Podcasts about radio brews news

This week we have a very interesting chat with a young brewer by the name of Tim Burkardt. Tim reached out to me to tell me about the brewing apprenticeship that he undertook in Germany and the things that he observed about the differences between learning brewing in Germany and in Australia, as well as a whole host of other differences between the two industries. In the past when we've talked to brewers about cultural differences we've had a great response from our audience and so I thought it would be a great one, particularly with so many young brewers looking at pursuing careers and getting skills in the brewing industry.  It's a great chat with an interesting young brewer and I hope you enjoy just as much as I did. As we discussed Tim has returned to Australia and has set himself up on the Sunshine Coast as a consultant brewer but also filling in for breweries that need additional expert hands or replacement brewer. His business is Meister Brewing Solutions. We'll be back this Thursday with our discussion of the news of the week, and don't forget this Saturday is our annual Hottest 100 Craft Beers live countdown. We'll be coming to you live from the First Choice Liquor Market store in Ashfield, Sydney counting down Australia's hottest 100 beers and meeting the people who make them and a whole lot of other great guests. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we catch up with Matt Hepburn and Christen McGarry from Your Mates Brewing. Late last year - 2023 that is, given this is the first episode of 2024 - Your Mates celebrated its 10th anniversary, and it's been quite a ride for the business. Both Christen and Matt are pretty open about the mistakes and learnings that they had as the stereotypical two mates bonding over homebrew, however, they have also learned a lot - and a lot of that has come from seeking and taking advice.  I thought it would be worth checking in on the pair and seeing how things are going, and what more they have learned as they celebrate the decade of mateship. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Craig and Lance Masterton from Heads of Noosa Brewing. We first met the brothers almost five years ago when the brewery opened. For a start-up, it was an impressive setup, especially when the business was running very counter to what were then the predominant craft trends. While hops and haze were the norm, Heads made a Japanese Lager as it's flagship beer and also put its beers in bottles. In a small brewing industry that is tended to follow the trends it was very interesting to watch the way this business has evolved and grown. Five years down the track, and with the brewery at least giving the appearance of growth and success, I wanted to catch up with Craig and Lance and find out whether the reality matched the appearance, whether they would have done anything differently and what it was like to be ahead of the present lager wave. It's a great chat and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week I speak with Brendan day from WA's Cheeky Monkey Brewery. With the entire industry looking at ways forward and industry consolidation a very hot talking point this week Cheeky Monkey and announced that it was acquiring Sound Brewing Company which is currently in administration. Brendan and I discussed that and Cheeky Monkey's plans for the newly combined businesses, but we also go back and talk about the origins of Cheeky Monkey, the state of brewing in Western Australia and the opportunities for and challenges around growth more generally This is a terrific chat one that I now wish that I'd had much much sooner given his Insights and thoughtfulness. As we often say on the podcast, answers can be had to come and are often very subjective but in this conversation Brendan generously shares his calculations and working that are relevant to all. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week I speak with Paul Bowker, Managing Director of Brick Lane Brewing company. The small brewing movement was built on a lot of romantic ideas about brewing that were born from a reaction to a brewing duopoly that didn't offer consumers a lot of choice. The craft narrative was small, traditional and independent, it initially eschewed a lot of brewing techniques and business strategies that were seen as not being craft…and in doing so spawned a million discussions about what the term craft meant.  In this world, a brewery such as Brick Lane - well-resourced from the outset with the help of business people and celebrities, and openly adopting the modern brewing techniques that its resources provided - was viewed by a craft industry with some cynicism. And yet, in 2023, the brewery has won a swag of major awards for beer quality and - in world where so much news is on craft businesses struggling - Brick Lane appears to be going from strength to strength. These are the observations that continue to fascinate me, and I always enjoy discussing Brick Lane's role in the brewing industry with Paul Bowker as a result.  FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. Entries for the 2024 Awards are now open. Visit brewingawards.org for more information and to enter. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week I speak with Chris Pisney and Jen Blair from the Cicerone Certification Program. Chris is Program Director for the program, and Jen is the Exam Manager…and Jen has just attained the highest accolade for Cicerones, becoming a Master Cicerone, joining a group of only 22 other individuals worldwide to achieve that title. Education has always been in short supply in the brewing industry, and as beer styles have changed and evolved dramatically over the course of the last two decades, making beer service and consumer advice relevant to the highly diverse market has never been harder. In this conversation, I discuss with Jen and Chris how to make beer relevant to the market, improve service and ask what breweries and venues need to do to be better. You can find out more at Cicerone.org, there's also an Australian Certified Cicerone group on Facebook that you should consider joining for support in your Cicerone journey.  FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. Entries for the 2024 Awards are now open. Visit brewingawards.org for more information and to enter. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week I speak with Peter Filipovic, who is part of a consortium that has purchased Jetty Road from Might Craft. Peter, or Flip as he's better known, is something of a white whale for me. He spent 25 years with CUB, finishing as CEO and - in that position - was high on my list of people I very much wanted to interview. Today I get me chance. We have a great conversation about his decision to get involved in the purchase of Jetty Road, as well as his confidence in the market that led to it. We discuss a lot about the role of craft and whether small breweries should tackle the majors had on. It's a great chat with someone who knows that industry better than most. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is proudly brought to you by Bintani. Entries for the 2024 Awards are now open. Visit brewingawards.org for more information and to enter. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

