“We’re all from here, and we want to give back.”

When Ryefield Hops started producing hops commercially on land formerly used for dairy in the South Coast region, they were the first to do so in New South Wales. A decade on from launching the business, the family operation run by Jade McManus and Morgan and Karen Taylor remains the only grower in the state.

Now the third largest producer of hops in the country, admittedly with just 0.5 percent of the market, they’re standard-bearers when it comes to sustainability – in all facets of the business – and part of a small but growing band of indie suppliers working alongside the local brewing industry.

James joined them at their farm in the beautiful Bemboka Valley just as much-needed rain arrived – thankfully wrapping up the chat just as the heavens really opened. The trio took him through the genesis of the project, their first customers (Batch and Wildflower), subsequent growth, installation of a pelletiser, and plans for the future.

They addressed the challenges of being first-generation farmers, dealing with buying plants that weren’t as advertised, the steps they take to give back to the land as well as their local community, their delight at seeing Ryefield Hops [https://craftypint.com/business/1492/ryefield-hops] introduced into core range beers, and partnering with fellow indies [https://craftypint.com/news/3918/telling-the-story-of-local-indie-suppliers], such as Voyager Craft Malt and Mogwai Labs.

The discussion of the week’s news looks back at the weekend’s Hottest 100 countdown [https://craftypint.com/news/3974/mountain-culture-maintain-the-status-quo-with-a-fourth-straight-gabs-hottest-100-win] and forward to the impending launch of The Beer Championships [https://craftypint.com/news/3975/leading-figures-in-aussie-beer-to-launch-new-awards-competition] – a new competition for the beer industry conceived by two of the country’s best-known brewers and judges.

Start of segments:
 * 13:51 – Ryefield Hops Part 1
 * 36:59 – Enter the Royal Queensland Beer Awards
 * 38:04 – Ryefield Hops Part 2

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

Growing Organically: Pioneering Hops In NSW ft Ryefield Hops

“Anything that’s happening in our area we try to be a part of.”

The Crafty Pint Podcast returns for 2026 in the company of Renn Blackman, one half of the powerhouse husband-and-wife team behind one of the sunniest and funnest breweries in the country.

The family influence at Blackman’s [https://craftypint.com/brewery/250/blackmans-brewery] runs deeper than just Renn and Jess too: parents and others helped get the business up and running – quite literally when it’s come to knocking their venues into shape – and some are acknowledged in core range beer names.

They’re also big on community, sponsoring many causes and clubs, as well as partnering with events big and small throughout the Surf Coast and Geelong region. They’ve brewed beer for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and you can now enjoy their beers at the Cats’ stadium – a major achievement for lifelong Geelong fan Renn.

As well as discussing the ethos that’s helped Blackman’s evolve to where they are today, Renn tells us how he and Jess first met while working a snow season, about their travels both within Australia and overseas, the genesis of the brewery, their decision to operate multiple venues before such an approach started becoming commonplace, diversifying, running fun events, and the secret (or not-so-secret) to making great beer.

At the start of the show, Will and James round up the stories we’ve published so far this year: the return of a Hop Nation founder to his winemaking roots [https://craftypint.com/news/3965/hop-nation-co-founder-duncan-gibson-departs-to-return-to-his-roots]; the launch of one hospo pioneer’s new venue [https://craftypint.com/news/3967/creating-a-venue-iv-huzzah-at-last]; a bucolic experience on Phillip Island [https://craftypint.com/news/3966/green-gully-get-greenlight-for-their-phillip-island-farm-bar]; and a new culture club in Tassie [https://craftypint.com/news/3968/fermenthq-tasmanias-new-culture-club].

If you enjoy the show, please like, subscribe, rate and review on whichever podcast platform you use.

Start of segments:

 * 18:44 – Renn Blackman Part 1
 * 39:36 – Enter the Royal Queensland Beer Awards
 * 40:40 – Renn Blackman Part 2

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

We Are Family – Blackman's Brewery

“The whole craft beer industry is built around community.”

We wrap up The Year In Beer 2025 series with a look at what’s been going on in the Canberra region and the Northern Territory.

The episode kicks off with James and Will joined by Mat Farrington from CanBEERra [http://www.canbeerra.com/] for a discussion about openings and closures in and around the capital, some of the festivals large and small he’s enjoyed in 2025, the growing prevalence of terpenes in beer and more.

Sticking in Canberra, James is then joined by Paul Docherty from craft beer and pizza joint To All My Friends [https://craftypint.com/bar/990/to-all-my-friends] at the end of a year in which he and the team have created a number of collabs with some of their favourite brewers.

