creating A Venue series, our Who Brews…? feature on fledgling Sydney operation Blackwattle Bar + Brewery, and the IBA's call for submissions in support of their work around market access for indie brewers.Start of segments: 11:01 – Ben & Maria Part 1 37:22 – Bintani Brewery Boosters 41:35 – Ben & Maria Part 2To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“People's tastes won't go back to where they were before. So, whatever shape it takes in the next few years, we're still going to see better beer in Australia.”For 30 years and counting, Bintani have played a key role supplying the beer industry with essential ingredients. But more than that, they've also been a key pillar of support for brewers and industry events – and an important sounding board for ideas too.For this episode of The Crafty Pint Podcast, James and Will were fortunate enough to be joined by Pete, Phil and Dale Meddings at Bintani HQ in Melbourne.Pete founded Bintani in 1995 when he secured a distribution deal with DCL Yeast, which later became known as Fermentis, after taking still-at-school son Phil along for moral support.He built the business to supply homebrew shops but, in the decades since, Bintani has grown with, and become a major player in, the craft beer industry. As a result, Phil and Dale are now co-CEOs of a much larger business responsible for putting products from a number of major brands into the hands of Aussie and Kiwi brewers, while still supporting all facets of the industry.Before the main interview (and a detour into country music), Will and James chat about their recent jam-packed road trip, the former's Beer By Design story on rebrands, the slick new Prospect Hotel & Cellars in Adelaide, and the addition of Kick Back Brewing to the Crafty directory.As ever, we're always on the lookout for more Have You Done A Rallings? and Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month nominations, as well as listener feedback on the show so far. And if you're enjoying the show, feel free to like, subscribe, rate and comment!Start of segments: 7:54 – Bintani Part 1 26:38 – Roxset 29:57 – Bintani Part 2To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“If you don't hustle you haemorrhage."Will Ziebell visited Bright Brewery for their annual Darker Days festival and, while in the High Country town, sat down with their national business development and brand manager Evin Craney.Evin joined the brewery six years ago following a career in sales that saw him move from bottleshop retail to a repping for number of Victorian breweries, and has since become chair of the Independent Brewers Association (IBA).The first half of the episode focuses on the IBA's advocacy work both before and after the federal election, while the second half covers Evin's role at Bright Brewery, the brewery's recent growth and acquisition of a Melbourne pub, and what it takes to sell beer – and indie beer's message – to the country's retailers.Before getting into the main interview, Will and James discuss the week's news from Tumut, which they'd visited as part of a podcast-filled road trip. The main topic is UK-based Powder Monkey Group buying Akasha and Wayward, which will become part of an Australian portfolio that already includes Southern Highlands Brewing Company and Willie the Boatman, while we also announce June's Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month.*Start of segments:* * 06:01 – Evin Craney Part 1 * 21:36 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month * 23:52 – Evin Craney Part 2

“I think Seven Sheds was a bit like the Velvet Underground. It's been said about the Velvet Underground that they didn't sell many records, but every second person who bought a record went off and started their own band. And I think we were a bit influential… to our own detriment.”Less than a year on from the first episode of The Crafty Pint Podcast, we've reached our 50th show, and mark the occasion with suitably distinguished guests.While many who first discovered craft beer in recent years may never have encountered Seven Sheds, or indeed co-founder and head brewer Willie Simpson, those who have enjoyed their beers or read Willie's words will be well aware of the vital role he played in bringing beer – and respect for it – to a wider audience.A few weeks ago, Willie and partner Catherine Stark bade farewell to cellar door customers for the last time, bringing to a close 17 years of brewing and pouring at their home in Railton, all while helping build the region's tourism infrastructure.They joined us for a broad-ranging chat that covers Willie's homebrewing days in Sydney and lengthy career as a freelance drinks writer, their decision to open a tiny residential brewery, meadery, hop garden and cellar door in Railton, the bureaucracy crushing small businesses, brewing beers with home-smoked peat bought from a guy called Pete, the beauty of open fermenters, the toilet tax and more.The start of the episode sees Will and James discussing the week's news, although once again doing so a few hours before we could confirm Rocky Ridge were the buyers of Fox Friday's Perth outpost.In non-Mountain Culture-related news, there was our Brew & A with Tim Howard – the head brewer at double AIBA trophy-winners Merino Brewery, a feature on the man behind the beers at Bicheno Brewing on the Tasmanian East Coast, and a heads-up for three upcoming Crafty Pint events at BentSpoke, KAIJU! and Slipstream, each with discounts for our beer club members.We reveal the identity of the latest “good beer citizen” in our Have You Done A Rallings? campaign and, given we've racked up 50 episodes, we're also keen for feedback from listeners / viewers and have launched a survey so you can tell us what you think of the show.Start of segments: 10:41 – Willie & Catherine Part 1 36:19 – Have You Done A Rallings? 38:32 – Willie & Catherine Part 2To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"We've done some really hop-forward, Brettanomyces-fermented beers which have been really neat with Vic Secret too, just the way that the Brett biotransforms some of the compounds in Vic Secret is pretty cool."In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we've created a series of podcast episodes – an Aussie Hop Series – looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.Over the course of the series, we've spoken to leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.We wrap up the series in the company of Zach Nichols, owner and brewer at Cellar West in Colorado, and Chris Swersey from HPA. The hop in question is Vic Secret, known for its pine and pineapple qualities.Zach and Chris talk to host Craig Williams about how and where the hop works best, the hugely diverse range of beers in which Vic Secret is used by Cellar West, how Chris first came across the variety, how the "oil monster" evolved over the years, and more.For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit hops.com.au.To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“I think we're just as surprised as anyone, really. We've been blown away by the awards.”Since settling into their Bathurst brewpub in 2022, Reckless Brewing have been on quite the tear when it comes to beer awards. They've picked up three trophies for three different beers in three straight years at the Australian International Beer Awards while securing trophies at other beer competitions too.Two of the brewery's founders – Grace Fowler and Jarrod Moore – joined Will and James from their brewery venue to share their thoughts on trophy success, how they've built a community and loyal team in regional NSW, and their ambitions to become a national brand even as the landscape becomes more challenging and many others breweries are downsizing.We also dive into their history, including Grace's experience brewing at Ikon and Akasha, how the couple met, their friendship with fellow founder, Alice Wilson, why the trio launched Reckless in 2019, life-changing IPAs, and how luck – or maybe good timing – has played a key role in their rise.Before the interview, James and Will discuss the Carwyn family's recent re-acquisition of Carwyn Cellars, the familiar names back winning more trophies at the Perth Royal Beer Awards, and our latest Beer By Design story which focuses on the role of graphic designers. Midway through, you'll also encounter the first in a mini-series of segments featuring Beer30.As ever, don't forget to like and subscribe the show – you can rate and review it too if you like – and keep the entries coming for Bluestone Yeast's Brewery of the Month and our celebration of good beer citizens, Have You Done A Rallings?Start of Segments: 11:35 – Reckless Brewing Part 1 34:15 – Beer30 on COGS 42:21 – Reckless Brewing Part 2Relevant links: Reckless Brewing Carwyns Buy Carwyn Beer By Design: The Graphic Designers Perth Royal Beer Awards Beer30 Nominate a Brewery of the Month Nominate a good beer citizen Cryer MaltTo find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"I don't think you can really overpower it because it's just such a great hop and pairs really well with a lot of other tropical or fruity hops."In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we've created a series of podcast episodes – an Aussie Hop Series – looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.Over the course of the series, we're speaking with leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these iconic hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.For this, the penultimate episode in the series, we chatted to Philter head brewer Max Hämmerle and Michael Capaldo from HPA, about Eclipse. The hop, renowned for its mandarin and citrusy qualities, was formally commercialised and given the name Eclipse in 2020 after appearing in beers for a number of years as HPA-016.Max and Michael chat about its impact on beers, how and when it's used by Philter, Eclipse in Spectrum liquid hop form, as well as a teaser about the latest experimental variety HPA are sharing with brewers.For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit hops.com.au.To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"In this game, you have to all believe in what you're trying to achieve.”While no strangers to awards success, it's fair to say the team at Philter enjoyed a night to remember at the 2025 Australian International Beer Awards, taking home four major trophies.After a brief yet raucous chat with them on the night, we reconvened two weeks later for a more relaxed and wide-ranging catch-up with co-founders Mick Neil and Stef Constantoulas – mates who met when they moved in to the same Marrickville street a few years before launching their brewing company.As well as reflecting on the impact of their recent success, they take us back to their pre-Philter days in the worlds of surfing gear and big beer, their first meetings with Sam Füss – the brewer behind many of their killer recipes we spoke to at her new home in Bali last year, the values driving the brand, the ongoing evolution of their multi-faceted venue, and their plans for the future.The conversation touches upon many wider issues facing the beer and hospitality worlds too, from price pressures and market access to the need to keep fighting to bring consumers into the world of local, indie beer.This week's show features the debut of another mini-series supported by Mogwai Labs. Breaking Down Beer Styles kicks off with a look at dry Irish stouts for which Mogwai founder Josh Allen joined by Jared Palu and Lincoln Gibbs from Felons.In the intro, Will and James reflect on Gage Roads turning 20 this week, as well as on the closure after 17 years of Seven Sheds in Tasmania. Look out for an upcoming episode featuring that brewery's founders: beer writer Willie Simpson and partner Catherine Stark.In the week they celebrate the launch of their brewery, Will also puts Barbarian Brewing Co in Melbourne's west forward as a potential Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month; read about them via the link below.Start of segments: 13:47 – Philter Part 1 40:00 – Breaking Down Beer Styles with Mogwai Labs 51:12 – Philter Part 2Relevant links: Australian International Beer Awards 2025 Philter Brewing Building A Brewery In Bali ft Sam Füss Gage Roads at 20 Mogwai Labs Barbarian Brewing Co Nominate a Brewery of the Month Nominate a Good Beer Citizen Midlands InsuranceTo find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“The purpose of Topaz was really a bittering hop. And then as that craft flavour grew and hit mainstream, it really evolved from simply being a start-of-boil, hot-side hop to something that was used at end of boil to something that's now used in the dry hop as well.”In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we've created a series of podcast episodes – an Aussie Hop Series – looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.Over the course of the series, we're speaking with leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these iconic hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.In the fourth episode in the series, we chatted to Jesse James Searls, from Young Henrys, and Michael Capaldo from HPA, about Topaz. The pair discuss the variety's evolution from being predominantly a bittering hop when it was first commercialised in 1997 to one used for dry-hopping, its tropical character, biotransformation and more.For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit hops.com.au.To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"I'm the one who can have a beer and advertise my endowment. The Edward Teller professor of nuclear physics is not walking around with uranium. And you can join the pet food industry, but on a Friday night you can't have a few cans of Chum."Charlie Bamforth is a name and voice familiar to many in the beer world. He's one of beer's great storytellers and has worked in the industry since 1978, the year he started at the Brewing Research Foundation before moving to Bass in the UK. He later spent decades as a professor of brewing at UC Davis in the States, teaching countless students the science of beer. Today, he's Senior Quality Advisor at the legendary Sierra Nevada after an attempt at retirement was foiled by an offer from his old mate Ken Grossman.Will and Craig caught up with Charlie while in Hobart for the CIBD conference earlier in the year for a chat about his life in beer, his experience teaching and working at Sierra Nevada, and his passion for the liquid he's spent his life around.Prior to the interview, James and Will discuss the week's news, including Mountain Culture's purchase of Fox Friday, our story on KAIJU!'s blossoming love for lager, and our features on two of beer's rising stars: Julia Santos Muriel and Anaya Summer.Don't forget to like and subscribe to the show, and listen out to discover the identity of our latest Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month.Start of segments: 13:55 – Charlie Bamforth Part 1 32:04 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month 37:50 – Charlie Bamforth Part 2Relevant links: The Pope of Foam Mountain Culture Acquire Fox Friday The Metamorphosis of KAIJU! Brew & A: Julia Santos Muriel Anaya Summer Slays Beer Nominate a Brewery of the Month Cryer MaltTo find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“Incredible. Sticky, glistening, super-intense resin and fruit goodness…”In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we've created a series of podcast episodes – an Aussie Hop Series – looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.Over the course of the series, we're speaking with leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these iconic hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.For the third episode, we chatted to Jeremy Moynier, from iconic Californian brewery Stone, and Chris Swersey from HPA, about Ella, including Jeremy's first encounter with the hop at HPA's farm back in 2015.For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit hops.com.au.To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"I got the feedback and it was brutal. But I didn't get upset; I just took it on the chin."Who better to feature on the podcast the week after the country's biggest beer awards than the man whose beers have won more trophies in recent years than any other?Moffat Beach Brewing Co might have had to make do with a clutch of gold, silver and bronze medals at this year's Australian International Beer Awards but the small Sunshine Coast brewery's name has become as synonymous with trophy glory as any.To find out how the operation that was born in a beachside café reached this point, we sat down with co-founder Matt Wilson at their Caloundra Production House to trace the story from his days growing up playing rugby in regional Australia via the armed forces to becoming a trader in Sydney. That's where he met wife Shaz, the driving force behind the decision to buy said café pretty much sight unseen, from where they'd embark on a whole new odyssey.Matt takes us back to his earliest brews, the "brutal" feedback from awards judges that set him on the right track, subsequent glories, expansion, and the roller-coaster ride of life as a brewery owner in a region where they were the second to open and in which you now find more than 20.Prior to the main interview, Craig and James reflect on what appears to have been the most successful Pint of Origin to date, last week's awards, and the Aussie Hop Series we launched with HPA earlier this month.There's a reminder to celebrate the country's brewers and good beer citizens in our Have You Done A Rallings? and Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month campaigns. And, if you took part in Pint of Origin, to share your feedback so we can aim to make it even better in the future. We did, however, record it too early to include the news that Mountain Culture have bought Fox Friday and associated assets.Start of segments: 17:36 – Matt Wilson Part 1 44:33 – Matt Wilson Part 2Relevant links: Moffat Beach Brewing Co The Story Of Moff's Summer Ale Pint of Origin Consumer Survey Aussie Hop Series Nominate a Good Beer Citizen Nominate a Brewery of the Month Mountain Culture Acquire Fox Friday Roxset AustraliaTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"It's like the most amazing team player of all time."In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we've created a series of podcast episodes - an Aussie Hop Series - looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.We'll be speaking with leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these iconic hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.In this episode, we spoke to George MacGregor, head brewer at Aether Brewing in Brisbane, and Simeon Bonetti from HPA, about Enigma: its backstory, character, how best to use it, and more. Enjoy the chat!For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit https://www.hops.com.au/