In October Bad Shepherd joined the growing number of small breweries that has sought to restructure through the mechanism of Voluntary Administration. Last Friday they proposed a Deed of Company Arrangement to creditors, which was successful, seeing the business able to restructure its debts and continue to trade In this very open conversation Dereck and Diti discuss the circumstances that led to their decision, the business during and post-COVID and what the VA process has meant for them. We also have a frank conversation about where the market is that will be of interest to every brewery. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is proudly brought to you by Bintani. Entries for the 2024 Awards are now open. Visit brewingawards.org for more information and to enter. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week I speak with Ben Twomey, founder of Southern Highlands Brewing. Now, this is an interesting one. It's no secret that in the current market, many small breweries are looking to evolve and find a business model that opens up a way forward in a very crowded market. Consolidation is the word on everyone's lips so it was no surprise to receive a media release about two breweries coming together. However, I would definitely had long odds on that being a merger between a small regional New South Wales brewery and a small regional brewery in the UK. But that's what has happened with Southern Highlands Brewing merged into the Powder Monkey Group Limited, owners of Powder Monkey Brewing Co and Powder Monkey Tap House near Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. It's an intriguing move and I am sure that, like me, you have plenty of questions. So this is my chat with Southern Highlands Brewing founder Ben Twomey in which I try and make sense of one of the more interesting announcements of 2023. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Oli and Louis Leimbach, founders of the band Lime Cordiale. The brothers have recently partnered with Endeavour Group's Pinnacle Drinks to release two beers under the Largo brand and I speak to them about the origins of the partnership and the development of the beer, as well as a surprising amount about band riders. Theirs doesn't prohibit brown M&Ms, but is explicit about the beers they want. We are also joined by Hayley Martin, Lead Quality Specialist with Pinnacle Drinks, to learn about the process the company went through to attain robust carbon neutral certification. This bonus podcast is presented by Largo Lagers and Pinnacle Drinks. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week I speak with Mark Hubbard, Campaign Manager with equity crowd funding firm OnMarket. Long time listeners may recall I spoke with Mark way back in 2016, not long after he founded Blizzard Brewery in Victoria's High Country. Blizzard has since closed but Mark is still of the industry, now working with OnMarket as a brewery crowdfunding specialist. Mark is also a podcast listener and has heard my thoughts about equity crowdfunding, and has reached out a number of times to discuss them, very frankly.  On this occasion, Mark very generously agreed to have a chat on mic for the podcast. I say generously, because as a listener you will know that I have expressed some thoughts about how the wonderful potential of equity crowdfunding hasn't always delivered on its promise and its promises, and especially my concerns about the powerlessness that many investors have felt about the lack of recourse when the reality hasn't met that promise.  Well, in this episode I get to discuss all of that, and more, and address some of my frustrations about the process. When I say address my frustrations, I'll leave it to you to decide whether vent may be more appropriate. But my frustrations and doubts were certainly aired…and I hope fairly expressed And I have to thank Mark for engaging with those questions and doubts with patience and good humour…even for the considerable time after we finished recording. As he said, having heard me on previous podcasts, he was certainly not ambushed by the questions. But also as Mark said, the conversation was important to foster understanding.  And there was quite a bit of that, on both sides, even if our views of how well regulated the system is may still differ. It was a great chat….and I hope that whichever side of the discussion you come down on, you agree it was robust but in good spirit.  FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week Matt is back in Sydney's inner west to chat again with Wayward Brewing's Peter Philip.  The last few weeks have almost been a Where Are they Now series, as we go back and find how the last few years have treated guests that we spoke to during the COVID days to see what's changed and how they are dealing with what, I think we can accept, are challenging times. If you have time on your hands, it's again worth going back and having a listen to my 2021 chat with Peter.  This week Wayward launched a Recession Ale, designed to bring attention to the economic challenges that brewers are facing, and I was fascinated about what that meant about what Peter was seeing in the economy but also, given our recent chat with Pat McInerney, what he was seeing in Sydney's in a west given it is one of the country's exciting craft beer hubs.  