In The Media

SMARTcraft
League star Matty Johns on his love of lager and why beer and footy are such a good fit
March 02, 2023

Footy and beer have always been a very tight fit.

No matter what your preferred code – and no matter what the weather – there’s something about having a cold one in your hand while the bodies bash and crash on the field that enhances the match-day experience.

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SmartCraft Beer Club: Five of the best fruity beers that taste like summer
February 16, 2023

Finally there’s a reason to thank La Nina – extended beer-drinking weather is expected to last through to April across the nation. With the Bureau of Meteorology predicting warmer than normal conditions for much of Australia in the next three months, it’s the perfect time to tantalise your tastebuds with fruity craft beers that taste like summer.

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How craft beer newbies Mountain Culture won the GABS Hottest 100 with Status Quo Pale Ale
February 02, 2023

Nearly a week later and brewer DJ McCready still can’t quite believe that he won the prestigious top spot on the GABS Hottest 100 – on his very first attempt.

The American-born founder of Mountain Culture Beer Co, based in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, came in at No. 1 in last Saturday’s countdown of the nation’s best craft beers with his Status Quo Pale Ale, ahead of Balter Brewing’s Balter XPA, and last year’s champion, BentSpoke Brewing Co’s Crankshaft IPA, in third.

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BentSpoke’s Crankshaft IPA aiming for a rare three-peat in the GABS Hottest 100 craft beer poll
January 19, 2023

Brewer Richard Watkins knows he’s going to have his work cut out for him to achieve a rare three-peat in this year’s GABS Hottest 100 craft beer poll.

The co-founder of Canberra’s BentSpoke Brewing Co scored the top spot in the last two lists – after three straight years in third place – with his Crankshaft IPA but he agrees it’s going to be a tough ask to match the run put on by Feral Brewing Company’s Hop Hog American Pale Ale, which topped the chart from 2012 to 2014.

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Loophole Quick Hare Cape Ale
December 12, 2022

Making great beer and catching early morning waves, it’s all about finding loopholes. It’s not just that, that’s in being a Loophole brewer. Being sustainable and environmentally friendly is a large part of their mission too! Their story begins with Des Hooper. He has been making wine on the edge of the Great Southern Ocean on the Limestone Coast near Robe and Kingston, in South Australia, since settling there in 1993. The lifestyle is inspirational. From surfing the impressive waves to finding a natural aquifer in the limestone riddled paddocks while hiking. And the water is delicious, filtered for millions of years and pure as can be so, into the beer it went!

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Stone & Wood Pacific Ale
December 09, 2022

It’s time to enjoy the golden taste of summer in a can with Stone & Wood Pacific Ale. It’s a quality beer, so drinkable and perfect after a day in the sun or an afternoon’s boating.

Born in Byron Bay, big on tropical flavours with subtle herbal notes, Pacific Ale was the first craft beer of its kind and one that Stone & Wood has built a reputation on.

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How Canberra brewery Capital Brewing Co is helping save the planet though craft beer
December 08, 2022

There’s no doubt that craft beer is a source of joy for enthusiasts around Australia, but one brewery in the nation’s capital is also approaching as a “force for good”.

Ever since it launched in the Canberra suburb of Fyshwick six years ago, Capital Brewing Co has taken the approach that treating their staff and the environment with respect is at least as important as making excellent beer (which they most certainly do).

SMARTcraft
Bright Alpine Lager (#1 ranked Victorian indie lager at GABS)
December 05, 2022

The brewers at Bright, the gateway to Victoria’s beautiful High Country, live and breathe the alpine lifestyle, and want to share that experience through great beer. 

Bright Brewery offers unique, bold and adventurous beers for people who love adventure and connect with the mountain lifestyle – which can be thirsty work! Riding bikes, skiing, hiking, camping, fishing, camping under the stars or just sitting by a fire in front of the river, various activities that need to be finished off with a can of Alpine Lager in hand.

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Twobays Pale Ale
December 02, 2022

Drinking good beer is about sharing the experience and for so long our gluten-intolerant brothers and sisters have had to forgo a decent quality craft beer. But no longer!

Two Bays Brewing Co. Pale Ale is an award-winning gluten-free beer – brewed using ancient grains of millet, buckwheat and rice, to create a modern beer that makes the world a better place.

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Black Brewing Hazy Pale Ale
November 28, 2022

Oh to be in Western Australia’s stunning South West! Towering forests, set behind the pristine coastline of the tranquil Margaret River region – and it also just happens to be home to a great brewery or two. Black Brewing Co and sister brand Dune Distilling Co are a craft brewery and distillery nestled in this south-west pocket of WA. Including an in-house restaurant they offer a
one-stop destination to give their guests a quintessential taste of Australia’s far west.