There's a special edition of The Crafty Pint Podcast this week as we come to you from the Australian International Beer Awards.The country's biggest annual beer competition, which is now into its fourth decade, took place at the Melbourne Showgrounds on May 15, where hundreds gathered to see which beers and brewers would be heading home laden with trophies.As soon as the last trophy had been handed out, with Champion Australian Beer going to the unheralded Wedgetail Brewing from WA, Will and James grabbed a couple of the trophy winners for a quick chat as they celebrated, then headed next door to reflect on this year's results.There was much to discuss, with a colourful blend of the familiar and fresh-faced, repeat winners and newcomers, and a great night overall for local brewers, with Aussies claiming the vast majority of the beer and cider trophies on offer.We were joined by a special guest too: Guy Southern has been covering the WA beer scene for The Crafty Pint for many a moon now while also building a career across the state's drinks industry. He won Best Media for 2025, flying in from Perth to collect his trophy, which was handed to him by last year's winner, Will. After the break, we also take a peek behind the scenes at this year's judging. We joined Kirrily Waldhorn, a long-time host and judge at the awards who now oversees competitions for Melbourne Royal, and Emily Usher, a brewer at Mountain Goat, as the 2,000-plus entries were being put to the test.And, while in celebratory mood, we want to remind people to get nominations in for their Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month and the "Have You Done A Rallings?" campaign showcasing good beer citizens.Start of segments: From start – Guy Southern 14:20 – Mick Neil and Stef Constantoulas – Philter 17:37 – Grace Fowler – Reckless Brewing 21:17 – Kirrily Waldhorn – Melbourne Royal 30:23 – Emily Usher – Mountain GoatRelevant links: AIBA 2025 Results Philter Brewing Reckless Brewing Nominate a Brewery of the Month Nominate a good beer citizen KlippakanTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we're delighted to publish a series of podcast episodes - an Aussie Hop Series - looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.We'll be speaking with leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these iconic hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.In this first episode, we spoke to Caolan Vaughan, head brewer at Stone & Wood, and Michael Capaldo from HPA, about Galaxy, a hop that today needs almost no introduction. We hope you enjoy the chat!For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit https://www.hops.com.au/

"There's so much more than just drinking a beer. It's about the environment, the culture, and sharing it with friends."Most people in their very early 30s are probably just about working out what they want to do with their lives. In Steph Howard's case, she's already off to start a new career having left an indelible mark on the beer industry on both sides of The Ditch.For many, the young Kiwi has been the face of Cryer Malt, then Barrett Burston – certainly once David Cryer had sold his business and returned to his epic collection of comic books – and an everpresent at industry events not just in Australia and New Zealand but across the globe.After landing a job with David straight from uni, Steph swiftly moved from someone who didn't drink beer to someone intricately involved in the craft beer scene as it evolved from the fringes. A baptism of fire showed this was someone who would most definitely swim not sink, making her recent announcement that she was moving back to New Zealand and into the dairy industry one that caught many in the beer world by surprise.In the midst of packing her bags, Steph joined us to reflect on her decade in the beer world, the changes she's witnessed, the friends she's made, and the people that inspired her over the years.Before we join Steph, Will and James chat about TWØBAYS' remarkable success at the World Beer Cup, the latest example of a brewery opening an experience-led space – Chalky's from Bucketty's, HPA's 2025 hop report, and Pint of Origin, which runs from May 9 to 18.Start of segments: 13:02 – Steph Howard Part 1 36:42 – Steph Howard Part 2Relevant links: Steph Howard's New Heights David Cryer – 30 and Out Cryer Malt TWØBAYS World Beer Cup Win Bucketty's Open Chalky's Pint of Origin 2025 Beer Cocktails Roxset AustraliaTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“People attract people. It's that simple. Nobody wants to sit in an empty room.”If you've visited The Lincoln – a 171-years-and-counting-old corner pub on the edge of Melbourne's CBD – at any point in the past decade, there's a good chance you'll have enjoyed the experience. After all, as we like to put it: they do everything excellently, all the time – and the team has a bulging trophy cabinet that suggests we're not alone.As they prepare to showcase the Tasmanian beer scene once again for the Pint of Origin festival, we sat down with Iain Ling, who bought the pub with wife Stella in 2014, for a chat about what goes into running a great pub and creating the sort of community that has evolved at The Lincoln.We also delve into the backstory of one of the Melbourne hospo scene's true characters – one that took in club promotion, fine dining and high-end retail in England before he moved to Australia, where he ran Movida Aqui prior to becoming a publican.It's a conversation that goes as deep as it does wide, covering Tetris ninjas, kissing frogs and the challenges of surviving and thriving in the industry on the one hand, to the joy that comes from packing a venue with punters in what he believes is a golden era for pubs, albeit one that's threatened by sky-high taxes and rocketing prices.Before Iain shares his hard-earned wisdom, Will and James reflect on the glorious career in beer of Evan Cray, who this month switched craft beer for Tabasco after being a central, yet humble, figure in the rise of beer in Melbourne since he was old enough to drink it.We also look forward to Pint of Origin, which launches on May 9, as well as the festival's "Pining for a taste of home" competition that started this week.Start of segments: 9:14 – Iain Ling Part 1 39:27 – Iain Ling Part 2Relevant links: The Lincoln Pint of Origin 2025 Pining For A Taste Of Home Competition Craft Beer Heroes: Evan Cray Klippakan Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"The nature of our brewery definitely comes across in our beers. I like to think of our brewhouse and fermenters as the terroir."Bruny Island is quite unlike anywhere else in Australia and, fittingly, Bruny Island Beer Co is a truly unique operation too.The brewery's story began in 2003 when Nick Haddow founded Bruny Island Cheese Co; in the years since, he's become a well-known champion of Tasmania, its produce, and the art of making cheese with integrity.In 2016, Nick launched the brewing wing of the venture with Evan and Steph Hunter, who have since moved to the mainland and helped launch Bendigo Brewing. As with the cheese, Bruny Island beers have a focus on place, utilising local ingredients and eschewing more common styles.These days, brewing is headed up by Luke Rutland, a former Stone & Wood brewer, who is joined in the brewhouse by several brewers, including Amy Beavan. While in Hobart for the CIBD convention, we caught up with Nick, Luke and Amy to learn more about their stories, the cheese, the beer, and what life is like on beautiful Bruny Island.Ahead of the main interview, James and Will reflect on Fox Friday and the group's associated businesses, Carwyn Cellars and the Moonah Hotel, entering voluntary administration as well as our feature shadowing Aussie brewers at the NZ hop harvest. You'll also discover the identity of our latest Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month.Start of segments: 7:54 – Bruny Island Beer Co Part 1 26:38 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month 29:57 – Bruny Island Beer Co Part 2Relevant links: Bruny Island Cheese Co Bruny Island Beer Co Fox Friday Enter Voluntary Administration Where The Cash From First Guardian Went Beer Travel - Québec City From Beer To Bine at Clayton Hops Pint of Origin 2025 Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"A lot of customers are very concerned about their carbon footprint."For all the challenges faced by the beer industry, it's one that continues to forge ahead in many areas, not least when it comes to sustainability.Whether the focus is powering breweries, recycling or reusing ingredients, supporting organic and regenerative farming practices, or creating new and innovative ways of cutting waste, the brewing industry and those with which it shares a symbiotic relationship are often hotbeds for fostering sustainable practices.It's an area we've covered extensively on The Crafty Pint and, in this episode of our podcast, Craig Williams brings together a panel of pioneers from different businesses helping drive industries in a more eco-friendly direction.He's joined by George Wade, co-founder of UK-based Zevero, which helps breweries calculate their carbon emissions, Tom Field, founder of Sydney-based Bearhug Pallet Wraps, and Jonathon Buntz, from Ecogrip, producer of 100 percent Australian-owned and manufactured recycled plastic can holders.As well as exploring the genesis for each of their businesses and how they're helping customers operate in a more sustainable manner, they discuss the benefits to brewers, the challenges of persuading more businesses to implement new sustainability measures in tough economic times, and how business owners can take their first steps in this direction.Prior to the panel discussion, Craig is joined by James at Moffat Beach Brewing's Caloundra Production House (where they'd recorded a future show) to look back at another big week in beer – and that was before the news about Fox Friday's voluntary administration broke.The Akasha-Wayward unification and rebirth of Molly Rose from liquidation, plus a recent post by Phil Cook on his Beer Diary site, spark a discussion about independence, its meaning and relevance, while Craig offers insight on Steve Jeffares' takeover of the former Deeds Brewing site, after working with him on GABS for four years.We pump up the launch of the Pint of Origin program ahead of the festival's return on May 9, and in the middle of the show shout out the latest winners in the Have You Done A Rallings? campaign celebrating good beer citizens – nominate yours here.Start of segments: 17:12 – Sustainability Panel Part 1 34:12 – Have You Done A Rallings Winners 38:49 – Sustainability Panel Part 2Other relevant links Zevero's Starter Sustainability Kit For Brewers Bearhug Pallet Wraps Ecogrip Nominate a Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.NB We mention a travel article on Québec in the intro, but publication has been pushed back due to the breaking news regarding Fox Friday.