The final stop for the series is at Purple Mango [https://purplemangocafe.com.au/], a brewery and café set in bushland just over an hour from Darwin on the way to Kakadu. Co-owner Adam Asanovski reflects on their ongoing expansion, use of local ingredients, and the challenge of trying to secure tap points in the Top End.

We also reveal the final winner of the year in our Bluestone Yeast [https://bluestoneyeast.com.au/] Brewery of the Month campaign, with the podcast now taking a break until the second half of January. Thanks to everyone that’s watched and listened; if you’ve any feedback, we’d love to hear from you via this survey [https://craftypint.com/news/3805/the-crafty-pint-podcast-tell-us-what-you-think].

Start of segments:
 * 2:45 – Mat Farrington
 * 20:09 – Paul Docherty
 * 34:07 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month
 * 37:36 – Adam Asanovski

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

The Year In Beer 2025 – The Territories

“That nostalgia is really hitting super-hard after COVID because everyone really misses going to the pub.”

Regular podcast hosts James and Will are on home turf for the last state-based episode of The Year In Beer 2025 series [https://craftypint.com/beer-knowledge/insight-and-analysis/year+in+beer+2025] before we wrap up the series in the Territories.

While trying not to retread topics covered in the National Trends article and episode, we discuss the year’s openings, closures, sales and expansions, the success of smaller festivals, good pubs and taproom activations, acknowledge the breweries in or entering their third decade as independent small businesses, awards triumphs and more – while also doffing our caps to all the people who’ve helped make the show possible in 2025.

James is then joined by Ben Carwyn and Ben Duval from Carwyn Cellars [https://craftypint.com/news/3792/carwyn-cellars-back-with-the-carwyns] to hear about their ongoing efforts to recover from the collapse of Fox Friday and their plans for 2026.

Last but not least is Conna Mallett, one of Love Shack’s [https://craftypint.com/brewery/644/love-shack-brewing-co] founders, who joins us from the front bar of his Castlemaine brewpub hot on the heels of a highly entertaining collab [https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ8PnxKDRKG/] with Tropical Fuck Storm. We touch upon luck, nostalgia, branding, community, good hospo and more.

Mid-show we also unveil the identity of the last good beer citizen to be crowned this year in Have You Done A Rallings? And as the podcast wraps up for the year, we’re keen for feedback via this survey [https://craftypint.com/news/3805/the-crafty-pint-podcast-tell-us-what-you-think].

Start of segments:

 * 0:00 – James & Will
 * 27:27 – Ben Carwyn & Ben Duval
 * 43:53 – Have You Done A Rallings?
 * 47:30 – Conna Mallett

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

The Year In Beer 2025 – Victoria

"Breweries who are spending time and effort on making their venue really good and increasing the quality of their beers are doing really well."

Our audio-visual travels across the country continue as we reach Queensland in The Year In Beer 2025 series.

First up, Will Ziebell is joined by Craig Williams and Mick Wüst, both of whom work with The Crafty Pint. Mick has long been a Crafty contributor, at one point based in Sydney but more recently back in Brisbane, while Craig looks after partnerships for the site as well as working with several indie brewers on the Sunshine Coast. The three of them discuss some of the highs, lows, trends and changes in Queensland’s beer scene.

James then speaks to Deale Stanley-Hunt and Gavin Croft from Slipstream Brewing [https://craftypint.com/brewery/363/slipstream-brewing-co]. Slipstream have enjoyed an incredible couple of years with several major trophies taking up residence in their Yeerongpilly brewery and taproom. As well as reflecting on another successful year, they talk about the impact of the taproom they opened on the Sunshine Coast late in 2024, their recent rebrand, favourite styles, and hopes for the future.

Then it’s back to Will, who catches up with Ivy Macario [https://craftypint.com/news/3198/craft-beers-next-generation] from Fortitude Valley’s good-times haunt, the craft beer bar-meets-arcade-meets-diner that is Netherworld [https://www.netherworldarcade.com/], for a chat about their year in beer and ongoing efforts to support artists.

In the middle of the show, we hear from Beer30 [https://craftypint.com/business/1322/the-5th-ingredient-beer30] with more of their tips for brewers. If you enjoy this episode, please like, subscribe, rate and review on whichever podcast platform you use.

Start of segments:
 * 2:01 – Craig Williams & Mick Wüst
 * 24:12 –  Deale Stanley-Hunt & Gavin Croft
 * 29:04 – Beer30
 * 37:12 –  Ivy Macario

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

The Year In Beer 2025 – Queensland

“I’d love to see craft beer become a little bit more approachable.”

We turn our focus to New South Wales as we hit the midway point in The Year In Beer 2025 series.

Crafty Pint contributor and one of the key players in the Inner West Ale Trail [https://innerwestaletrail.com/], Jason Treuen, kicks things off. As well as discussing the role trails and tourism [https://craftypint.com/news/3723/episode-036-beer-tourism-on-the-brookie-trail] can play in the local beer world, we cover diversification, rightsizing, openings, closings, mergers and more.

