“If you don't hustle you haemorrhage."

Will Ziebell visited Bright Brewery for their annual Darker Days festival and, while in the High Country town, sat down with their national business development and brand manager Evin Craney.

Evin joined the brewery six years ago following a career in sales that saw him move from bottleshop retail to a repping for number of Victorian breweries, and has since become chair of the Independent Brewers Association (IBA).The first half of the episode focuses on the IBA’s advocacy work both before and after the federal election, while the second half covers Evin’s role at Bright Brewery, the brewery’s recent growth and acquisition of a Melbourne pub, and what it takes to sell beer – and indie beer’s message – to the country’s retailers.

Before getting into the main interview, Will and James discuss the week’s news from Tumut, which they’d visited as part of a podcast-filled road trip. The main topic is UK-based Powder Monkey Group buying Akasha and Wayward, which will become part of an Australian portfolio that already includes Southern Highlands Brewing Company and Willie the Boatman, while we also announce June’s Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month.

*Start of segments:*  

* 06:01 – Evin Craney Part 1
* 21:36 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month  
* 23:52 – Evin Craney Part 2

Selling Beer & Indie Beer's Story

“I think Seven Sheds was a bit like the Velvet Underground. It’s been said about the Velvet Underground that they didn’t sell many records, but every second person who bought a record went off and started their own band. And I think we were a bit influential… to our own detriment.”

Less than a year on from the first episode of The Crafty Pint Podcast, we’ve reached our 50th show, and mark the occasion with suitably distinguished guests.

While many who first discovered craft beer in recent years may never have encountered Seven Sheds [https://sevensheds.com.au/], or indeed co-founder and head brewer Willie Simpson [https://craftypint.com/news/2252/craftys-advent-calendar-willie-simpson], those who have enjoyed their beers or read Willie’s words will be well aware of the vital role he played in bringing beer – and respect for it – to a wider audience.

A few weeks ago, Willie and partner Catherine Stark bade farewell to cellar door customers for the last time, bringing to a close 17 years of brewing and pouring at their home in Railton, all while helping build the region’s tourism infrastructure.

They joined us for a broad-ranging chat that covers Willie’s homebrewing days in Sydney and lengthy career as a freelance drinks writer, their decision to open a tiny residential brewery, meadery, hop garden and cellar door in Railton, the bureaucracy crushing small businesses, brewing beers with home-smoked peat bought from a guy called Pete, the beauty of open fermenters, the toilet tax and more.

The start of the episode sees Will and James discussing the week’s news, although once again doing so a few hours before we could confirm Rocky Ridge were the buyers [https://craftypint.com/news/3804/rocky-ridge-buy-fox-friday-perth-from-mountain-culture] of Fox Friday’s Perth outpost.

In non-Mountain Culture-related news, there was our Brew & A with Tim Howard [https://craftypint.com/news/3798/brew-and-a-tim-howard] – the head brewer at double AIBA trophy-winners Merino Brewery, a feature on the man behind the beers [https://craftypint.com/news/3799/who-brews-at-bicheno-brewing] at Bicheno Brewing on the Tasmanian East Coast, and a heads-up for three upcoming Crafty Pint events [https://craftypint.com/events] at BentSpoke, KAIJU! and Slipstream, each with discounts for our beer club members [https://craftycabal.com/].

We reveal the identity of the latest “good beer citizen” in our Have You Done A Rallings? campaign [https://craftypint.com/rallings] and, given we’ve racked up 50 episodes, we’re also keen for feedback from listeners / viewers and have launched a survey [https://craftypint.com/news/3805/the-crafty-pint-podcast-tell-us-what-you-think] so you can tell us what you think of the show.

Start of segments:

 * 10:41 – Willie & Catherine Part 1
 * 36:19 – Have You Done A Rallings?
 * 38:32 – Willie & Catherine Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Seven Sheds & Countless Stories

"We've done some really hop-forward, Brettanomyces-fermented beers which have been really neat with Vic Secret too, just the way that the Brett biotransforms some of the compounds in Vic Secret is pretty cool."

In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we've created a series of podcast episodes – an Aussie Hop Series – looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.

Over the course of the series, we've spoken to leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.

We wrap up the series in the company of Zach Nichols, owner and brewer at Cellar West in Colorado, and Chris Swersey from HPA. The hop in question is Vic Secret, known for its pine and pineapple qualities.