"Balance is key for me in beer. I really love when a brewer can execute the balance between malt, hops and yeast."Dave Macgill is a brewer whose name will be well known to many in all parts of the Australian beer industry. For many years, he was head brewer at Tasmania's Moo Brew, just one of three people to hold the reins at the pioneering brewery across its 20-year history.These days, you'll find him at Deep South Brewing Co, the North Hobart brewery he launched in 2021 with some old mates. While visiting Hobart earlier in the year, Will and Craig caught up with Dave to chat about the Deep South story, his time at Moo, and his continued passion and optimism for the beer industry.Before the interview, James and Will talk about The Crafty Pint's recent Beer By Design features focusing on trends and the artists who bring beer cans to life, our Brew & A with Becky Centeno, and the Pint of Origin 2025 festival program launch.As ever, don't forget to submit your entries for our Have You Done A Rallings? celebration of the country's good beer citizens, as well as your nominations for Bluestone Yeast's Brewery of the Month.Start of segments: 8:05 – Dave Macgill Part 1 26:48 – Dave Macgill Part 2Relevant links: Beer By Design: The Artists Beer By Design: The Trends Brew & A: Becky Centeno Pint of Origin 2025 Dave Heads Deep South Deep South Brewing Co Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

In an industry with no shortage of hop lovers, Tom Shellhammer's interest in the wondrous plant goes further than most. The Professor of Fermentation Science at Oregon State University is an internationally-recognised expert in hops chemistry who frequently travels the globe to provide his insights into all things hops. Indeed, as this podcast goes live, Tom is spending a multi-month sabbatical in New Zealand in order to better understand the industry there. Taking advantage of his time Down Under, we caught up with him during the Chartered Institute of Brewing and Distilling's 2025 Asia Pacific Convention in Hobart. There, Will and Craig chatted to Tom about his fields of interest, including how terroir and the moment within harvest that hops are picked can impact the flavours and aromas brewers are able to elicit from different varieties.Ahead of the main interview, James and Will chat about some sobering recent news, with Molly Rose appointing liquidators and Currumbin Valley closing the doors of their Gold Coast operation for good. We also discuss the IBA's hopes and plans for the upcoming Federal Election, Pink Boots' mentorship program, and reveal the latest winner of our Have You Done A Rallings? campaign celebrating good beer citizens.Start of segments: 13:45 – Tom Shellhammer Part 1 38:44 – Have You Done A Rallings? 41:33 – Tom Shellhammer Part 2Relevant links: Liquidators Brought In By Molly Rose Currumbin Valley Closes Indie Beer's Campaign 2025 Pink Boots Mentorship Meet The Hop Doctor Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month The Crafty Pint's beer club: The Crafty CabalTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

On March 21, 2025, The Crafty Pint team MC'd and recorded The High Country Hop Technical Symposium in Beechworth.Over the coming months, we'll share some of the presentations and panels from the day outside of our usual podcast schedule. First up: the team from the Independent Brewers Association, whose keynote presentation contains plenty of eye-opening data on the state of the industry and a call to arms ahead of the 2025 Federal Election.You can read more about their Campaign 2025 – and how you can get involved, whether you work in beer or just enjoy it – in the accompanying article below. Indie Beer's 2025 Election Campaign Campaign 2025

“Any job where it's reasonable for you to have a beer in your hand when you're doing it is a pretty good deal.”Those words could be spoken at any brewery opening; in this case, however, they come courtesy of Crafty podcast guest Matt Stewart.Matt is a Melbourne-based comedian, podcast host, and history-travel-beer guide known as The Beer Pioneer. The last of those is a television show that first aired in 2021 and saw Matt track the path of William Buckley while visiting breweries along the way. Season Two – Up The Guts – is available now on YouTube; it follows John McDouall Stuart's journey from the bottom to the top of Australia.As well as hosting a show about beer, Matt has long loved trying new beers, frequently visiting new breweries and posting about them via his Paddlegram posts.Ahead of the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, during which Matt is performing his new show Bad Boy, we chatted to him about his love for beer, career in comedy, and the common ground between the two.Ahead of the main interview, James and Will talk about Voyager Craft Malt's impressive showing on the world stage, and the growing number of hop waters on the local market. You'll also discover who's been named Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month.Start of segments: 7:54 – Matt Stewart Part 1 43:18 – Bluestone Brewery of the Month 45:53 – Matt Stewart Part 2Relevant links: Crafty article on The Beer Pioneer The Beer Pioneer's YouTube Channel Matt's MICF 2025 Show Do Go On Podcast More Global Success For Voyager I Feel It In My (Hop) Waters Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

In early March, The Crafty Pint headed to Hobart for the 38th Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers Asia Pacific Convention. The event brings together brewers, distillers and suppliers from all over the globe for several days of technical presentations and networking with the aim of improving standards and education for technical brewers and distillers.To provide a behind-the-scenes slice of what CIBD is all about, we recorded three distinct, shorter-than-usual podcast interviews for this episode.First up, you'll hear Will and Craig chat to CIBD CEO Tom Shelston and president Dr Megan Sheehy PhD about the organisation's purpose, history and why there's now a C in front of IBD. Next up is Carlos Ruiz, chief sales officer at HVG, a major German hop grower and supplier. Against the backdrop of the craft lager renaissance, we wanted to pick his brains about the growing interest from craft brewers in traditional German hops as well as his impressive journey in the Bavarian beer industry, one that starts in Venezuela.Finally, we look more locally and talk to Tim Bishop, co-founder and head brewer at Easy Tiger, about his experience at CIBD and his brewery's story. Based on Tassie's northeast coast, the brewery is as tiny as it is unique, complete with a café, multiple restaurants and a cinema. Ahead of those chats, James and Will cover the industry's recent news, including Last Man Standing's takeover of the former home of Newstead, and Nail Brewing's impending 25th anniversary.We're excited to announce that Pint of Origin is return for a thirteenth time – touching down in Melbourne from May 8 to 19, and to bring back Bintani's Sam Bethune with more ways breweries can get the most out of their ingredients. We're also eager to see more submissions for the Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month and our Have You Done A Rallings? campaign celebrating the country's good beer citizens.Start of segments: 14:26 – Tom Shelston & Dr Megan Sheehy 27:37 – Bintani Brewery Booster 31:29 – Carlos Ruiz 54: 55 – Tim BishopRelevant links: CIBD Hobart HVG Easy Tiger Last Man Standing Take Over Newstead Tough As Nail Pint of Origin 2025 Bintani Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Beer tourism was back on the cards in 2024 in a big way – locally, at least, as we noted in our Year in Beer 2024 wrap. A number of new ale trails popped up, with those in WA's South West, Newcastle and the enhanced Inner West Ale Trail joining well-established ventures in places such as the NSW South Coast and Collingwood.Already in 2025, they've been joined by the Brookie Trail, which formalised the unofficial trek between the breweries of Brookvale. Not only is it the country's newest at time of writing, it has to be the easiest to take on: many of the venues are within easy eyesight of each other.To find out how it came about, what it's all about, and to learn more about beer businesses can work in harmony to bring visitors through all of their doors, we paid a visit, catching up with Freshwater Brewing co-founder Jonny Bucknall and 7th Day Brewery GM Joel Ridzuan (who had to travel an arduous 60m from brewery door to brewery door).As well as picking their brains about Brookie, beer tourism, and how they got the trail off the ground, we delve into their stories, the diversity the area's breweries bring, the challenges of operating as a small beer business in 2025, and what the local Macca's carpark needs to do to qualify for the trail.Prior to the main interview, we reflect on another tough few days in the beer industry. First, Brisbane pioneers Newstead Brewing closed their doors for good suddenly after trying to navigate years of endless unforeseen challenges; days later, Konvoy Kegs was placed into receivership after their main lender cut off funding.Rather more upbeat is the tale out of WA, where the founders of Funk Drinks Co. – best known for their ciders – have launched their first beer brewed with grains grown on their farm and malted locally too, while expressions of interest are now open for Sydney Beer Week, and you can still nominate for our second Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month.Start of segments: 9:17 – Jonny & Joel Part 1 31:00 – Rockstar Brewery Academy 37:36 – – Jonny & Joel Part 2 Relevant links: Crafty's Year in Beer 2024 Freshwater Brewing 7th Day Brewery The Brookie Trail Newstead Closes For Good Konvoy Kegs Go Into Receivership Funk Farmers Go Paddock To Pint Sydney Beer Week Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month Rockstar Brewer AcademyTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