From there, we head to the north of the state for a chat with Bec Read of Curious Craft [https://craftypint.com/news/3879/behind-bars-curious-craft] to hear who’s been impressing there in what's been another roller-coaster year. Bec also shares her fears for the future of larger beer festivals, notes on changing tastes, and a desire for craft – or indie – beer to tell its story better.

Our final guests are Sunday Road Brewing [https://craftypint.com/brewery/487/sunday-road-brewing] founder Brad Walker and head brewer Mick O’Rance, who’ve enjoyed another awards-flecked 12 months. They’re in the middle of a significant expansion and upgrade to their brewery and venue in The Shire ahead of the brewery’s tenth anniversary in 2026.

In the middle of the show, we hear from Beer30 with some more tips for brewers, while there’s still time to get nominations in for our final Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month [https://craftypint.com/bluestone] and Have You Done A Rallings? [https://craftypint.com/rallings] celebration of good beer citizens of 2025.

Start of segments:

 * 2:01 – Jason Treuen
 * 24:12 – Beer30
 * 29:04 – Bec Read
 * 37:12 – Brad Walker & Mick O’Rance

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

The Year In Beer 2025 – New South Wales

“People are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Having leapt all the way south and east from WA to Tassie, we find ourselves back in the middle of them for the third instalment of our state by state by territories tour of Australia for The Year In Beer 2025.

Beer gurus Briony Liebich (Flavour Logic [https://craftypint.com/business/1402/flavour-logic]) and Steve Brockman (AMSAT Character Malts [https://craftypint.com/news/3273/amsat-adelaides-new-locally-focused-maltster] / Tour Dad) reprise their starring roles from 2024, casting their gaze far, wide and deep across the state’s scene.

While acknowledging it’s been another tough year – Big Shed’s announcement they’d been locked out of the brewery by their landlord came just after we recorded the chat – there’s plenty more to cover, from the rise of small, often collaborative events to the growing popularity of local ingredients and advanced hop products.

They’re followed by Alex Marschall and Josh Talbot, who this year oversaw major expansion of Bowden Brewing [https://craftypint.com/news/3855/birthday-bonanza-a-bigger-bowden-brewing] on the one hand and celebrated ten years of indie-supporting beer bar NOLA [https://craftypint.com/bar/386/nola-adelaide] on the other. They discuss the changing beer scene, exploring new styles, and hopes to see indie brewers lead the next generation of beer festivals.

Speaking of which, the duo behind Adelaide’s biggest beer festival, Beer & BBQ [https://www.beerbbqfest.com.au/], are our final guests. Gareth Lewis and Aaron Sandow look back at the event’s tenth anniversary, drop hints about its potential future, praise the loyalty of beer fans, and offer some tips for ways state governments can easily throw their weight behind local producers.

This episode is presented by Mogwai Labs [https://www.mogwailabs.com.au/].

Start of segments:

 * 1:40 – Briony & Steve
 * 21:05 – Alex & Josh
 * 37: 36 – Aaron & Gareth

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

The Year In Beer 2025 - South Australia

For stop two in The Year In Beer series for 2025 [https://craftypint.com/beer-knowledge/insight-and-analysis/year+in+beer+2025], we take a trip across Bass Strait.

Tasmania’s beer scene is one that mainlanders tend to have to watch from afar, with just a tiny handful of the dozens of breweries operating there sending beer off the island; indeed, many don’t sell anything too far beyond their own taprooms.

The state’s brewing industry did catch the eye of the beer world further afield in 2025, however. Fox Friday, which launched in Hobart before changing hands in 2019 and embarking on an ambitious national expansion, collapsed under a weight of questionable funding; Mountain Culture acquired their assets [https://craftypint.com/news/3779/mountain-culture-acquire-fox-friday-from-administrators], although have since halted production in Hobart.

Another Hobart-based operation, Overland Brewers & Distillers went into liquidation, too, while 2025 also saw the pioneering Seven Sheds welcome their last customers, although founders Willie Simpson and Catherine Stark [https://craftypint.com/news/3806/episode-050-seven-sheds-and-countless-stories] left on their own terms and in credit with the drinkers who’d passed through their bucolic Railton home over the previous 17 years. Meanwhile, as the year drew to a close, Tassie craft beer pioneers Moo Brew celebrated 20 years [https://craftypint.com/news/3937/episode-072-two-decades-of-moo-brew] of beers.