This being a conversation there's a few detours on the way to talking about those things but regular listeners will know that we discuss a couple of topics that have been exercising my mind over the last six months. It may not surprise some but Peter doesn't agree with a lot of my thoughts which always makes for a great conversation. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we speak to Dave Padden from Akasha Brewing. Over the last decade or more that this podcast has been running Dave has been a frequent guest and that's because he's always thoughtful, and importantly always willing to engage in discussions about important topics. He is someone I always enjoy speaking with on or off the microphone. And this conversation is no exception. The brewing industry is vastly different from where it was at 8 years ago when Dave founded Akasha and I wanted to hear his thoughts on what driven some of those changes, where the industry is at the moment and - most importantly - where it's headed.  I hope you appreciate his insights as much as I do. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we return to Brisbane's Felons Brewery after a four year break and meet Brand Director Dean Romeo and Tom Champion its Brewery Director. We last spoke to Felon's Brewing before covid just months after the Howard Smith's Wharves on Brisbane's Riverside opened. The huge development has dramatically changed the hospitality face of Brisbane and Felons is central to the development.  I wanted to check in and find out how the hospitality heavy business was going, what they've learned about having a Craft Brewery that has to cater to the widest of tastes in a venue that sees 10,000 visitors per week. I also wanted to talk a little about the changing tastes in beer. A very relevant conversation as this weekend the venue is launching its Lagerpalooza Beer Festival, celebrating that once maligned section of the beer landscape, lagers. It's a fun but reflective chat with two terrific and very smart people and I hope you enjoyed it as much as you'll hear that we did. you paragraph Get the details on Lagerpalooza Get the details on Beer and Caviar This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we return to Sydney's Inner West and again catch up with Willie the Boatman's Pat McInerney. We last spoke to Pat back in May 2020 just as the impacts of the Covid epidemic were starting to make themselves felt across the economy. You may wish to go back and listen to that episode before embarking on this one, because it's a very different Pat that we meet this week.  We have been hearing a lot about the changes that have taken place in the industry since COVID and the increased challenges brewers are now facing, and Pat goes into some detail in discussing his experiences over the last 3 years. This latest conversation came about after Pat announced Willie the Boatman was launching a rebrand and we discuss that it also lead to a very frank discussion about market conditions, and the crowded marketplace that small Brewers are facing at the moment.  Despite Pat's ever-present upbeat nature, it's a sobering conversation, especially when contrasted with that which took place just three years ago. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Marie Claire Jarratt, brewing shift lead at Brick Lane Brewing Company.  Marie Claire, better known as MC, has had a very interesting pathway into the brewing industry. With a background in physics and mathematics, MC was working towards a PhD in experimental quantum physics when she discovered the craft brewing industry in Sydney's inner West. Her passion fired, MC wrote as a blogger on her own blog and beer writer and was awarded the beer Media Award at the Australian International Beer Awards in 2020. For that varied background, you'll hear MC's path forked many times and could have gone in many directions, but she has ended up working as a brewer, currently at Brick Lane brewing, a role in which saw her spend quite a lot of time on stage at awards ceremonies of late.. Her path to brewing has given her unique insights into beer, brewing and the brewing industry and this is a great chat with one of the emerging leaders of the next generation of Australian brewers. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. FEEDBACK: If you'd like to post a question or a voicemail for us to play on an upcoming podcast, you can leave a 90 second message for us here. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Sherri Dill, Lead Production Brewer at Capital Brewing Company and ACT State Coordinator of The Pink Boots Society. Sherri has just appeared the face of the first episode of a new beer education series created by Capital Brewing, which you can see on Instagram or download. I was interested in finding out a little bit more about her background and career progress that has seen her recently appointmented as Capital's lead production brewer. As you'll hear it's what could be described as a non-traditional career path for a brewer, but also highlights the changing industry. It also gives Sherri some interesting insights into the industry and how brewing needs to change and adapt to a changing market. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