TWØBAYS weren't the first gluten-free brewers in Australia, but they've certainly done their bit when it comes to putting Australian gluten-free beer on the map, not least when their Session Ale was named best GF beer on the planet at last year's World Beer Cup in the States.Before achieving that prestigious high, they'd already become the first indie brewer to breach the macro-booze citadel that is the MCG – a move that has opened more doors for them – and set about changing people's perceptions as to what beers brewed without barley and a range of other malts typically used in brewing can be.Ahead of their 2025 Free The Taps event, at which some of the country's best beer venues are hosting TWØBAYS tap takeovers during Coeliac Awareness Week, we joined founder Richard Jeffares and head brewer Kristian Martin at the brewery's Dromana home.As well as hearing about Richard's journey from coeliac diagnosis relatively late in life to brewery owner via tours of GF breweries in the US, we discuss the ethos driving the business, the challenges of brewing with atypical ingredients, and their lofty – yet entirely reasonable – goals for the future.Before we get to Richard and Kristian, we discuss Labor's latest election promise to the beer world, Slipstream's success at this year's Royal Queensland awards – plus our “Slays Beer” feature on the young brewer behind their green Pandan-Monium beer, the recent openings of Rocky Ridge Duncraig and the new Bracket Brewing, Bright's move into the heart of Melbourne, the closing of entries for this year's Australian International Beer Awards and more.We also celebrate more good beer citizens with the second winner in our "Have You Done A Rallings?" campaign: Russell Steele, from Easy Times Brewing in Brisbane.Start of segments: 15:47 – Richard & Kristian Part 1 42.48 – Have You Done A Rallings? 46.14 – Richard & Kristian Part 2Relevant links: TWØBAYS' World Beer Cup Gold Free The Taps Labor Boost Their Election Promise Slipstream's Awards Success John Nguyen Slays Beer Bracket Brewing Are Back Rocky Ridge Duncraig Opens Bright Buy PAs In Carlton Have You Done A Rallings? The High Country Hop 2025To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“Citra is like salt – you kinda need it… but also we have a lot contracted so we need to get through it!”Banks Brewing hold a place in many Aussie beer drinkers' hearts, not least as one of the country's finest brewers of all things hop-forward and hazy. Yet the Seaford brewery launched by Chris and Penny Farmer back in 2016 has – usually without fanfare – pioneered many other styles and techniques over the years.These days, West Coast pilsners are at the very top of both Chris and Penny's list of favoured beers; we wrote about them alongside Cali IPAs in late 2024, yet they released their first all the way back in 2018. That beer was inspired by one of many fact-finding missions (holidays?) to the States, and a fondness for studying what's happening in other beer cultures is often behind their desire to keep pushing forwards.We sat down with the couple at their brewery, one that's much-changed from its earliest days. Then, they only ever envisaged having a tiny, winery-esque cellar door before they realised very eager drinkers wanted more, which has led to Banks – formerly Mr Banks – evolving and expanding ever since.We discuss building a business alongside a young family, the beers that showed them who they were as a brewery, the beauty of collaborations, forging new outlets, constant renewal, and their brush with a Hollywood icon.Before we get to that, however, we discuss the moment Albo seemed to offer hope for small producers in an election promise only to dash those hopes once the details were revealed. And Will talks about a good news story from the Central Coast, where Six String have this week opened their new venue ready to host live music once more.We also reveal the first winner of the Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month: Cypher Brewing in Canberra.Start of segments: 9:30 – Chris & Penny Part 1 32:24 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month 37:58 – Chris & Penny Part 2Relevant links: Banks Brewing Labor's Promise Too Little, Too Late Six String's Big Move Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month Cypher Brewing Have You Done A Rallings? OPM DesignTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"I think we got tagged early on as a hype brewery. We're not afraid to say that we were."In the words of Willie Nelson, we're on the road again for this episode – or at least we were – as our chat with James McCall and Carla Naismith of Shapeshifter Brewing is the last of the shows we recorded in Adelaide at the tail end of 2024.James founded the brewery with Kevin Mulcahy after the pair met on a brewing course run by SA legend Stephen Nelsen. They launched their first beers before opening a brewery and quickly made a name for themselves on the back of some banging oat cream IPAs.These days they brew and welcome punters to their brewpub home in Findon – part of a brewery circuit in Adelaide's west – and continue to experiment with new styles, techniques, and ingredients, with a particular fondness for hops.As well as delving into their stories and the evolution of Shapeshifter, we discuss some of the issues still impacting many in the beer and hospitality negatively, as well as steps that can be taken to make it a more inclusive and welcoming industry.Prior to the main interview, Will and James discuss the week's news, including Sydney Brewery's acquisition of Rocks Brewing from liquidators, the inspiring tale of the mates behind Auslan Beers, and the continuing mainstream media coverage of the unfair excise tax system and its impact on brewers, venues, retailers and drinkers alike.Funnily enough, it was podcast regular Craig Williams – back here with Hendo for some more Rockstar Brewer Academy advice – who landed on the TV news and Sunrise off the back of a viral video he shot about beer's “fifth ingredient” with his Blackflag Brewing hat on.Don't forget to get your nominations in for the Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month and, if you're in Sydney on February 26, James is hosting an Ale Trail Blind Tasting Face-Off at Hopsters. Just ten tickets left when this show was uploaded – ticket link below.Start of segments: 10:12 – James & Carla Part 1 32:13 – Rockstar Brewer Academy 38:21 – James & Carla Part 2Relevant links: Shapeshifter Brewing Brew & A: Carla Naismith Sydney Brewery Take Over Rocks Auslan Beers Beer Tax on TV Ale Trail Blind Tasting Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month The High Country Hop Rockstar Brewer Academy FOBOHTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Terms like “legend”, “iconic” and “trailblazer” get bandied around a lot, probably rather more than they should. Yet we doubt there would be anyone in the Australian beer industry who would quibble if we applied any – or all – of them to Jade Flavell and The Wheaty, the Thebarton pub she's been running for more than two decades.We sat down with Jade to reflect on her time in hospitality, and her passion for good beer (and whisky), “thinking drinking”, and celebrating independence.That we joined her in the band room at the rear of the pub was highly appropriate too: the discussion of independence covered more than beer and hospo and took in the huge challenges facing independent music venues in the face of their own version of the multinational brewing and booze retail behemoths.The conversation stretches back to Jade's early days in Adelaide pubs, alongside the two mates with whom she'd take over Wheatsheaf Hotel – Trotty and Liz, and examines how drinking culture has come a fair way in the decades since yet still has distance left to run. Jade takes us through the transition from rundown, rotting pub to groundbreaking beer venue then award-winning brewpub, and to becoming The Wheaty's “benevolent dictator” following Trotty's passing and Liz's decision to leave the business.And she tells us about her intention, as guardian of the pub, to find a way to ensure it remains a home for great drinks and live music when the time comes to pass the baton.Prior to the chat with Jade, and rather contrary to those discussions of independence, we kick off the show talking about the recent departure from Balter of Scotty Hargrave, head brewer and a founding member, five years after the sale to CUB, as well as the new brewery for students at Bendigo TAFE.This week also sees us announce the first winners in our “Have You Done A Rallings?” campaign to highlight good beer citizens across Australia, and launch another campaign celebrating the country's brewers. Brewery of the Month is presented by Bluestone Yeast, and you can find out more – and nominate your favourite breweries – via the link below.Start of segments: 8:58 – Jade Flavell Part 1 35:29 – Have You Done A Rallings? 40:21 – Jade Flavell Part 2Relevant links: The Wheaty Crafty's Advent Calendar – Wheaty Jade Keeping Live Music Alive Scotty Leaves Balter Bendigo's New Brewery Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month Have You Done A Rallings?To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“This country has been crippled in the way politicians handle affairs … Well, someone needs to step up at some point and have the courage to recognise that we are now at a breaking point.”Anyone paying attention to craft beer in Australia over the past decade will be aware of two things. One, that Hawkers have consistently put out some of the best beers of any brewery in the country over that period. And, two, that founder and outgoing CEO Mazen Hajjar is one of the sharpest and most outspoken commentators on the industry.Both were among the reasons we invited him to be a guest on the podcast: Hawkers turn ten this month while the beer and hospitality worlds are experiencing existential threats from multiple directions. Since we extended that invite late last year, he's found himself in the eye of the news too after merging his brewery with White Bay in Sydney to form Social Drinks Group. The move provided more ammunition for what was always going to be a fascinating, wide-ranging, and occasionally fiery chat – one in which we addressed the issue of excise tax and a lack of support from the Federal Government just days before it blew up again on the back of the latest bi-annual tax hike and accompanying comments and directives from the Treasurer and ACCC respectively. The latter part of the interview is where Mazen really builds up a head of steam, taking on not just excise tax but other hot topics, including the abandonment of indie brewers by the homebrand-hawking retail duopoly, tap contracts, the inequities of the country's various container deposit schemes, and the lack of support for local producers from the government. He also expresses hope, however, even as he acknowledges that much of the industry is at breaking point, while reflecting on his decade at the helm of Hawkers, lessons he brought with him from his home country of Lebanon, and educating drinkers through experimentation.He also takes us inside the merger with White Bay – how it came aboutand is their attempt to carve out a future in a much-changed landscape – while sharing his experience of going through voluntary administration, as well as his future plans.Prior to joining Mazen, there's a longer-than-usual intro as Will and James discuss the fallout from the most recent rise in excise tax, its coverage in the media, and how the calls for change seem to be coming from more quarters and getting ever louder in this election year.Hendo is back with more tips on brewing efficiently, and we look ahead to the reopening of Tiny Mountain in Townsville after the brewery was bought from Lion by a Queensland-based hospo group.Start of segments: 22:27 – Mazen Hajjar Part 1 50:00 – Rockstar Brewer Academy 55:34 – Mazen Hajjar Part 2Relevant links: Hawkers & White Bay Merge The Exploding Cost Of Brewing Beer IBA response to the Treasurer's comments on excise tax IBA's Save Indie Beer Campaign Tiny Mountain To Reopen The Crafty Pint's Brewery & Venue Directory Rockstar Brewer AcademyTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

It's time to hit the road again after hosting the GABS Hottest 100 Countdown livestream as Will and James call into Noodledoof in Victoria's west.Founders Sam Rudolph and Alex Carr launched the brewpub and distillery with their partners in late 2019 – just before you-know-what hit – in Koroit, a small town a short drive inland from the western end of the Great Ocean Road.In the years since, they've gone on to create a genuinely distinctive operation in a region that was pretty much barren land for local craft beer before they came along.With Sam still making his way back from a beer festival in Melbourne on the day of our visit, we sat down with Alex to hear how the former homebrewing housemates from Adelaide ended up reuniting as brewers and distillers.We find out how they turned a former mechanics in the town's main street into a community hub, where the unique name comes from, and why they've been determined to create a brand like little else in Australia – certainly among breweries found so far from any major cities.Alex tells us about their mission to work with and celebrate local producers, foraging for native ingredients in the rich ecosystem of nearby Tower Hill whose Gunditjmara name, Koroitj, gives their adopted home its name, and creating unique spirits such as a wonderful potato vodka that pays homage to the Irish community that settled in the area in the mid-19th century.The show features great insights and inspiration for those looking to build a community around a regional brewery, and the rewards that can come from sticking to your beliefs.We also hear from Anne Gigney, founder and co-director of The Distillers Institute, ahead of March's IBD Convention in Hobart.Prior to the chat with Alex, we reflect briefly on this year's Hottest 100 results, the eye-catching merger between Hawkers and White Bay, and our feature on globe-trotting Aussie brewer Nick Galton-Fenzi.Start of segments: 10:54 – Alex Carr (part one) 30:16 – Ann Gigney 38:11 – Alex Carr (part two)Relevant links: Noodledoof GABS H100 of 2024 Livestream GABS H100 of 2024: Analysis Hawkers & White Bay Merge Aussie Exports: Nick Galton-Fenzi Have You Done A Rallings? The High Country Hop IBD 2025To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

