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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 2Relevant 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 [email protected].
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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 [email protected].
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“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 [email protected].
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"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 [email protected].
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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 [email protected].
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“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 [email protected].
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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 [email protected].
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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.
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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 [email protected].
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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 TAFETo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].
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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 Farrington
17:30 – Tim Rasheed
28:18 – Kyle Pearson
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: https://craftypint.com/news/3646/year-in-beer-2024-the-national-picture
CanBEERra: http://www.canbeerra.com/
Page Bottler: https://craftypint.com/bottleshop/1106/page-bottler
Alice Springs Brewing Co: https://craftypint.com/brewery/544/alice-springs-brewing-co
To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].
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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 [email protected].
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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 McDonaldThe 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 AmbitionTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].
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The second half of our Year In Beer 2024 series sees us head across the Bass Strait to see 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, doffing a cap to 20 years of Two Metre Tall, and the importance of supporting local.
Start of guest segments:
1:34 – Matt Fielding 13:05 – Scott SeymourThe 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 Who Owns Your Beer? Science Made Beerable Penguin Beer CoTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].
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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 KrekelbergThe 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 BrewingTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].
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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 & GuyThe 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 [email protected].
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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 Picture
Former Staff Return Tumut River Brewing To Its Roots
FOUND.Subiaco Opens
Uraidla win at the Indies
Suburban Scoop SA's Best Beer Trophy
Flavour Logic’s website
AMSAT Character Malts’ website
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“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 Pils
The 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 [email protected].
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"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-hoppy
Vegan a la Beer: The Appetiser: https://craftypint.com/news/3631/vegan-a-la-beer-the-appetiser
WA Beer of the Year 2025: https://craftypint.com/news/3629/seasonal-win-wa-beer-of-the-year-with-black-oat-cream-ipa-mudi
Burleigh Brewing's 18th birthday beers: https://craftypint.com/beer/11067/burleigh-brewing-18th-birthday-re-brews
The High Country Hop 2025: https://craftypint.com/event/13525/the-high-country-hop-2025
Crafty Cabal giveaways: https://craftycabal.com/giveaways-and-merch
The Molly Rose Story – Distilled: https://craftypint.com/event/13532/the-molly-rose-story--distilled
Nominate your beers for the GABS H100 of 2024: https://craftypint.com/news/3630/gabs-hottest-100-craft-beer-nominations-now-open
Sam Sets Sail For Bali: https://craftypint.com/news/2922/sam-sets-sails-for-bali
Beaches Brewery Bali: https://beachesbrewingco.com/
Thanks to Beer30, sponsors of this week's show.
To support the show, contact [email protected].
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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 09:30
Prior 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 [email protected].
- Visa fler