And this week as we prepare for BrewCon we have a special bonus episode of Beer is a Conversation as we meet Ed Jamison, Head of Marketing, for Fermentum Craft Beer Company and Richard Crowe, Head of Supply Chain, also for Fermentum. Regular readers of our news service will have been following the gradual restructure and rationalisation of Lion's craft business that has seen breweries such as Tiny Mountain in Townsville and, more recently, Two Birds in Melbourne close and Bevy Brewing in Perth rebranded as a Little Creatures brewpub. It turns out that was all paving the way for a more significant restructure that sees all of the Lion craft businesses come the badge of Fermentum, the Stone and Wood parent company that Lion acquired in September 2021 and has now been renamed Fermentum Craft Beer Company..  With the restructure bringing OG craft brewery Little Creatures under the Fermentum badge and all of the other changes that have been taking place in the Lion craft portfolio, I was interested to hear from Ed and Rich, two of the three people tasked with leading Lion's craft division, about what it means for Lion, for beer drinkers and for beer in general. I have had many questions since the acquisition of one of Australia's most significant independent craft breweries and how it would come to be integrated into the broader Lion business. It was a long period of restructure and now is the time to ask many of them. As you'll hear, It's a robust conversation and I get to ask those questions. I genuinely appreciate Ed and Richard's willingness to engage and answer them. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we're speaking with James Phillips, Client Solutions Director, Australia New Zealand, for CGA by NielsenIQ.  We spoke to James last October for the first time to hear his company's insights as Australia came out of the pandemic economy.  Brews News has recently had a lot of focus on data, and particularly squishy data, so we thought it might be a good idea to go back and speak to James and see what CGA by NielsenIQ is seeing now and how that applies to craft breweries. I also push James to look a little bit beyond just the data and see what analysis he can provide about what's driving some of the things that they are seeing. It's an interesting conversation, especially for businesses negotiating the current market forces and economy. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