For the best expert analysis served with a dash of opinion and plenty of banter, be sure to tune in to The Crafty Pint's GABS Hottest 100 Video Podcast on countdown day! Kicking off from 2.45pm AEDT on January 25, the Crafty team will guide you through the pointy end of the countdown, with deep dive trends and insights, interviews with brewers and beer lovers, wild chat, hot takes, listener comments, and more than a little random beer trivia. Yep, it's the world's oldest tradition… ranking beers and trying to make it sound like this is a serious thing we should be doing with our time. You can subscribe to The Crafty Pint Podcast on YouTube for the full video experience, and catch up with an audio replay later on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

We return to normal programming – temporarily at least ahead of our GABS Hottest 100 Countdown livestream – for Episode 028 of The Crafty Pint Podcast, featuring one of the interviews we recorded on the road in South Australia in late 2024.That said, it's arguably a little harsh to refer to Loophole Brewing as normal. Sure, it's a brewery that makes beer, but there's more to distinguish Loophole from your run-of-the-mill breweries than most. The entire operation is off grid. It's based on the grounds of a winery (but is no token beer brand designed to offer a modicum of choice at the cellar door). They grow barley they've used in their beers. They've won trophies for beer-wine hybrids and beer featuring local saltwater, and fermented the winery's grapes with nothing but Brettanomyces.In short, there was plenty to talk about when we pulled up at Cape Jaffa Wines – the first to plant vines on this stretch of the Limestone Coast – half an hour north of Robe.We were there to catch up with Tom O'Reilly, head brewer and also the man who designed and built the brewery for the Hooper family, the pioneers who saw the potential for producing wine in the region back in the 1990s.As well as discussing the brewery and winery's innovative and sustainable approach and regular cross-pollination of ideas and ingredients, we chat about Sunlight Liquor – Tom's mead brand, making a positive impact on the wider beer industry, the importance of educating drinkers, and how a mishap on his first night shift at Stone & Wood led to the creation of a Molly Rose favourite.Prior to the chat with Tom, we look at some of the positive news stories of the past week, including the imminent arrival of a Bridge Road bar at Melbourne Airport – hot on the heels of a Stone & Wood bar opening at Sydney Airport, the acquisition of Port Mac brewery Moorebeer by its long-term head brewer, and the arrival of Subculture Brewing in Brunswick.We've enjoyed a great start to our campaign shining a light on good beer citizens, "Have you done a Rallings?", while applications are now open for this year's Young Henrys IWD Brewing Scholarship supporting women and non-binary individuals aiming to get into the industry too. This week's episode also features a new segment featuring Steve "Hendo" Henderson of Rockstar Brewer with tips on brewing better beer.Start of segments: 12:43 – Tom O'Reilly (part one) 29:43 – Rockstar Brewer 35:28 – Tom O'Reilly (part two)Relevant links: Loophole Brewing Cape Jaffa Wines Bridge Road Brewers Land At Melbourne Airport Brewer Buys Brewery Who Brews Subculture Beers? Young Henrys IWD Scholarship Have You Done A Rallings? GABS H100 Countdown Livestream Rockstar Brewing Academy The High Country Hop IBD 2025To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

The Crafty Pint Podcast is back for 2025 after a most enjoyable break; we hope all our listeners and viewers had a great festive period too.Our first show of the year is a little different to most. We still reflect on the stories we've covered since the start of 2025, including the news that KAIJU! have become the latest brewing company to enter voluntary administration almost a year to the day after Wayward Brewing did the same, heralding Aussie craft beer's toughest 12 months.However, there's no main guest this time around. Instead, we look ahead to some of the notable upcoming events we're involved in, as well as announcing a new campaign through which we hope to shine a light on the good deeds taking place throughout the beer and hospo industries.In terms of events, The Catfish's QI: Beer Edition on January 18 features both podcast producer Matt Hofmann as MC and Crafty founder James Smith as a panelist. Then, a week later, we're hosting the live countdown of the GABS Hottest 100 via YouTube, while we also look ahead to the 2025 IBD Asia Pacific Convention in Hobart in conversation with convention chair Brendan Flanagan.The aforementioned new campaign has been created in partnership with the team at Rallings. You can find out what it means to have “done a Rallings” from the person who came up with the concept in the second half of the show. Or you can get straight on with nominating anyone you know who's done a good deed – big or small – in the wider beer world via the link below.We'll feature the best stories from those nominations in future shows – and there's prizes up for grabs for both the nominee and the person or business that nominates them.Start of segments: 7:46 – Discussion of recent news 19:01 – Brendan Flanagan – IBD 23:44 – Preview of GABS Hottest 100 Live Countdown & "Have you done a Rallings?"Relevant links: KAIJU! Enter VA Dash & Smash – Inside The World Of The Aussie Beer Milers Ten Lessons From Ten Years – Cupitt's Estate Catfish QI: Beer Edition (Jan 18) GABS H100 Live Countdown Nominate A Good Beer Citizen IBD Asia Pacific Convention 2025 Sign Up For The Next Brewing Course At Bendigo TAFE To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

The final episode of The Crafty Pint's Year In Beer 2024 series is a double-header with a triple dose of guests. After completing the full set of states, it's the turn of ACT and the Northern Territory.There have been notable anniversaries, not least in the capital with both BentSpoke Brewing and Page Bottler marking ten years in 2024, plus expansions, acquisitions, new openings, and the roller-coaster tale of Tumut River Brewing Co – one that's ended on a high with former staff now the new owners.Joining us to cast an eye over the past 12 months are Mat Farrington, Tim Rasheed and Kyle Pearson.Mat is the founder of CanBEERra, which he launched nine years ago to capture the goings-on in the beer world across the wider Canberra region. As well as offering insight into some of the newer operations, he's been mighty impressed with Cypher Brewing and their weekly tinnie releases of the past 12 months, plus the manner in which both To All My Friends and Herbert's at Evatt have shown how to operate as top-notch craft beer venues.Tim opened Page Bottler a decade ago and now crams more great beer per square metre into his store than you'll likely find anywhere in Australia. He brings two decades in booze retail to the table as he offers his thoughts on where the local / indie beer world sits and how breweries backing their own identity rather than overreaching is the way to go.And Kyle is the driving force behind Alice Springs Brewing Co and, as of a few weeks ago, the new owner of Beer Garden Brewing in Port Lincoln. He reflects on 2024, in which the brewery enjoyed the triumphant launch of their Territorian sub-brand and have put down deeper roots locally, as well as the reasons behind buying a second brewery 16 hours' drive from Alice. He also casts an eye over 12 months in which all of the NT's brewers have enjoyed successes, including One Mile's huge Territory Bar-BQ Festival in October, despite a drop in tourism.Start of guest segments:3:50 – Mat Farrington17:30 – Tim Rasheed28:18 – Kyle PearsonThe Crafty Pint's 2024 Year In Beer series is proudly presented by Mogwai Labs, leaders in liquid yeast solutions. For the perfect pitch every time, visit mogwailabs.com.au.Relevant links:The Crafty Pint's Year In Beer 2024: The National Picture: https://craftypint.com/news/3646/year-in-beer-2024-the-national-pictureCanBEERra: http://www.canbeerra.com/Page Bottler: https://craftypint.com/bottleshop/1106/page-bottlerAlice Springs Brewing Co: https://craftypint.com/brewery/544/alice-springs-brewing-coTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

We head to Queensland for the penultimate podcast of our Year In Beer 2024 series. As with much of the local beer industry, it's been a challenging time for many in the state. A number of craft beer venues have closed or changed hands, the most high profile of which was Brewski, whose owners Ant and Matt joined us for an earlier show before rocking up with their new My Beer Dealer in Fortitude Valley. Talking of high profile, the voluntary administration and, ultimately, sale of Black Hops Brewing to a new ownership team was among the most talked-about of all the littered the past 12 months in Australia. But, even here, the changes that brought led to an unexpected opportunity for two of the guests on this episode: Phil Sharp and Daniel Venema of Hiker Brewing. They took ownership of Black Hops Brisbane and converted it to their second home, a move they hadn't expected to make for a couple of years yet. However, such a decision feels very in keeping with the brewery's fine start to life. The founders discuss the lean and mean, community-centric ethos that's brought them to this point, the opportunities for smaller, locals-focused breweries to step in as the new pokie-free pub, their fondness for Working Title's beers, and how they were the real winners of the GABS Hottest 100 of 2023. We kick off, however, with Brisbane-based Crafty Pint writer Mick Wüst for his take on the past 12 months: the trends he's witnessed, the beers he's enjoyed, and what he's been up to, which has included publishing a second book and completing a third (both on spirits, following his first on beer). From there, we head to the Sunshine Coast where Craig Williams sits down at the home of Josh Donohoe, founder of Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours. A renewed focus on beer tourism is something we wrote about in the national trends article that launched this series and it's cropped up in other episodes, but few are as well versed as Josh. Not only has he been running tours in the region since the days when they had just a handful of breweries, but he's played a central role in the Craft Beer Capital tourism marketing campaign, even travelling with the region's brewers to sing the Sunshine Coast's praises in New Zealand. Start of guest segments: 2:40 – Mick Wüst 14:16 – Josh Donohoe 26:33 – Phil Sharp & Daniel VenemaThe Crafty Pint's 2024 Year In Beer series is proudly presented by Mogwai Labs, leaders in liquid yeast solutions. For the perfect pitch every time, visit mogwailabs.com.au. Relevant links: The Crafty Pint's Year In Beer 2024 Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours Mick's Gin Drinker's Toolkit Hiker BrewingTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Our final podcast episode before Christmas touches down in New South Wales for a look back at the Year In Beer there in the company of a trio of guests. First up we have Nemesia Dale-Cully – better known as Meesh to most. She's enjoyed a number of roles in the local beer world, first in Adelaide before moving from running Shapeshifter's venue to take over the hospitality side of things at Wildflower, and is also involved in Pink Boots Society Australia.Joining her for a chat with Will and James is another of our Sydney-based writers. We brought Benny onto the show as guest host a few weeks ago, and now it's a chance to meet Jason Treuen. As well as writing for The Crafty Pint, he's part of the team that brought the Inner West Ale Trail to life and a keen homebrewer. From there, we head north to chat to Nick McDonald, co-founder of Bucketty's Brewing, one of the many breweries that call the Northern Beaches home and as bluntly honest a guest as we've had on the show to date. Across the two conversations, we cover everything from the challenges of running small breweries in 2024 and renewed interest in beer tourism to the importance of community and the theatre of pouring beer. We also discuss trends, the standout breweries, beers and events of the past 12 months, and Jason's banana hefeweizen IPA...At the start of the show, given it's in our standard Thursday slot, we also go over the news of the previous week, with a focus on the IBA's announcement that there will be no BrewCon or Indies awards in 2025 as well as WA's one-man Evil Mega Corp.Start of guest segments: 10:42 – Jason Treuen & Nemesia Dale-Cully 39:42 – Nick McDonald The Crafty Pint's 2024 Year In Beer series is proudly presented by Mogwai Labs, leaders in liquid yeast solutions. For the perfect pitch every time, visit mogwailabs.com.au.Relevant links: The Crafty Pint's Year In Beer 2024 Wildflower & Mountain Culture launch Village Inner West Ale Trail Launches Bucketty's Brewing No BrewCon or Indies in 2025 Evil Mega Corp's No-Scale Ambition To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