Zach and Chris talk to host Craig Williams about how and where the hop works best, the hugely diverse range of beers in which Vic Secret is used by Cellar West, how Chris first came across the variety, how the "oil monster" evolved over the years, and more.

For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit hops.com.au [https://hops.com.au/].

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Aussie Hops Series: Vic Secret - Presented By HPA

“I think we’re just as surprised as anyone, really. We’ve been blown away by the awards.”

Since settling into their Bathurst brewpub in 2022, Reckless Brewing have been on quite the tear when it comes to beer awards. They’ve picked up three trophies for three different beers in three straight years at the Australian International Beer Awards while securing trophies at other beer competitions too.

Two of the brewery’s founders – Grace Fowler and Jarrod Moore – joined Will and James from their brewery venue to share their thoughts on trophy success, how they’ve built a community and loyal team in regional NSW, and their ambitions to become a national brand even as the landscape becomes more challenging and many others breweries are downsizing.

We also dive into their history, including Grace’s experience brewing at Ikon and Akasha, how the couple met, their friendship with fellow founder, Alice Wilson, why the trio launched Reckless in 2019, life-changing IPAs, and how luck – or maybe good timing – has played a key role in their rise.

Before the interview, James and Will discuss the Carwyn family’s recent re-acquisition of Carwyn Cellars, the familiar names back winning more trophies at the Perth Royal Beer Awards, and our latest Beer By Design story which focuses on the role of graphic designers. Midway through, you'll also encounter the first in a mini-series of segments featuring Beer30.

As ever, don’t forget to like and subscribe the show – you can rate and review it too if you like – and keep the entries coming for Bluestone Yeast’s Brewery of the Month and our celebration of good beer citizens, Have You Done A Rallings?

Start of Segments:

 * 11:35 – Reckless Brewing Part 1
 * 34:15 – Beer30 on COGS
 * 42:21 – Reckless Brewing Part 2

Relevant links:

 * Reckless Brewing [https://craftypint.com/brewery/646/reckless-brewing]
 * Carwyns Buy Carwyn [https://craftypint.com/news/3792/carwyn-cellars-back-with-the-carwyns]
 * Beer By Design: The Graphic Designers [https://craftypint.com/news/3788/beer-by-design-the-graphic-designers]
 * Perth Royal Beer Awards [https://craftypint.com/news/3791/gage-roads-claim-a-20th-birthday-trophy-as-king-road-whitelakes-and-margaret-river-beer-co-win-big-too]
 * Beer30 [https://craftypint.com/business/1322/the-5th-ingredient-beer30] 
 * Nominate a Brewery of the Month [https://craftypint.com/bluestone]
 * Nominate a good beer citizen [https://craftypint.com/rallings] 
 * Cryer Malt [https://cryermalt.com/]

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Reckless Race To Success

"I don't think you can really overpower it because it's just such a great hop and pairs really well with a lot of other tropical or fruity hops."

In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we've created a series of podcast episodes – an Aussie Hop Series – looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.

Over the course of the series, we're speaking with leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these iconic hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.

For this, the penultimate episode in the series, we chatted to Philter head brewer Max Hämmerle and Michael Capaldo from HPA, about Eclipse. The hop, renowned for its mandarin and citrusy qualities, was formally commercialised and given the name Eclipse in 2020 [https://craftypint.com/news/2523/total-eclipse-of-the-hop] after appearing in beers for a number of years as HPA-016.

Max and Michael chat about its impact on beers, how and when it’s used by Philter, Eclipse in Spectrum liquid hop form, as well as a teaser about the latest experimental variety HPA are sharing with brewers.

For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit hops.com.au [https://hops.com.au].

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Aussie Hops Series: Eclipse - Presented By HPA

"In this game, you have to all believe in what you're trying to achieve.”

While no strangers to awards success, it’s fair to say the team at Philter enjoyed a night to remember at the 2025 Australian International Beer Awards, taking home four major trophies.

After a brief yet raucous chat with them on the night, we reconvened two weeks later for a more relaxed and wide-ranging catch-up with co-founders Mick Neil and Stef Constantoulas – mates who met when they moved in to the same Marrickville street a few years before launching their brewing company.

As well as reflecting on the impact of their recent success, they take us back to their pre-Philter days in the worlds of surfing gear and big beer, their first meetings with Sam Füss – the brewer behind many of their killer recipes we spoke to at her new home in Bali last year, the values driving the brand, the ongoing evolution of their multi-faceted venue, and their plans for the future.