Today were speaking with Justin Kendall and Zoe Licata from US brewing industry news site, Brewbound. Brewbound is the leading industry trade publication providing comprehensive information about the United States beer industry, analysis of industry trends and in-depth interviews with industry leaders.  Justin is the site's editor and Zoe a reporter and both are extremely plugged into what's going on in the US and two people whose coverage I always look to when news breaks in that market.  With the US being so influential on emerging trends here in Australia, I thought it was a good opportunity to talk with them about what they were seeing in the US beer market particularly following the sobering news that came out of the Craft Brewers Conference back in May. We start by talking about what they have labelled as craft beer's toxic positivity problem, we look at current trends and challenges facing the beer market and how their industry and industry associations are responding and we also look at the future of the beer slushie This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

Today we meet Liam Pereira, recently appointed Head of Hospitality and Community at Sydney's White Bay Beer Co. Liam has had an incredibly varied career in the brewing industry. From pulling pints in London to working in a hotel bar with early craft beer aspirations, to working in bottle shops, to being a co-owner of Dave's brewery tours and Sydney Beer Week to working at Batch brewing and now his latest position White Bay Beer Co, he has seen a lot. His career has spanned and also mirrored the formative years of craft beer. Liam was drawn to the passion and excitement of the industry's early days but is also seen it mature and confront a myriad of challenges. This podcast really looks at what people in the industry have learnt throughout their careers and Liam is one of those people that can really talk about some of the lessons that are to be learnt comma and that he has learnt himself. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Leanne White from social and market research firm Insightfully. Leanne, or Lenny to her friends, is a former journalist and media advisor whose career has seen her move into the field of data research, especially in the area of public opinion.  Her business, Insightfully, is an opinion and market research and strategy company. But, Lenny and her husband are also small investors in a brewery, Madocke Brewing on the Gold Coast and so has - to some extent - turned her expertise into an interest in data in the brewing industry.  With all of our recent focus on ‘squishy data' we thought it was a good time to speak to Lenny about what makes good data and how breweries should be critically interpreting the data that they have available to them especially when making decisions based on it. View the podcast data here. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we talk the science of beer with PhD Candidate Kelsey Picard, one of the founders of Science Made Beerable. Kelsey's scientific background isn't in beer, but she is a beer lover and her developing love for it as a consumer tickled her scientific curiosity, and in doing so she has become an enthusiastic advocate for sharing the science of making it. In this conversation we talk about what fired her interest, the challenges in communicating about science - and beer - and whether brewers are great at communicating about the things they make (spoiler alert, often they're not) and also what can the brewing industry learn from science in a range of areas, including inclusion. It's a great chat about the magic that underpins brewing, and how we can communicate that to fire other people's passions from someone who communicates it very well.  You can find out how to join the event and buy the beers here and follow it on Facebook here. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet we meet mechanical engineer turned publican, Aaron Rigg.  Aaron's story is like many who have come to work in craft beer…fell in love with the products, become more and more interested with some mates and then, after a few beers, found himself as a part owner of a craft beer pub in Maitland. As you'll hear there's a little more to it than that, but there's also a lot to the journey that Aaron has been on.  Aaron is also a management consultant, and having spoken with him about his journey over the years and been impressed with his insights, I thought it would be a useful chat for others interested in getting into the industry to hear about the highs and the lows, and what he's learned and what he would do differently.  It's a great chat about buying into the beer business, why you'd do it but also why you may not. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Christopher Shepard Senior Editor of US publication, Beer Marketer's Insights, which has the tag line that it's the leading source of beer industry information since 1970. In this conversation, we look at the challenges the brewing industry faces and what it means for breweries. We discuss the differences between the US and Australian markets, which is important when Australian brewers look to the US for a lead. We discuss the challenges the brewing industry will confront in the face of the growing neo-prohibition movement and demographic shifts and whether no alc is the answer. We also look at what has happened to Bud Light over the last few months and what that says about beer consumers and also beer's ability to effect social change. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we return to beer labels and branding trends as we again chat with Isaac Arthur from US design consultancy Codo Design.  