We enter the second half of our Year In Beer 2024 series by heading across the Bass Strait to find out what's been happening in Tasmania.Unlike much of the country, the beer industry in the southern state has survived the year relatively unscathed. And just like much of the country, it's also seen the renewed interest in lager styles we've been writing about for a while now continue to grow.Joining hosts James and Will first is Matt Fielding, one half of the Science Made Beerable team; we had hoped to chat to the not-for-profit's co-founder Kelsey Picard too, but Kelsey was back home in New Zealand leaving Matt to hold the fort, which he did with aplomb. With Matt based in Hobart, we took a trip north to catch up with our second guest, Scott Seymour. We first crossed paths with Scott in Bendigo when he was one of the early driving forces behind Bendigo Beer's efforts to encourage the regional city to embrace craft beer.He's since moved to Tassie after falling in love with the island on a family holiday, going on to open a trio of beer businesses in the north of the state: Penguin Beer Co, Island State Brewing, and The Pier.As well as filling us in on how 2024 has been for them and their hopes and plans for 2025, they reflect on the beer scene across the state, suggesting some top beer spots for visitors to the state, highlighting a couple of newcomers to the scene, heaping praise upon Spotty Dog Brewers and their enviable location, and doffing a cap to 20 years of Two Metre Tall.Start of guest segments: 1:34 – Matt Fielding 13:05 – Scott Seymour The Crafty Pint's 2024 Year In Beer series is proudly presented by Mogwai Labs, leaders in liquid yeast solutions. For the perfect pitch every time, visit mogwailabs.com.au. Relevant links: The Crafty Pint's Year In Beer 2024 Science Made Beerable Penguin Beer Co To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

The third of our Year In Beer 2024 podcasts finds us on home turf as we turn our attention to Victoria. It's undoubtedly been a tough year for many there, something that became very apparent when we started totting up the voluntary administrations, sales and closures from the past 12 months. Hospo trade has been down and suffered accordingly too, yet there's also been much to enjoy and plenty to celebrate, from great beers, new breweries and venues, to successful events and more.Joining Will and James to cast an eye over the year are Cherry Murphy and Jimmy Krekelberg. Cherry spent ten years with Blackhearts & Sparrows, many of those as the indie retail chain's beer buyer, curating their range, hosting diverse events, and putting together a number of fascinating collaborations.Jimmy is the founder and head brewer of Good Land Brewing in Traralgon, a brewery he founded after plying his trade at a number of breweries overseas. While his lager is their biggest seller, he's garnered a reputation as a brewer of some seriously out there and creative beers too, from voluptuous smoothie sours to hefty imperial stouts.As part of their chat about the year in beer in Victoria, Will and James also discuss this week's opening of Sailors Grave's Dunetown home in Gippsland, three years after they unveiled their plans.Start of guest segments: 23:32 – Cherry Murphy 33:41 – Jimmy Krekelberg The Crafty Pint's 2024 Year In Beer series is proudly presented by Mogwai Labs, leaders in liquid yeast solutions. For the perfect pitch every time, visit mogwailabs.com.au.Relevant links: The Crafty Pint's Year In Beer 2024 Sailors Grave Dunetown Good Land Brewing To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

For the third instalment – and second podcast episode – of our Year In Beer 2024 series, we head west to catch up with two of the people behind one of the state's brightest new breweries and the brothers who run a business that's been watching the state's craft beer scene grow for two decades.The first of those are Terri and Trav Moore, part of the team behind Phat Brew Club, which has risen in next to no time from homebrew competition winners to pro brewers without a home to operators of one of Perth's largest and liveliest brewpubs. They've enjoyed yet another banging year in 2024 and are set to open a second venue in 2025.The brothers are Jose and Nelio Pestana, founders of one of WA's finest indie retailers of top-notch booze, Copper & Oak. They opened their first store more than 20 years ago, saw the way the market was heading early, now operate a second store and have a third on the way.As well as selling one of the widest selections of beer in WA, they're arch-collaborators who've released a series of consistently excellent beers with some of the state's finest. Full disclosure: Crafty Pint contributor Guy Southern is part of the Copper & Oak team these days and picked up one of the outfits' three major awards in the past two years.Prior to catching up with our guests, Will and James pick the brains of both Guy and our writer in the South West, Jono Outred. Across the three segments, we discover what's been going down in WA over the past 12 months – the noteworthy trends, the hottest breweries, the most delicious beers, and more – as well as looking ahead to 2025.NB There was an internet connection issue that kicked in towards the end of the chat with Terri and Trav that affected their video; the audio is fine throughout, however.Start of each segment: 1:36 – Jono and Guy 17:03 – Terri & Trav 32:03 – Jose, Nelio & Guy The Crafty Pint's 2024 Year In Beer series is proudly presented by Mogwai Labs, leaders in liquid yeast solutions. For the perfect pitch every time, visit mogwailabs.com.au. Relevant links: The Crafty Pint's Year In Beer 2024: The National Picture Phat Brew Club Copper & OakTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

As 2024 comes to a close, The Crafty Pint Podcast is hitting the road, taking a trip across Australia as we try to make sense of how this dramatic year has impacted people in different parts of the industry. Our annual Year In Beer article explored the national trends and tumultuous nature of making and selling beer in 2024, but how do things look at the state level?To find out, we're asking people from across the industry how they've navigated the past 12 months: their standout moments, plus the beers, breweries, venues and events they loved most. We also ask them to look ahead to 2025: who and what to look out for, as well as their hopes and wildest dreams for the future.First up, James and Will drove from Melbourne to Adelaide for conversation with long-term Crafty Pint writer Matt King, who's been covering the South Australian scene for us for a decade. He recently decided to call it a day when it comes to beer writing to focus on his job and family so the chat doubled up as a trip down Memory Lane through that decade spent covering beer in SA. (Before anyone asks: sorry, we won't be burning fuel to make it to every capital city for this series!)Following Matt, we're joined by Briony Liebich and Steve Brockman. Briony runs Flavour Logic where she specialises in teaching sensory skills to brewers and anyone else in and around the industry, while Steve is an experienced brewer who switched from Brightstar Brewing to work for AMSAT Character Malts in 2024. The chat with the first of our guests starts at 9:00. Prior to that, James and Will chat about our Year In Beer: The National Picture article. The Crafty Pint's 2024 Year In Beer series is proudly presented by Mogwai Labs, leaders in liquid yeast solutions. For the perfect pitch every time, visit mogwailabs.com.au.Relevant links:Year In Beer: The National PictureFormer Staff Return Tumut River Brewing To Its RootsFOUND.Subiaco OpensUraidla win at the Indies Suburban Scoop SA's Best Beer TrophyFlavour Logic's website AMSAT Character Malts' website

“I think the thing that's really important for consumers and the industry writ large to know is how many forces are currently at play that are going to make being a small brewer more challenging.“We call this the death by a thousand cuts.”If 2023 was a rough year for the indie beer world, 2024 has been worse – brutal doesn't seem too harsh a term to describe the conditions faced by many in the industry. And those challenges have also been faced by the Independent Brewers Association (IBA), the body representing Australia's indie brewers.In the face of a major drop in income, they've been forced to tighten their belt in terms of what they've been able to offer. And, as with many businesses in beer and hospo, have reduced the size of their team. At the same time, faced with such challenges, they've kept fighting the fight on as many fronts as they can – “we're small but scrappy” is how they put it.So, before we switch to a series of state by state by territory podcast episodes reflecting on the year in beer, we invited IBA CEO Kylie Lethbridge and head of industry development Sabrina Kunz to join us on the show.As you can imagine with the indie beer world fighting battles on so many fronts, it's a seriously wide-ranging conversation. We start by looking back on a year in which VAs, closures and business restructuring have dominated many of the headlines but during which there have been new arrivals, expansions and growth too.We discuss the major uptick in honest, respectful coverage of the beer world by mainstream media, the challenges and opportunities when it comes to state and federal governments, building long-term relationships and partnerships around the country, the biggest issues on the table for 2025, and how to build consumer awareness and support for the industry.The chat with Kylie and Sabrina kicks off at 7:40. Prior to that there's just the briefest of intros as we had to record this week's early prior to hitting the road for SA before dawn on Wednesday for a sold-out event at The Wheaty and a bunch of podcast recordings you'll get to enjoy over the coming weeks and months. We discussed the return of one of craft beer's key figures, Phil Sexton, to brewing alongside son Harry with the launch of Keeper Brewing at the former home of Temple, as well as our upcoming event with Molly Rose. Thanks to show sponsors FOBOH and The High Country Hop. Relevant links: That's A Keeper: Sexton Family Turn Temple Into A Shrine To PilsThe Molly Rose Story – Distilled: Independent Brewers Association website: https://independentbrewers.org.au/ To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