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Mornington Peninsula Pale Ale
November 26, 2022

When Santa sets off to guide his sleigh Down Under this Christmas, there’d be no better way to start the trip than to squeeze in a couple six packs of Mornington Peninsula brews between brightly wrapped presents, especially a six-pack of the Mornington Pale.

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JERVIS BAY 11 DAYS PALE ALE
November 22, 2022

After a long day on the boat or the beach, Jervis Bay’s award-winning 11 Days Pale Ale is a nice dry beer that won’t assault your senses. Bright and approachable, it’s also the perfect drop to accompany many a long summer day spent on the white sands of Jervis – or any beach for that matter. Crisp and refreshing, with subtle notes of passionfruit and a dry finish, this easy-drinking classic has fast become one of this NSW South Coast brewery’s most popular drops. In fact it has just picked up a gold medal at the Independent Brewery Awards, aka the Indies, after competing with 236 other pale ales from across the country.

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RECREATION EASY ALE
November 19, 2022

When it comes to less alcohol, how low can you go with a full-flavoured, easy-drinking pale ale that won’t tip you over the edge and still allow you to drive home? Pretty low is the answer.

Recreation Easy Ale hits all the top marks of a craft beer with a much lower alcohol content, around the 2.5 per cent mark, in fact. Unlike some craft beers which can be a little overpowering, this is designed to be easy drinking, not overly fruity. It’s floral without being like a bouquet, so you can drink a few of them and still get that full flavour. And you still feel fresh – as it’s just 0.6 drinks per can!

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Beneficial Beer Co. Stone Cold Lager
November 16, 2022

The clever clogs at Beneficial Beer Co have dubbed their full-bodied non-alcoholic Stone Cold Lager as the perfect ‘inbeertweener’.

Produced using a tried and tested traditional brewing method, developed by ex Tooheys and Bluetongue brewer Bruce Peachey, BBCo’s Stone Cold Lager has all the ingredients you’d want in a beer – barley grain, water, hops and yeast – with all the flavours and esters you’d expect from a mid-strength lager. 

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Why Aussie craft beer lover started his own gluten-free brewery TWOBAYS
November 10, 2022

When craft beer enthusiast Richard Jeffares was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2015, he was devastated. Like many who suffer from the digestive and immune disorder that can be triggered by ingesting gluten, he was told by his doctor – no bread, no pasta and no beer.

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How To Judge A Beer By It's Label
October 27, 2022

They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but can you judge a beer by its can?

The answer is yes, according to Jason Burton from Cavalier Brewing, who has just taken out a prestigious prize for can design.

The Melbourne brewery was last week awarded the prestigious Orora Golden Can Trophy in the GABS Can Design Awards for its Bloody Maria Imperial Gose Michelada, ahead of Queensland’s Black Hops’ British India Pale Ale and NSW’s Buckettys Brewing Co’s Tawny Grogmouth.

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Sunshine Coast leads the way for best beer holiday destinations
October 13, 2022

There’s something extra satisfying about finding a super-tasty, unique local beer while on holidays. But what if that beer was the reason for the holiday itself?

With the proliferation of craft breweries all around the country in the past decade, some savvy operators are taking advantage of insatiable thirst for new beers by marrying holiday destinations with tasting tours.

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Craft beer companies Young Henrys, Gage Roads give sports fans more choices
September 08, 2022

As far as life moments go, this was a pretty good one for policeman turned brewery part owner Dan Hampton.

There he was with some fellow parents at the hallowed turf of the SCG, watching his eight-year-old daughter play footy during half time at a Sydney Swans match, while drinking one of his own Young Henrys beers he’d just bought at the venue.

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How the quintessential tastes of Australia have been captured in craft beer
August 25, 2022

There are plenty of contenders out there for what might be considered the most quintessentially Australian beer.

By numbers alone it could be the top-selling Great Northern Super Crisp Lager. By history, surely it’s Cascade, the country’s oldest continually operating brewery. It’s hard to think of brands more iconic than the XXXX and VB cans. Or perhaps the crown should go to Stone and Wood for pioneering the uniquely Australian Pacific Ale.

SMARTdaily
Get dad what he really wants with the best Father’s Day craft beers
August 11, 2022

With Father’s Day coming up fast, dads around Australia will be preparing for their big day with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

Of course, there’s the thrill of being the centre of attention, the possibility of breakfast in bed and the chance to score some quality swag. On the other hand, there’s the very real possibility of having to feign enthusiasm at yet another haul of socks, jocks and whatever was left on the table at the school’s fundraiser sale.