We last spoke with Isaac in 2021, and wanted to go back to speak with Isaac as Codo has released its annual Beer Branding Trends Review, which is an incredibly rich resource for the brewing industry. I don't think I am overstating it to say that in the incredibly competitive beer market, branding is increasingly the most important element in getting a consumer to choose your beer on shelf, and so I wanted to go back to Isaac to hear where he sees the industry is at and where its going. Isaac is very generous with his insights, and this podcast is well worth a listen, as is reading the 2023 Trends publication. Isaac also has a podcast and plenty of resources available on his website. 2023 Beer Branding Trends Review Newsletter & Podcast Beyond Beer Handbook How to Design Better Merch [Newsletter] Alcohol & Minors: What is our Responsibility as Designers? [Newsletter] If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Thomas Vandelanotte, head brewer at John Martin Brewery in Belgium, and makers of Timmerman's beers and also Bourgogne Des Flandres. I will always have a fondness for Belgian beers. To some extent, that's because they were among the first to show me that not all beers were lagers, but also as my career has developed and I have watched the evolution of the craft beer industry, because their brewers have such respect for what they make and also how it will be enjoyed, while still being willing to experiment and not be entirely shackled by tradition. But the focus is always for the drinking experience. Thomas was in Australia as his beers are just about to be made available again, and the importer has said that after a decade of declining interest in classic Belgian beers, people are rediscovering them.  Thank you to Felons in Brisbane, where the interview was recorded, for hosting us. By coincidence, this interview was recorded in the week that Felons launched its first beers from its own barrel program, and we got to try them after the interview.  And just a plug - unpaid - for Thomas' beers…they will be landing in early July and will be available for Beer Importers and Distributors. If you're a retailer, get in touch…if you're a consumer, maybe put your local independent bottleshop in touch. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we have a really fun conversation with Revel Brewing's national sales manager, Hugh Doyle.  Hugh has only recently started this position, joining Revel after finishing with Stone & Wood where he spend more than 11 years in sales roles. Prior to that Hugh had a career in hospitality, managing and co-owning pub venues - including time running a Vodka bar - where he gained a wealth of knowledge and experience. As we always do, we dig deeply in his career and what he has learned and can be applied to the brewing industry, as well as his feelings around the sale of Stone & Wood, and what made him choose his next role with Revel. It's a great chat loaded with valuable insights, and I hope you get as much from it as I did. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we have a slightly different conversation as we meet Tim Maxwell and Alastair Gillespie from the Lord Howe Island Brewery. The brewery was announced in 2020, when I spoke with then Lion Managing Director James Brindley who, together with Chuck Hahn, told how Lion was working with the Maxwell family to build a brewery on the island. That caused a bit of a kerfuffle on the Island, as many locals - including the competing Lord Howe Island Brewing Company - were unaware of Lion's involvement.  It turned out that due to their enthusiasm for the project, I probably put too much emphasis on Lion's involvement in the project. In any event, with the brewery now open Lion's changing strategy, which has seen it close or rebrand its smaller craft breweries, leaves the multinational's involvement in the brewery uncertain…despite that, there is now a brewery on Lord Howe Island and I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to visit it. I recorded this interview with Tim and Alastair on the island and in it we hear the background to how Lion was involved and where that stands now. More importantly, we talk about the very unique challenges of building a brewery on a very small, world heritage listed island as part of a very small and tight knit community. It's an interesting conversation that is as much about sustainability and community as it is about beer, and I hope you enjoy it. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. Check out their new product catalogue at www.hops.com.au/product-catalogue If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we have a special panel discussion recorded live at the recent Craft Brewer Conference in Nashville. 2023 has been a pivotal year for the brewing industry here, and the current state of the market was a significant topic of discussion at this year's Craft Brewers Conference. A strong Australian contingent was in Nashville attending the event and immediately after the conference closed, I was interested in hearing the immediate impressions from some of those that were in attendance. It was a very informal, spontaneous group that I chatted with, but it's still a group of senior industry representatives. The panel is: Adam Trippe-Smith, Founder and Managing Director, Konvoy Kegs Nick Boots, Founder The Business of Beer Phil Meddings, Joint CEO Bintani Australia I hope you enjoy hearing their first thoughts and takeaways from the Craft Brewers Conference. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. Check out their new product catalogue at www.hops.com.au/product-catalogue If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week's conversation is so wide ranging and interesting that we didn't even end up touching on the topic that we planned to. The guest today is Brand Manager of MoonDog, which I probably should note up front as in the hour long conversation, we don't touch once on his current paid job or his employer. But my guest, Miro Bellini, is arguably Australia's most passionate, thoughtful and pragmatic advocate for craft beer. This conversation ends up having no real topic…just beer, but with Miro that that topic is always engaging.  Enjoy this conversation with Miro Bellini. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