"I'm still passionate about what I do, I still love what I do, and I still think I'm one of the luckiest people in the world. I get to make beer for a living and, especially taking the step coming here to Bali, I get to mentor people that might not have necessarily ever had an opportunity like this before, so I feel really lucky that I have the power to be able to do that and pay it forward."Given her fondness for travel, adventure and life on the ocean, perhaps it was destiny that Sam Füss would end up brewing in Bali. Certainly, more than two years after moving to the island's northwest – the "real Bali" as she puts it – she's embracing every opportunity that has come her way.Sam was enticed to move there with her partner Dani by the founders of Beaches Brewing Co back in 2022, and in recent weeks oversaw the release of their first two beers, Pale and Cerveza. The switch of scenery gave her the chance to help build another brewery after being involved in the early stages of a number in Australia, including Little Creatures in Freo and Philter in Marrickville.She joined us from her beautiful home – ocean views on one side, volcano on the other, a pool a few metres behind her, the call to prayer carried on the wind outside – to take us inside the experience of getting Beaches off the ground, training up locals with no prior experience, educating people who've never encountered craft beer before, and working in a beer culture that, in its own way, is like the Australian scene when she moved from the bar at Little Creatures to the brewery around a quarter-century ago.We also trace her career from those early days through building a race track inside Matilda Bay's former brewery in Dandenong to True South, Young Henrys, and the trophy-laden days at Philter prior to the big move. Sam reflects on lessons learned and wisdom gained, on the characters who mentored her, and on the rewards she now finds in mentoring others.And, as anyone who knows Sam would expect, we have a good laugh along the way, with the main interview kicking off at 11:47. Prior to that, we discuss the week's news, including the sale of Westside Ale Works to new owners who plan to keep things as Casey Wagner had them, the impending launch of Vegan a la Beer, a guide to pairing beer with plant-based food, Seasonal and Whitelakes' success in the WA Beer of the Year awards, Burleigh Brewing's 18th birthday re-brews, the epic lineup for High Country Hop 2025, our upcoming event at Molly Rose, and GABS nominations.Relevant links from this week's show:Westside's sale:https://craftypint.com/news/3636/westside-ale-works-sells-but-the-future-still-looks-hoppyVegan a la Beer: The Appetiser: https://craftypint.com/news/3631/vegan-a-la-beer-the-appetiserWA Beer of the Year 2025: https://craftypint.com/news/3629/seasonal-win-wa-beer-of-the-year-with-black-oat-cream-ipa-mudiBurleigh Brewing's 18th birthday beers: https://craftypint.com/beer/11067/burleigh-brewing-18th-birthday-re-brewsThe High Country Hop 2025: https://craftypint.com/event/13525/the-high-country-hop-2025Crafty Cabal giveaways: https://craftycabal.com/giveaways-and-merchThe Molly Rose Story – Distilled: https://craftypint.com/event/13532/the-molly-rose-story--distilledNominate your beers for the GABS H100 of 2024: https://craftypint.com/news/3630/gabs-hottest-100-craft-beer-nominations-now-openSam Sets Sail For Bali: https://craftypint.com/news/2922/sam-sets-sails-for-baliBeaches Brewery Bali: https://beachesbrewingco.com/Thanks to Beer30, sponsors of this week's show.To support the show, contact craig@craftypint.com.

It's fair to say Episode 017 of The Crafty Pint Podcast is a special one. After all, you can count the number of people who've achieved what this week's guests have achieved on one hand.It was all the way back in 1999 that Paul and Tash Holgate sold the first Holgate beers, long before “craft beer” was a term – it was “boutique beers” and “microbreweries” in those days – and a full decade before the industry's growth really started to go into overdrive. Little Creatures hadn't yet launched, and Mountain Goat were barely two years into their adventure down the road in Melbourne.Now, 25 years on, they occupy rarified territory: marking their quarter-century milestone while still independent, still running the business hands-on, still making plans for the years ahead, and all while producing some of the finest beers of their history to date.We joined Paul and Tash in the bar of the pub in Woodend that has acted as their home since they moved the brewery out of the family home in their first few years of operation.There, they reflected on the early years, when they were raising a very young family at a time when even getting their hands on things as straightforward and essential as ingredients and packaging was a tall order, and when most venues they approached dismissed their beer as homebrew.We hear their take on the rise of the craft beer industry, how they've navigated the changes as it evolved into something well beyond their expectations, the hurdles they've faced and successes they've enjoyed over the past quarter-century, and how they've gone about celebrating their 25 Years of Beers.You couldn't wish to spend time in the company of a more down-to-earth and genuine couple, or to meet two people still so clearly loving what they do, even in the face of the challenges that have arisen in recent years.The chat with Paul and Tash begins at 09:30Prior to that, Will and I discuss two fun stories we published this week: one on a mini-revival for beer in bottles – notably longnecks; the other looking at the reasons behind the rise of hops from New Zealand both here and globally in the past couple of years.We also touch on the news that Australia's first non-alc brewing company, the Indigenous-led Sobah Beverages, is looking to sell its brewery and taproom on the Gold Coast, and the impending opening of two regional breweries in Victoria: the all-new Bendigo Brewing and a new, larger site in Castlemaine for Shedshaker.Relevant links: Back On The Bottle: https://craftypint.com/news/3617/back-on-the-bottle Choice Az! The Rise Of Kiwi Hops: https://craftypint.com/news/3623/choice-az-the-rise-of-kiwi-hops Sobah Beverages Downsizing: https://craftypint.com/news/3619/sobah-beverages-put-brewery-on-market-and-plan-to-downsize Bendigo Brewing Opening: https://craftypint.com/event/13512/bendigo-brewings-grand-opening-weekend James on The Do Landers Podcast: https://thedolanders.com/ Holgate Brewhouse: https://craftypint.com/brewery/156/holgate-brewhouse Holgate ESB: https://craftypint.com/beer/10917/holgate-brewhouse-esb Holgate x Noodledoof Dank AF: https://craftypint.com/beer/10855/holgate-x-noodledoof-dank-af-west-coast-ipa Paul & Tash: https://craftypint.com/news/2255/craftys-advent-calendar-paul-and-tash-holgate Bintani: https://www.bintani.com.au/To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

What does it mean to be a sustainable business or to brew in a sustainable manner? Can beer really do good, or are such claims just there to make marketing departments feel better about themselves? And, if so, how can they have a positive impact on the world around them, from their local community to the drinkers who buy their beers?Such questions – and helping people find the right answers to them – have occupied James Perrin throughout his career in beer. It's one that started with Lion in New Zealand, brought him to Stone & Wood in the midst of their rapid growth, and continues to this day in many ways.He's still involved in a Northern Rivers brewery too, albeit a rather smaller one. He left Stone & Wood after the sale to Lion / Kirin, and these days is part of the team running Spangled Drongo, a brewery which makes a donation from every beer sold to help protect the natural habitat around them.He also works with businesses looking to be better global citizens in and outside beer, both in Australia and overseas, and has helped some – most recently Jervis Bay Brewing Co – gain B Corp status.James is a wealth of knowledge on all things sustainability and has developed a model of six ways in which businesses can look to have a positive impact. He joined us on the show to explain his approach, discuss various programs and certifications in this space, and to highlight examples from the beer world that have impressed him.He talks passionately about the importance of authenticity in making connections with consumers, and is a firm believer that indie beer businesses occupy a role within communities through which they can make changes for the better and inspire others to follow suit.The chat with James starts at 16:17Prior to that we welcomed another guest, who joined James for the preamble. With Will making his way back to Australia from Bali, Benedict Kennedy-Cox stepped up to the oche.Benny has been writing for The Crafty Pint for a few years now, often combining beer with another passion of his: travel. He was in Melbourne so dropped into the studio to discuss the week's news, share some of his favourite experiences on the road, including getting abused by a waiter in Köln, and offer insight into the sustainably-minded businesses he's written about for us.There also a heads-up for our forthcoming lager-centric event at The Wheaty.Relevant links:Going Green: Sustainable Brewing: https://craftypint.com/news/1767/going-green-sustainable-brewingSpangled Drongo Brewing: https://craftypint.com/brewery/865/spangled-drongo-brewery Jervis Bay Secure B Corp Status: https://craftypint.com/news/3588/better-every-day-jervis-bay-become-a-b-corp James Perrin's website: https://www.jamesperrin.com.au/ Ryefield Hops' Certifiably Sustainable Growth: https://craftypint.com/news/3376/ryefield-hops-certifiably-sustainable-growth Frogs Hollow's Off-Grid Brewery: https://craftypint.com/news/3590/going-green-frogs-hollows-off-grid-brewery Mitta Mitta Brewing: https://craftypint.com/brewery/398/mitta-mitta-brewing-co Ten Lessons From Ten Years: Wolf of the Willows: https://craftypint.com/news/3614/ten-lessons-from-ten-years-wolf-of-the-willows Planned vs Rogue: https://www.youtube.com/@PlannedvsRogue Upcoming lager event at The Wheaty: https://craftypint.com/event/13508/exploring-the-ever-larger-world-of-lagerSun Tap Decals: https://www.suntapdecals.com.au/ To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

In Episode 015 of The Crafty Pint Podcast we head overseas for the first time. Our destination is a tiny brewery most people won't have heard of, where we're joined by a guest with whom many will be very familiar. The tiny brewery is Shortjaw Brewing, located in Westport: a town on the sparsely populated west coast of New Zealand's South Island. The guest is the man who, along with his partner Emma, decided to take over the site of a 30-year-old, twice-liquidated brewery during the early period of the COVID pandemic and bring it back to life. Luke Robertson is far better known in beer circles – at least outside Westport and surrounds – from his time in Australia. This is mainly due to Ale of a Time, the blog that spawned a podcast of the same name, both of them home to sharp, witty and occasionally caustic observations of, and commentary on, the wide world of beer. That was just one of many roles in the Australian beer world for Luke, who helped deliver major events such as Good Beer Week and BrewCon for the Independent Brewers Association, while writing – mostly on beer – for high profile publications not just in his adopted home but overseas, notably for Good Beer Hunting. Thirty months on from pouring the first Shortjaw beer for guests, he joined us to reflect on his change of direction – or putting his money where his mouth is, as he puts it: how he's approached building a customer base for a regional brewery in one of the most remote parts of the planet, his fondness for creating beers that represent the place in which they're brewed, and some of the highs and lows that come with launching a brewery in the toughest climate for beer in decades. The chat with Luke starts at 11:05. Prior to that, we interrupt Will's holiday in Bali to go behind the scenes of his deep dive article into the experiences of working at beer's sinking ships. Over a period of months, he spoke to former employees at a number of businesses across Australia that have been through administration, ceased operating, or changed hands over the past couple of years, and the picture they paint is far from pretty. We also discuss the reaction to the article since its publication on Monday, with comments received from outside Australia and beyond the beer world too. You'll find links relevant to the episode below: Shortjaw Brewing: https://shortjaw.co.nz/ Ale of a Time: https://aleofatime.com/ From Beer Blogger To Brewery Owner: https://craftypint.com/news/2799/from-beer-blogger-to-brewery-owner Working Inside Beer's Sinking Ships: https://craftypint.com/news/3605/working-inside-beers-sinking-ships Brew & A ft Charlie Claridge: https://craftypint.com/news/3609/brew-and-a-charlie-claridge-esker-beer-co Sun Tap Decals: https://www.suntapdecals.com.au/ To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