The conversation touches upon many wider issues facing the beer and hospitality worlds too, from price pressures and market access to the need to keep fighting to bring consumers into the world of local, indie beer.

This week’s show features the debut of another mini-series supported by Mogwai Labs. Breaking Down Beer Styles kicks off with a look at dry Irish stouts for which Mogwai founder Josh Allen joined by Jared Palu and Lincoln Gibbs from Felons.

In the intro, Will and James reflect on Gage Roads turning 20 this week, as well as on the closure after 17 years of Seven Sheds in Tasmania. Look out for an upcoming episode featuring that brewery’s founders: beer writer Willie Simpson and partner Catherine Stark.

In the week they celebrate the launch of their brewery, Will also puts Barbarian Brewing Co in Melbourne’s west forward as a potential Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month; read about them via the link below.

Start of segments:

 * 13:47 – Philter Part 1
 * 40:00 – Breaking Down Beer Styles with Mogwai Labs
 * 51:12 – Philter Part 2

Relevant links:

 * Australian International Beer Awards 2025 [https://craftypint.com/news/3773/tiny-wa-brewery-wedgetail-win-champion-australian-beer-at-2025-aibas]
 * Philter Brewing [https://www.philterbrewing.com/]
 * Building A Brewery In Bali [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR6XIOoZKMo] ft Sam Füss
 * Gage Roads at 20 [https://craftypint.com/news/3787/from-cray-diving-before-mash-in-to-australias-fourth-largest-brewery]
 * Mogwai Labs [https://craftypint.com/business/1398/mogwai-labs]
 * Barbarian Brewing Co [https://craftypint.com/brewery/885/barbarian-brewing-co]
 * Nominate a Brewery of the Month [https://craftypint.com/bluestone]
 * Nominate a Good Beer Citizen [https://craftypint.com/rallings] 
 * Midlands Insurance [https://craftypint.com/business/1310/midland-insurance-brokers]

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Philter's Award-Winning Potion

“The purpose of Topaz was really a bittering hop. And then as that craft flavour grew and hit mainstream, it really evolved from simply being a start-of-boil, hot-side hop to something that was used at end of boil to something that's now used in the dry hop as well.”

In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we've created a series of podcast episodes – an Aussie Hop Series – looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.

Over the course of the series, we're speaking with leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these iconic hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.

In the fourth episode in the series, we chatted to Jesse James Searls, from Young Henrys, and Michael Capaldo from HPA, about Topaz. The pair discuss the variety's evolution from being predominantly a bittering hop when it was first commercialised in 1997 to one used for dry-hopping, its tropical character, biotransformation and more.

For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit hops.com.au. [https://www.hops.com.au/]

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Aussie Hops Series: Topaz - Presented By HPA

"I’m the one who can have a beer and advertise my endowment. The Edward Teller professor of nuclear physics is not walking around with uranium. And you can join the pet food industry, but on a Friday night you can’t have a few cans of Chum."

Charlie Bamforth is a name and voice familiar to many in the beer world. He’s one of beer’s great storytellers and has worked in the industry since 1978, the year he started at the Brewing Research Foundation before moving to Bass in the UK. 

He later spent decades as a professor of brewing at UC Davis in the States, teaching countless students the science of beer. Today, he’s Senior Quality Advisor at the legendary Sierra Nevada after an attempt at retirement was foiled by an offer from his old mate Ken Grossman.

Will and Craig caught up with Charlie while in Hobart for the CIBD conference earlier in the year for a chat about his life in beer, his experience teaching and working at Sierra Nevada, and his passion for the liquid he’s spent his life around.

Prior to the interview, James and Will discuss the week’s news, including Mountain Culture’s purchase of Fox Friday, our story on KAIJU!’s blossoming love for lager, and our features on two of beer’s rising stars: Julia Santos Muriel and Anaya Summer.

Don’t forget to like and subscribe to the show, and listen out to discover the identity of our latest Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month.