And this week we don't just learn about beer, we learn about potato crisps as we meet brewing quality consultant Clare Clouting. Until recently Clare was with Good Drinks Australia where she had worked as Quality Assurance Manager and Operations Systems Manager. Recently she founded Athena Business Solutions with the aim of assisting food and beverage businesses produce safe, high quality and compliant products through education and easy to use tools, food safety coaching and consulting. We begin by learning a bit about Clare and had she came to work in quality, coming to beer via Frito Lay, which is where the potato crisps come in, including what is the lager of chips.  We have had Clare on BreweryPro podcast a number of times and I highly recommend you go back and listen to them if you have an interest in quality, and seeing more of Clare expertise.  Find Clare and Athena Quality on LinkedIn. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Dylan Firth, Executive Director of the Brewers Association of New Zealand. There is always a lot of discussion amongst brewers at the smaller end of the market about things like independence and the market dominance of the large brewers, but at the same time, there are a great many issues that affect all brewers. As we have discussed on this podcast recently, policy development and industry advocacy are incredibly time-consuming for industry bodies and I was interested in speaking with Dylan about the role of the association that represents the interests of the largest brewers in New Zealand and where some of these overlaps are. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Nick Boots, who we last spoke with in early 2020 after his appointment as General Manager at Stone & Wood. Nick recently moved on from Stone & Wood having fulfilled his commitment following the sale to Lion and, after a break, he has recently set up a business consulting to breweries called The Business of Beer. It's an interesting beer podcast when you're quoting the from the William Goldman book The Princess Bride…but it was apt for a podcast with a consultant. To paraphrase it, "the brewing business is hard, anyone who tells you differently is selling something" and in this podcast we look at the challenges that breweries are facing in the maturing and highly competitive market post covid. It was refreshing to hear Nick talk openly about the challenges of brewing and the need to know your business.  We don't promise answers in this episode - as they say in finance podcasts, this is general advice only - but I think we raise some of the questions that brewers should be asking themselves about their business. Email Nick at: bootsy@thebusinessofbeer.com.au If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we continue our accidental series on construction professionals who started a brewery as we meet Sonia and Guy Schweitzer from Scarborough Harbour Brewing Co. Scarborough Harbour made a bit of a splash recently at the The Royal Queensland Beer Awards, winning best new brewery and champion brewpub in addition to a number of gold medals. It was a strong result for a new brewery, especially one that didn't ride the hype train as it launched and we wanted to check it out and hear their story.  And I discovered a gem. It's a great story about how changing circumstances saw Sonia became the driver of the brewery that beer-loving Guy wanted to build, but has had to enjoy from a continent away.  Enjoy this conversation with Sonia and Guy Schweitzer. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we meet Cheyne Meehan, who opened Happy Valley brewery in Brisbane three years ago.  Cheyne, who was making a pretty good living as a crane driver, was bitten hard by the homebrew bug and, like many before him, decided it would be a great idea to open a brewery. As you'll hear, underfunded, underplanned, and with COVID swirling, he went ahead. It was hard, and mistakes were made, as they say, but when you listen to him it's hard to hear any regret amidst his love of what he's doing and his passion for beer.  If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week on Beer is a Conversation we meet Dr Ron Beatson. It's not many people who get to have the impact on a country's industry that Ron has had on the hops industry in New Zealand. His research has been credited as having transformed NZ Hops from a cottage industry supplying hops to NZ-based brewers to a sophisticated export product with more than 85% of production now exported to the some of the world's leading beer producing nations. In Nectaron he has also had a hop named after him. I was in Nelson for the first time and had the chance to speak with Dr Beatson about a career that saw him move from research into tobacco into hops, what he loves about the industry and also where he sees hops and hop research going. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we have something a little different as we meet Bede Durbidge, one of the founders of Balter Brewing Company. Balter is sometimes - and I think unfairly - referred to as the surfers brewery, on account of the four very visible faces who were behind the business. While the profile of the surfers behind Balter undoubtedly helped garner some attention and stand out in an increasingly crowded market when it launched, the drinks industry is littered with brands that failed despite much more evident star power. Having heard Bede speak about his career and the origins of the brewery, I always wondered whether the people behind the brand, actually played a part in its success in ways more than just celebrity. That's what I explore in this episode. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we have a great conversation with brewer Matt Brynildson.  Matt is Brewmaster at California's Firestone Walker Brewery. He is one of those brewers that is quietly revered by other brewers and we were lucky to get to catch up with him advance of his upcoming visit to Australia. He will here for HPA's hop harvest and, of interest to Australian brewers, speaking at the High Country Hop Technical Symposium where he will be speaking on the topic of Hop Quality and Optimising Hop Impact - A field to glass approach. Matt is perfectly placed to speak about this. He moved into brewing from a job as a hop chemist and has been heavily involved in teaching about hops through the Master Brewers Association of America and the US-based Hop Quality Group…something that we discuss in this conversation.  Such is a life of and commitment to hops, last year he was awarded the Order of the Hop at the at the International Hop Congress in Prague, only the second US brewer to be so honoured.  In this conversation you will hear Matt talk about that, and so much more about the evolution of hops in brewing and some thoughts on where we are and where brewers are headings. More than anything, it will give you a taste of what you will hear if you're lucky to hear him speak at High Country Hops.  If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