The craft beer era has given rise to thousands of stories, but none like that of Moon Dog.Founders Karl van Buuren and brothers Josh and Jake Uljans announced themselves to an unsuspecting beer world in the manner of a custard pie to the face – well before custard pie beers were a thing – and have never stopped evolving and innovating. Neither have they lost focus on keeping two words – "delicious" and "fun" – at the heart of everything they do. After a few years of ever more outrageous releases, they opened their first venue in Abbotsford on the site of their first brewery (and schoolmates Josh and Karl's home for 14 months) before introducing a core range, growing fast, and taking over neighbouring buildings in Abbotsford as they became available.Arguably just as outrageous as their early beers was what came in 2019: Moon Dog World, a vast venue in Preston that saw them convert a warehouse into a tropical paradise complete with waterfall, lagoon and Wall of Warnie.Since then, they've embraced the arrival of hard seltzers in Australia, with Fizzer becoming one of the biggest brands in the country, and explored other avenues within the world of RTDs, while expanding their portfolio of megavenues. Indeed, the last of these was the main reason we sat down with Josh and Karl this week.We joined them at Doglands, a 1200-capacity venue on the concourse of Marvel Stadium that was set to welcome people headed to Travis Scott's show later that night. It arrives hot on the heels of Moon Dog Wild West in the former Franco Cozzo building in Footscray, and just weeks (they hope) before they open in Frankston.Our chat covers Moon Dog's evolution from craft brewer to multi-beverage producer and entertainment provider, the challenges and benefits of running vast venues, the importance of remaining true to yourself and your brand – whatever you end up doing, building and retaining great teams, and having fun along the way.The conversation with them begins at 10:20.Prior to that, we discuss stories from the week just gone, including the heartwarming tale of the changing of the guard at the Sunshine Coast's oldest brewery, where the owners' youngest daughter has taken up the reins, and the launch of a new Beer Cocktails series on The Crafty Pint.You'll find links relevant to the show here:A Curran Affair: Sunshine Coast's Oldest Brewery Passes To The Next Generation: https://craftypint.com/news/3602/a-curran-affair-sunshine-coasts-oldest-brewery-passes-to-the-next-generationBeer Cocktails with Matt at Melville: https://craftypint.com/news/3604/beer-cocktails-with-matt-at-melville-simcoe-smashSpangled Drongo Brewery: https://craftypint.com/brewery/865/spangled-drongo-brewery Bearhug Pallet Wraps: https://craftypint.com/business/1428/bearhug-pallet-wraps Be A Pint Of Origin Venue In 2025: https://craftypint.com/news/3591/be-a-pint-of-origin-host-venue-in-2025The Gin Drinker's Toolkit Launch: https://craftypint.com/event/13493/gin-drinkers-toolkit-book-launch--gin-party--milton-commonOur breaking story on Moon Dog's plans for Docklands: https://craftypint.com/news/3219/marvel-ous-moon-dog-to-open-vast-docklands-brewpub Building Moon Dog's World: https://craftypint.com/news/2198/building-moon-dogs-worldSun Tap Decals: https://www.suntapdecals.com.au/ To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

There are few brewers anywhere in Australia with a pedigree to match that of Shawn Sherlock. For the past decade, he's been at the helm of FogHorn Brewery in Newcastle; prior to that he was at Murray's Brewing, helping the business grow from its roots in the Pub With No Beer in Taylors Arm (population: 133) to one of the country's envelope-pushing craft beer pioneers selling 1.5m litres per year at the time he moved on. Even before that – when he was lecturing courses in Australian history in his hometown of Newcastle – he was an avid homebrewer; indeed, we can probably thank the Howard administration's swingeing cuts to Arts funding for kickstarting one of the finest brewing careers of the modern era. As we were preparing to launch The Crafty Pint Podcast, Shawn was taking full control of FogHorn from Mighty Craft, the "craft beer accelerator" no longer involved in craft beer, which had bought into the business when his original partner was moving on. It meant we were keen to bring him onto the show to chat about his experiences working within different brewery ownership models – which he does. That he is on the show this week is also in part due to his role in the creation of Brewcastle, an ale trail guide to Newcastle's best beer (and spirits) spots; FogHorn was the first new brewery to open in the city a decade ago and has since been joined by many others. Over the course of the episode, we trace his career from its very start through the creation of many beers that were ahead of their time to his position today as a much-respected figure in the local beer community. He offers thoughts on the sort of business models that can succeed, what matters if you want to survive in brewing, and even gives some insight into creating great stouts, something he knows plenty about – he's got a few trophies as proof. 14:05 Start of the conversation with Shawn. In the intro, we discuss a number of this week's stories and new beer releases; below are all relevant links: Range open Rays in Camp Hill: https://craftypint.com/news/3596/range-open-a-second-suburban-bar-rays-in-camp-hill Slipstream Social House opens on the Sunshine Coast: https://craftypint.com/event/13484/slipstream-social-house-opening-party Doglands to open in Melbourne's Docklands: https://craftypint.com/news/3597/moon-dog-to-open-doglands-next-to-marvel-stadium-in-coming-days Copper & Oak win WA Liquor Retailer of the Year: https://www.facebook.com/copperandoak/posts/pfbid02JDqmLAJn1Zs1CNoj3SqfsZjqE9Zuy6tVz9WjgavvrWkAiWZQkkkLRepq9R4hCeUNl Black Arts to close: https://craftypint.com/news/3598/black-arts-brewers-and-blenders-to-close Brew & A: Ted Carey: https://craftypint.com/news/3594/brew-and-a-ted-carey Aussie Exports: Emma Elmslie: https://craftypint.com/news/3600/aussie-exports-emma-elmslie-shining-peak-nz Green Gully Brett There Be Rock: https://craftypint.com/beer/10999/green-gully-island-beer-teri-grisette-24-and-brett-there-be-rock Newcastle Becomes Brewcastle: https://craftypint.com/news/3599/newcastle-becomes-brewcastle-with-launch-of-new-ale-trail Shawn takes full control of FogHorn: https://craftypint.com/news/3472/foghorn-founder-takes-full-control-of-brewery-as-mighty-craft-exit-craft The creation of the Auld Bulgin' Boysterous Bicep: https://craftypint.com/news/423/never-mind-the-molluscs To register for a WSET course with a 10% discount: https://craftypint.com/wset-beer-qualifications--australia To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

When choosing guests for The Crafty Pint Podcast, we favour people we know have good stories to tell (which, in fairness, doesn't discount many people working in beer) and a particular area of knowledge, expertise or insight to share with listeners and viewers. In the case of Amanda Baker – Bakes to most – they were high on our priority list but leapt to the top when Will spotted something odd going on with the Instagram account Lost Palms, the Gold Coast brewery at which they work. Everything the brewery had posted in seven years disappeared overnight to be replaced by a series of stark, mysterious posts. Attention captured, Will suggested we get Bakes on straight away, which technically meant they were coming on for a discussion around social media, marketing and branding. But, as anyone who knows Bakes knows, we were never going to pin them down to something as straightforward as that. So, settle in for a chat that, yes, looks at the new approach Lost Palms are taking and what sparked the change, but also examines branding more widely – not least as they're involved in the launch of new energy drink SAYG. A year on from Bakes' appearance in one of our most widely read and discussed articles of 2023, Chronically Crafty, which explored working in beer with a chronic medical condition, we reflect on the impact that had and how to keep those discussions going. Meanwhile, Bakes' recent trip to North America, where they stayed with meme legend, Wort Wrangler, brewed collabs with Seek Beer Co and Dominion City, forced themselves onto the Jester King workforce, and met up with Ren Navarro, the founder of Beer Diversity (now B.Diversity), sparks a conversation about community and diversity in beer. Essentially, it's a few episodes rolled into one, with a preamble in which we discuss the phenomenal number of Oktoberfests in Australia this year, New South Wales' first off-grid brewery, Mick Wüst's deep dive into life in a sensory lab, and opening registrations for Pint of Origin 2025. Links relevant to or referenced in the show: Going Green: Frogs Hollow's Off-Grid Brewery: https://craftypint.com/news/3590/going-green-frogs-hollows-off-grid-brewery A Yeast For The Senses: Life In A Sensory Lab: https://craftypint.com/news/3573/a-yeast-for-the-senses-life-inside-a-sensory-lab Be Part Of Pint Of Origin 2025: https://craftypint.com/news/3591/be-a-pint-of-origin-host-venue-in-2025 Save 10% On Registrations For WSET's Beer Courses: https://tinyurl.com/j4eyfrty Lost Palms' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostpalmsbrewingco/ SAYG: https://www.sayg.com.au/ Chronically Crafty: https://craftypint.com/news/3252/chronically-crafty-managing-health-in-the-beer-industry Wort Wrangler: https://www.instagram.com/wortwrangler/ Ren Navarro: https://bdiversitygroup.com/about-ren To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

We're pretty sure we've never seen anything close to the number of Oktoberfests taking place at breweries and bars around Australia as we're witnessing in 2024. So, as they started to ramp up, we sat down with Nathan Munt, co-founder and head brewer at King River Brewing, and a man who loves celebrating classic German and Belgian beer styles all year round. He launched the brewery with his wife Brianna in the heart of the idyllic King Valley in the Victorian High Country back in 2016, with a lineup featuring an Altbier, Kolsch, and a style that had first made him fall in love with beer: a Belgian tripel called Waiting For Godot, for reasons explained in this episode of The Crafty Pint Podcast. As well as sharing the story of how he went from a lover of food and wine to filling a garage with brewing equipment before swapping the world of banking for brewing trophy-winning beers, he discusses life running a small regional brewery, the joys of touring the High Country, sticking to his guns and brewing the styles he loves even as most of the industry was ignoring them, and his desire to see Kolsch properly understood and enjoyed in Australia. (Even if the pale ale he finally gave in and brewed five years after launching King River is now their best-seller...) Links relevant to or referenced in the show: Felons Brewing To Open Waterfront Venue In Manly: https://craftypint.com/news/3587/brisbane-based-felons-to-open-another-waterfront-venue-in-manly Jervis Bay Brewing Co Become A B Corp Business: https://craftypint.com/news/3588/better-every-day-jervis-bay-become-a-b-corp Behind Bars with Tristan Jallais of Natural Wine & Liquor: https://craftypint.com/news/3579/behind-bars-natural-science-wine-and-liquor King River Brewing on The Crafty Pint: https://craftypint.com/brewery/352/king-river-brewing Brew & A: Nathan Munt: https://craftypint.com/news/2942/brew-and-a-nathan-munt Muntoberfest 2024: https://events.humanitix.com/muntoberfest-2024/ticketsTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Gillian Letham only stepped behind the bar of The Mill on Constance to help out her partner and his mate. Eleven years later, while that venue – one of those that helped build Brisbane's beer scene – is long closed, she now oversees three venues around the city.They're all found in Brisbane's ‘burbs – The Oxford Tap House in Bulimba, The Woods in Mitchellton, Clover in Holland Park – leading our feature writer Mick Wüst to tag her the Queen of the Suburbs.Just weeks after she opened Clover, she joined Mick and Craig Williams at The Woods for a chat about her unplanned move into craft beer bar operator, her role in helping to create and build Brewsvegas, and much more, including insights into the unique challenges that come with running suburban venues.