Start of segments:

 * 13:55 – Charlie Bamforth Part 1
 * 32:04 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month
 * 37:50 – Charlie Bamforth Part 2

Relevant links:

 * The Pope of Foam [https://sierranevada.com/blog/a-brewers-alphabet/meet-charlie-bamforth-the-pope-of-foam]
 * Mountain Culture Acquire Fox Friday [https://craftypint.com/news/3779/mountain-culture-acquire-fox-friday-from-administrators]
 * The Metamorphosis of KAIJU! [https://craftypint.com/news/3784/from-hop-monsters-to-lager-lovers-the-metamorphosis-of-kaiju]
 * Brew & A: Julia Santos Muriel [https://craftypint.com/news/3782/brew-and-a-julia-santos-muriel]
 * Anaya Summer Slays Beer [https://craftypint.com/news/3775/anaya-summer-slays-beer]
 * Nominate a Brewery of the Month [https://craftypint.com/bluestone]
 * Cryer Malt [https://cryermalt.com/]

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Charlie Bamforth: A Life In Beer

“Incredible. Sticky, glistening, super-intense resin and fruit goodness…”

In partnership with HPA, Australia's leading hop grower, we've created a series of podcast episodes – an Aussie Hop Series – looking closely at some of the country's most recognised and impactful hop varieties.

Over the course of the series, we're speaking with leading brewers from across Australia and abroad, as well as experts from HPA, discussing their experience with these iconic hops, what they've learned along the way, as well as some technical tips and tricks to maximise the impact of these hops in their beers.

For the third episode, we chatted to Jeremy Moynier, from iconic Californian brewery Stone, and Chris Swersey from HPA, about Ella, including Jeremy's first encounter with the hop at HPA's farm back in 2015.

For more information on HPA and their range of hops, visit hops.com.au. [https://www.hops.com.au/]

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

Aussie Hops Series: Ella - Presented By HPA

"I got the feedback and it was brutal. But I didn’t get upset; I just took it on the chin."

Who better to feature on the podcast the week after the country's biggest beer awards than the man whose beers have won more trophies in recent years than any other?

Moffat Beach Brewing Co might have had to make do with a clutch of gold, silver and bronze medals at this year's Australian International Beer Awards but the small Sunshine Coast brewery's name has become as synonymous with trophy glory as any.

To find out how the operation that was born in a beachside café reached this point, we sat down with co-founder Matt Wilson at their Caloundra Production House to trace the story from his days growing up playing rugby in regional Australia via the armed forces to becoming a trader in Sydney. That's where he met wife Shaz, the driving force behind the decision to buy said café pretty much sight unseen, from where they'd embark on a whole new odyssey.

Matt takes us back to his earliest brews, the "brutal" feedback from awards judges that set him on the right track, subsequent glories, expansion, and the roller-coaster ride of life as a brewery owner in a region where they were the second to open and in which you now find more than 20.

Prior to the main interview, Craig and James reflect on what appears to have been the most successful Pint of Origin to date, last week’s awards, and the Aussie Hop Series we launched with HPA earlier this month.

There’s a reminder to celebrate the country’s brewers and good beer citizens in our Have You Done A Rallings? and Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month campaigns. And, if you took part in Pint of Origin, to share your feedback so we can aim to make it even better in the future. We did, however, record it too early to include the news that Mountain Culture have bought Fox Friday and associated assets.

Start of segments:

 * 17:36 – Matt Wilson Part 1
 * 44:33 – Matt Wilson Part 2

Relevant links:

 * Moffat Beach Brewing Co [https://www.moffatbeachbrewingco.beer/]
 * The Story Of Moff's Summer Ale [https://craftypint.com/news/3011/the-story-of-moffs-summer-ale]
 * Pint of Origin Consumer Survey [https://craftypint.com/news/3778/pint-of-origin-2025-post-festival-survey]
 * Aussie Hop Series [https://craftypint.com/beer-knowledge/making-beer/aussie+hop+series]
 * Nominate a Good Beer Citizen [https://craftypint.com/rallings]
 * Nominate a Brewery of the Month [https://craftypint.com/bluestone]
 * Mountain Culture Acquire Fox Friday [https://craftypint.com/news/3779/mountain-culture-acquire-fox-friday-from-administrators]
 * Roxset Australia [https://roxset.com.au/]

To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

The Making Of A Serial Trophy Winner

The Crafty Pint is the home of craft beer in Australia.

The online magazine and resource has been crafting beer's best stories since 2010 and, in July 2024, launched The Crafty Pint Podcast.

Hosted by the editorial team behind Australia's leading craft beer media publication, the show features curated discussion of industry news, as well as an ever-changing lineup of guests sharing perspectives from all corners of the craft beer world.

Subscribe now and delve into the fascinating stories shaping beer.

James Smith

Shows