In this episode, Matt Fielding from Science Made Beerable [https://www.beerablescience.com/] once again joins us to chat about the not-for-profit he founded with Kelsey Picard as well as what’s exciting him locally. We then hear from Hobart Brewing Co’s marketing manager, Nick Devereux, who talks about the brewery’s acquisition of The Hope & Anchor Hotel [https://craftypint.com/news/3858/history-ahoy-hobart-brewing-co-take-over-the-hope-and-anchor] while hinting at other future plans given the state’s "will they-won’t they" stadium is set to be built over their Red Shed brewery venue.

Our last guest is Sam Reid, who alongside Will Horan runs Launceston-based Du Cane Brewing [https://ducanebrewing.com.au/], which featured in a three-part guide to beer [https://craftypint.com/news/3821/crafty-crawls-launceston] in the state's north earlier in the year. He tells us about the brewery’s busy events schedule, his decision to step back from Willie Smith’s Cider, and their forthcoming ramen bar.

Midway through the show, James and Will reveal the latest Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month [https://craftypint.com/bluestone] too.

Start of segments:

 * 2:48 – Matt Fielding
 * 11:17 – Nick Devereux
 * 20:45 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month
 * 24:10 – Sam Reid

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

The Year In Beer 2025 – Tasmania

The state by state by territories part of The Year In Beer series kicks off, as ever, in Western Australia where we’re joined by Crafty contributors Guy Southern and Jono Outred to give us the lowdown on the state’s beer scene. Their wide-ranging report takes in chaos, collaboration and consolidation, beer venues gaining accolades in the wider hospo world, new openings and big name comebacks, fruity beers, West Coast pilsners, “naughty” beers and more.

They’re followed by Rocky Ridge [https://craftypint.com/brewery/334/rocky-ridge-brewing-co] co-founders Hamish Coates and Mel Holland, who reflect on a mammoth year for the brewery and its expanding venue offering. We discuss balancing acts, brewing 100-plus beers in a year, their focus on people, concerns about the potential impact of climate change on ingredients, and their desire to help others become more sustainable operators by sharing their learnings from over the years.

Wrapping up the episode is Chris Bausor, who operates events company Bar Pop with wife Jemma. They celebrated ten years of Froth Town [https://www.froth.town/] this year, enjoying rare ongoing success in the challenging major events space. As his team prepared to host Franz Ferdinand at the Ice Cream Factory, Chris spoke about the importance of keeping the “Holy Trinity” happy as well as the decisions they face about where to take the festival in its second decade.

We also unveil the latest good beer citizen in our Have You Done A Rallings? campaign [https://craftypint.com/rallings].

The Year In Beer 2025  series will run every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until December 23. After that, we’ll be taking a few weeks off before The Crafty Pint Podcast returns in the second half of January.

If you enjoy this episode, or indeed any of the 50ish we’ve published in 2025, please like, subscribe, rate and review – think of it as an early Christmas present for us!

Start of segments:

 * 1:53 – Guy Southern & Jono Outred
 * 27:22 – Have You Done A Rallings?
 * 31:18 – Mel Holland & Hamish Coates
 * 43:41 – Chris Bausor

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

The Year In Beer 2025 – Western Australia

“This has been a year of holding patterns, of people trying to work out how they fit into the new reality.” 

If you’ve read The Year In Beer 2025: National Trends article, you already know many of the topics that are the starting points for discussion as we kick of our end-of-year podcast series. If not, you can check it out here [https://craftypint.com/news/3947/the-year-in-beer-2025-national-trends].  

This episode gives us an opportunity to expand on many of the trends and issues raised there, as well as a chance to look back at the news of the past week and our most read articles of the past 12 months.

When it comes to the news of the past week, the main talking point was the change in ownership of GABS and the subsequent decision to cancel all 2026 festivals [https://craftypint.com/news/3946/gabs-2026-cancelled-new-owners-planning-reimagined-event-in-2027] with the intention of returning with a refreshed concept in 2027. The other story we discuss is one that hasn’t made it to the pages of The Crafty Pint, but has taken up much of our time: the launch of the Daughter beer brand by Chuck Hahn and his family.

In terms of the articles that were read most widely in 2025, it goes without saying that the vast majority occupying the upper echelons involve sales, VAs, openings, closures and mergers, but elsewhere it’s encouraging to see what topics really engage readers: travel articles; deep dives into styles; features on fascinating folks doing cool things; awards winners and more.

The show features another Bintani [https://www.bintani.com.au/] Brewery Booster as well as James and Will’s hopes for beer in 2026, and acts as the precursor for our state by state by territories shows kicking off next Tuesday and running through until just before Christmas.

Start of segments:

 * 07:58 – National Trends
 * 34:26 – Bintani Brewery Booster
 * 38:36 – Biggest Stories Of 2025
 * 47:24 – Hopes For 2026

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

The Year In Beer 2025: National Trends

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