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Footy star turned brewer David Neitz on craft beer and why a subscription can work for you
July 28, 2022

As an Australian Football Hall of Famer who played 306 games for the Melbourne Demons, David Neitz had a good many celebratory beers – and no doubt drowned a few sorrows – in his long and distinguished sporting career.

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Don’t be afraid of the dark: Why you should embrace stout, porter and black beers this winter
July 14, 2022

Australian beer drinkers – don’t be afraid of the dark this winter.
Now is the time, particularly in the chillier climates, when many craft enthusiasts like to look beyond lagers, pale ales and IPAs for the roasty, toasty delights of brown ales, porters and stouts.

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How to give your body a booze break in Dry July and still enjoy amazing tasting beers
June 20, 2022
Dry July is coming up in a couple of weeks and that can create a dilemma for dedicated beer drinkers.

One the one hand there are the undeniable health benefits of giving the body a break from alcohol while also raising money to improve the comfort, care and wellbeing of people affected by cancer. On the other hand, well, there’s none of your favourite tipples for four long weeks.
SMARTdaily
Why craft brewers are banding together with a pledge for better deals and better beers
June 02, 2022

Australian beers drinkers are blessed with more beer choices than ever before, and a new movement has arisen to help them take advantage of what’s on offer.
From a low point of just 19 breweries in Australian in 1984 there are now more than 700 breweries around the country, from the giant multinational corporations behind much-loved, mainstream, household names to tiny micro outfits that are just a small step above backyard brewing – and everything in between.

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Thrills, spills and chilled beers in Burleigh Brewing Co.’s annual skateboarding Keg Jump
May 19, 2022

With Australia now home to more than 700 breweries since the craft beer explosion of the past decade, many shrewd operators are going the extra mile to stand out from the crowd.

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From banh mi to cheesecake, these are the best meal-in-a-glass craft beers you need to try
May 05, 2022

Australian drinkers have long embraced the liquid lunch and the theory that there’s a steak in every beer – but adventurous brewers are now taking the meal in a glass to the next level.

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GABS 2022: Australia’s biggest travelling craft beer festival is setting off down the east coast
April 21, 2022

It’s billed as Disneyland for beer lovers, so it’s no wonder that so many craft brew enthusiasts start frothing at the mouth at the prospect of the annual Great Australian Beer Spectapular.

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How Bright Brewery’s DoggoBrau is helping rescue animals in need one beer at a time
March 24, 2022
The next time someone tells you to “get a dog up ya”, instead of being insulted perhaps instead say “don’t mind if I do”.

The loveable mutt has been man’s best friend since time immemorial and given that beer is a red-hot contender for man’s second best friend, it’s no surprise that the two make for comfortable kennelmates.
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Your craft brew guide to Guinness-inspired, homegrown stouts to try this St Patrick’s Day
March 10, 2022
When St Patrick’s Day rolls around next week, there’s one thing to be sure of – Guinness will be flowing freely.

It’s the one day of the year that it’s socially acceptable to consume vast quantities of the beloved, velvety Irish drop at any hour, but for many their experience of stout begins and ends on March 17.
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From Cherry Seinfeld to Ginny Hendrix, these are the weird, wonderful beers you need to try
February 24, 2022
‘What’s in a name?” was the question famously pondered by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet.

But old brew-loving Bill also wrote “a quart of ale is a dish for a king” so he clearly thought that which we call a beer by any other name would taste as sweet.
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Sour beers are taking off in Aussie craft breweries thanks to a wacky range of fruity flavours
February 10, 2022
Don’t be put off by the name – sour beers are taking off in craft breweries around the country and drawing fans in unlikely places.

While there are plenty of beer buffs who love the style for its complexity and wide range of flavours, sours are also being embraced by people who normally wouldn’t even drink beer.
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From Golden Gaytime beer to a pot of pavlova: 9 best beers for your Christmas lunch
December 16, 2021

In Australia, Christmas and beer go together like Santa and his sleigh. While the northern hemisphere might be quaffing eggnog while roasting chestnuts on an open fire and dreaming of a white Christmas, we’re more likely to be cranking up the aircon, playing backyard cricket and pondering a trip to the beach.

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The best beers to match your barbecue this summer – and join our craft beer club to save big
December 02, 2021

AFTER what seems like forever, summer is finally upon us and now that we’re all able to gather in parks, back yards and beaches again, it’s time to embrace the great Aussie barbecue.

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Craft beer: What is it and how to get started
November 19, 2021

Summer is just around the corner, and reaching for a cold beer at the end of a long day remains one of life’s great joys. For many that beer will exactly be the same every time – whether it’s a VB, a Tooheys New, a XXXX or a West End Draught – and there’s nothing wrong with that.

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