English beer writer Pete Brown probably needs no introduction to our listeners. Apart from having been a guest on the podcast a number of times, his many books would be well known to anyone with an interest in beer.  Earlier this year, Pete tweeted about the dire state of craft brewing in the UK and the number of breweries closing. I wanted to hear more about the challenges being faced there to see what was relevant in our own market. We also talk about the evolution of the craft beer market and how we got to this point in the craft beer cycle. We also discuss his latest book, Clubland, looking at the intoxicating history of the working men's clubs in the UK. As always with Pete, it's a very thoughtful conversation about beer. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week we catch up with Paul Daley, Craft Beer Ambassador Leader, Education & Experiences at Lion. Paul recently travelled to the US where he passed his Advanced Cicerone exam, making him one of the handful of advanced Cicerones in Australia.  As you'll hear, Paul has had a lengthy career in hospitality and liquor, but he is one of those people that has found a passion for beer and craft beer in particular and is a tireless advocate for changing the way people think about it. I never tire talking beer with Paul, and his enthusiasm and drive to share the best of what beer can be often reignites my own enthusiasm and I wanted to capture a little of that in this conversation. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. Check out their new product catalogue at www.hops.com.au/product-catalogue/ If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

Mountain Culture rocketed to the top of the GABS Hottest 100 just a few weeks ago, but that was the latest achievement for a brewery that has been exceeding expectations ever since it launched in late 2019, just before the world felt the grip of COVID. COVID put a huge dent in what were initially outlined as modest plans for a humble Blue Mountains brewpub. Their covid pivot seems to have paid off and they have been on a tear ever since, one that has seen contant expansion of their expanded brewhouse. Managing growth is often seen as big a challenge for craft breweries as not growing, and I really wanted to find out what the Mountain Culture secret sauce is…especially as to the outsider Harriet & DJ give off some pretty laid-back, it's all fun craft beer vibes that feel the opposite of a serious, growth-minded businesses negotiating a maturing market place. It's a great chat and I hope I managed to get a look under the hood of of the engine that's driving the business. This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia's leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. Check out their new product catalogue at www.hops.com.au/product-catalogue/ If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

Just about everywhere we go, we hear opinions on the IBA. How it's doing, what it should be doing, what it shouldn't be doing and what it should be doing differently.  We have opined on this ourselves. But we also hear a lot about why breweries consider it's not worth joining or why they are leaving, and this often involves suggestions that the association isn't doing enough in some areas, or is focusing on the wrong areas. Often there's little understanding of the enormity of the association's task just in dealing with governments at all levels on issues that are critical to the daily operation of every brewery, whether a member of the association or not.  While we were in Canberra for the Hottest 100 Countdown, we took the opportunity to sit down with Richard and Kylie to try to understand what the IBA does, outside of its most visible work on the Indie Seal, the Indies and BrewCon just to give listeners an understanding of why having an association that represents the interests of brewers is so important. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

Matt Kirkegaard and Sabrina Kunz countdown the GABS Hottest 100 beers for 2023. Enjoy this chat with Matt and Jack from the Inspired Unemployed. View the full list of winners. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

Matt Kirkegaard and Sabrina Kunz countdown the GABS Hottest 100 beers for 2023. Enjoy this chat with Mick Fanning. View the full list of winners. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

Matt Kirkegaard and Sabrina Kunz countdown the GABS Hottest 100 beers for 2023. Enjoy this chat with winner DJ McCready. View the full list of winners. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

Matt Kirkegaard and Sabrina Kunz countdown the GABS Hottest 100 beers for 2023. Enjoy this conversation with Scott Hargrave. View the full list of winners. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

Matt Kirkegaard and Sabrina Kunz countdown the GABS Hottest 100 beers for 2023. This full live broadcast includes all interviews and commentary as it happened on the 28 January 2023. View the full list of winners. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week, we speak with Jess Walker and Dennis de Boer from White Bay Beer Company. During the chat, we discuss Jess and Dennis' extensive careers within the industry, how one of their lagers took out the Champion Beer at the 2022 Indies and what they've learned working at pioneering and rapidly scaling breweries.  If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts

This week, we speak with Evin Craney, National Sales and Export Manager at Bright Brewery.  During the chat, we learn about Evin's extensive experience in selling craft beer, culminating in his current role at Bright.  We also discuss his recent appointment to the IBA board, business growth and how a local brewery maintains a brand as it looks for broader markets.  If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts