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Year In Beer 2024: Tasmania
343 Plays6 days ago
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 Seymour
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
- Who Owns Your Beer?
- Science Made Beerable
- Penguin Beer Co
To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].
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Transcript
Introduction to Year in Beer 2024
00:00:06
Speaker
Hello, and welcome to the Crafty Point podcast. I'm Will. And I'm James, and welcome to the Tasmanian edition of our Year in Beer 2024 series of podcasts. Yes, so first up, you're going to hear us chat with Matt Fielding, who runs Science Made Burible with Kelsey Pickard.
Science Made Beerable Initiative
00:00:21
Speaker
It's an awesome not-for-profit that's been running in Tassie for a couple of years, or quite a few years actually.
00:00:27
Speaker
that they're are dedicated to educating people about beer and science and we really with Matt we really dive into Hobart and southern Tassie and what's been going on down there as well as what's been going on with Science Made Beerable. And then we switch to the north of the state where we catch up with Scott Seymour who's been around the beer and I guess the hospital industry in Australia for a while. and originally in Bendigo, then moved down to Tassie a few years ago, having loved it on holiday. He's running a number of breweries and venues in the north of the state now.
The Tasmanian Beer Scene
00:00:53
Speaker
So he gives a brewer's perspective, but also a bit bit of an eye over what's happening in in his part of the world in Tasmania. um So yeah, I guess without further ado, we'll jump into the first chat with Matt. Don't forget to like and subscribe, rate and review all that usual stuff. um And we'll see you on the other side. Cheers. Cheers.
00:01:15
Speaker
The Crafty Pint's year in beer recap is presented by Mogwai Labs. They've just expanded from their University of Wollongong lab to a new custom-built yeast production facility in Port Kembla to keep up with growing demand for their liquid yeasts. Check them out today at MogwaiLabs.com.au Matt,
00:01:34
Speaker
thank you for joining us. Thanks for having me. No worries. Before we get into a bit of a look back at Tassie and look ahead, do you want to let us know about Science Made Bureauable for those who wouldn't be familiar with it?
00:01:47
Speaker
Yeah, sure. So ah Science Made Beerable is a little not-for-profit that operates to, I guess, advance public awareness and appreciation of brewing science. um But also we've got a um passion for promoting diversity within the industry too, given that STEM science shares a lot of um similarities in terms of ah being a little bit undiverse in some ways.
00:02:12
Speaker
um So it was set up in 2020 during the peak of COVID.
Future Plans for Science Made Beerable
00:02:17
Speaker
Kelsey Pickard, um a colleague of mine and myself set it up um basically off the back of creating an event um for National Science Week that was had to be online because everything was online. um And so we set this event up that people could sit at home and drink beer while we talked about this the science of beer with the brewers and so live streamed it out across um Australia. um So since then, we've done the event every year, except for this year just gone, and it's just kind of grown. We've had a great year to talk to you then. What's your highlight of the year, not doing an event?
00:02:54
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's it's difficult. I mean, now there have been highlights as well. We did become an offer profit. We became, you know, we formed a committee and, you know, we can receive grants and stuff. So if anyone wants to join ah our not-for-profit, hit me up. um And we also did a scholarship from um last year's event. So we got the brewers together to brew a scholarship beer, and then they um the profits from that funded a are ah scholarship called Pills of Wisdom Scholarship. um And um the recipient of that actually completed an IBD in general certificate in brewing.
00:03:24
Speaker
just gone. So yeah, there's has been some highlights, I guess. I was just joking. And it's a temporary hiatus. That's that's the the idea the yeah know for the for the event. Yeah, so it was just 2024. We've um got everything kind of, um the COG started moving for 2025. It was just a ah number of reasons, you know, ah The year in beer has been weird, so brewers haven't been able to um be in the right place, I guess, to um take part in in an event that does require a fair bit of input in terms of brewing a beer specifically for it. um We didn't get the funding we wanted in previous years, and also Kelsey and myself each introduced our own second children um a week apart in February.
Trends and Stability in Tasmanian Breweries
00:04:05
Speaker
So personal reasons um impacted that as well. So yeah, looking forward to 2025 though.
00:04:12
Speaker
um Yeah, and Kelsey's a bit of an apology. She's back home in New Zealand, otherwise she'll be here with us. But in terms of what's excited you or or what stood out in 2024, particularly you're based in Hobart around the southern part of Tassie.
00:04:28
Speaker
Yes, I'm based down here in Hobart now. um Big moments. I mean, you know, we've been lucky down in Tassie that, you know, we've seen lots of breweries shut down um or merge or do kinds of things that hasn't happened in Tassie. So we've been quite lucky. um In fact, we've seen a couple more breweries opening. So we've got hot fields.
00:04:45
Speaker
Dan and Margate, which opened a couple of weeks ago, um situated on old, hot, growing regions. That's really um cool. And then Bichino Brewing, the second brewery for little tiny little Bichino, which is phenomenal, but they've really hit the ground running, you know attending lots of events, releasing some really great beers. So that's really exciting. um And there's also been a merger of, um not a merger, but I guess a merger of venues, much like Wildflower and Mountain Culture with Village, um with T-Bone and Last Rites, which are quite well-established breweries.
00:05:19
Speaker
joining forces at the hunting field brewery down there. So from a punter's point of view, it's great because you can have both beers. um And they've also got a children's playground. So I'm, it ticks all the boxes for me. ah um um In terms of and so any sort of trends within style, sitting across a number of breweries or any sort of emerging styles coming through, you know, whether it's celebrating local ingredients or what have you.
00:05:45
Speaker
Yeah, so I mean, unlike, I mean, not unlike just like the rest of um the country, there has been this trend with lagers popping up. um So for example, a lot of breweries, Hobart Brewing Company, Shambles, they released, um I guess, and seasonal lagers, just a one off and then got, you know, great response. So they've re-brewed it. Now they're on their core range. So, you know, it's a natural progression, I guess. um But you also, you know,
00:06:15
Speaker
Tazzy's got great lagers. We've got the Albert, Spotty Dog have been producing some really good lagers lately as well. um In terms of, um you know, I guess the funny thing about Spotty Dog is they were well known for producing big IPAs. um And then they went and hired a head brewer, Riley, who was trained in Germany.
00:06:35
Speaker
um And of course, he's ah had his way and brought all these lagers with concoction brewing into it. And, you know, I think back in January, they released Big Gartenwetter, which is a ah hell style from Munich, which was really good. um In the middle of the year, they released Cragbak, which I've definitely slaughtered, which is a Marzan. And then they at the same time, they also released Hellgoat, which was a Hellebok, which is an 8% flight lager, which is just absolutely delicious, dangerously drinkable. um And it's really good to, you know, highlight a style that many people have probably never heard of before either. Well, maybe the Albert's going, Hey, everyone, this was our territory.
00:07:20
Speaker
Yeah, it's true, it's true. it's um you know lag is a really taking It's funny for such an old style of beer to really start taking off again and um you know I'm wel welcoming it because I'm loving lagers at the moment. And what about um anything you're looking forward to in the year ahead? um Sure, so I guess...
00:07:40
Speaker
big thing especially being in Tasmania we yeah we've got so many great products down here like we've got Hot Products Australia who produce hops like the hop fields out at the Derwent Valley are incredible and I'd like to see a real push for sustainability within the industry a lot more you know you've got um breweries like Wildflower and Rocky Ridge who aren't you know Tassie but they're really like leading that charge of sustainable brewing local produce etc so I'd really like to see breweries pushing for that more in the future um especially next year and hoping that signs made durable might be able to kind of help push that by ah highlighting some of those um um I guess successes in adopting sustainable practices.
00:08:20
Speaker
um via for next year's event is going to be the sustainability special Yeah, well, I mean, you know, maybe watch the space that maybe it's a good idea. um But ah yeah, I mean, obviously, I'll be looking forward to the event as well. I'm really excited to see that um come to fruition. um So yeah, that's probably my highlight. And that will be what all my time will be pushed towards as well.
00:08:41
Speaker
What about you know um anyone coming to Tassie over summer, like whether it's a newer brewery or venue a venue that's been around forever, are there things that you still think people shouldn't really miss if they're looking for a beer experience?
Spotlight on Two Metre Tall
00:08:56
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of great breweries.
00:08:58
Speaker
um in like in the city but also out in the outskirts too. So um two metre tall I think is always worth a visit um and I should mention actually that's something that's really important. They um celebrated 20 years this year um which is phenomenal for a brewery to be around that long and especially a brewery that produces such unique um beers as they do. Ashley is just like such a legend. He's just got stories forever and Jane's the most lovely person in the world. And a brewery with only two staff really. Yeah. The two of them as well. Exactly. It's incredible. Oh, it's phenomenal. It's just, um yeah, and you I would recommend if they're doing the sell it to us, anyone go do one of those because he'll talk to you for four hours and it would be the most
00:09:44
Speaker
fun you've had for four hours and you'll try the most unique views you've ever tried. So yeah, definitely hit that up. He was in Brisbane recently because one of our other contributors, Judd Owen, went to an event and he sent me an email afterwards. you You could sense the excitement he'd had from being at the event from just, yeah I guess he's almost like he's he's a you know very smart guy. and actually but more than anything he's a great entertainer when he has a room of people to entertain like when it unfurls and the face lights up and you know you don't know what's coming next you know.
00:10:15
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. He's got so many stories. um You know, he's a wine maker originally in in France. So, you know, to come from that world into the brewing world and how he's learnt to brew, I guess, um by scratch using what he knows from wine making is, um you know, is it's the reason he has such unique beers and can do the things that he can do. And any any other ah sort of hot tips for people who maybe not been to Tassie and explore the beer scene if they are heading down?
00:10:42
Speaker
Yeah, so there's a lot of great breweries in the city. I always think Spoddy Dog's worth a visit, their new venue out in um kind of um on the outskirts really, um but it has this beautiful view that you don't think it should have um over the water looking up at Kunani the Mountain. um Great beers, great venue.
00:11:00
Speaker
um The Hobart Brewing Company red sheds always um worthwhile and that's just in the city so you can just walk down there. Great space, really open, lots of gigs, um great music so yeah.
00:11:12
Speaker
um I think they're kind of the key ones. um And if you want to go down, um down towards the valley, Hopfield's in Margate is the new one that um I think is worth a visit. A lot of outdoor area, great food. um They've got the old Albert Brewery head bro, so JJ King's
Growth and Innovation in Tasmanian Brewing
00:11:29
Speaker
down there. So um it's good beer. So you don't have to worry about that. um And yeah, well worth a visit.
00:11:35
Speaker
Right, um we should book a flight. Yeah, well, I didn't realize, I feel like I keep a close eye on the Tassie scene. So to see new breweries popping up still, it's really great. Yeah, it's um it's surprising. I think we have the highest number of breweries per capita or something like that. And we're still getting more and more breweries, but I don't think the number of people is increasing at such the same rate. so Just the first. I'm not complaining though.
00:12:03
Speaker
All right, Matt, thank you so much for joining us. No worries. Thanks for having me.
00:12:11
Speaker
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00:12:35
Speaker
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00:13:06
Speaker
Scott, welcome to the podcast. How you going? G'day, guys. Thanks for having me. It's been a while. It has been a while. Now, I first met you back in your Bendigo days in around about 2500 BC. I think it was in in a basement. Do you want to tell us a little bit about your sort of early days in in beer and live music? Yeah, well, I guess it kind of got started when I moved to Bendigo and we opened a ah a tiny little bar we had down there, the basement bar. And I think it was licensed for about 45 people. And we used to get about 95 into it.
00:13:35
Speaker
um yeah we had a great time down there and we kind of started off linking in with Trevor and Justin and we started the Bendigo beer movement down there and let's just go on gangbusters. I guess you were fully involved in the early days of Bendigo beer like the basement bar was one of the original venues you were involved in the homebrew competition stuff like that.
00:13:55
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. um Justin Trevor and myself were kind of the three first members of that and um the Bendigo Home Brew Comp we first had in the basement bar down there and that's gone on to do great things. And of course the champions at Bendigo beer have now just opened their own brewery.
00:14:11
Speaker
Yes, yes. And what sparked, how'd you end up running Penguin and Island State in Tassie? Well, we came to, i first came here on holidays, my wife and Tara and I. And we hadn't never been to Tassie before. And just absolutely fell in love with it. Went home, packed our bags and literally came back straight away. um We both had jobs to go to, but COVID would put a stop to those. And when we were driving around with nothing to do, we found this empty old building on the beach.
00:14:39
Speaker
And Tara thought that'd be a great little place for a bar and we got busy. Wow. Okay. It was, it was, a but it was that thoroughly planned. Yeah, absolutely. i to make Um, cause we had all that time off with COVID.
00:14:52
Speaker
um I bought myself a little brewmaster kit and i started working downstairs on some recipes. um Those recipes we took to Morrison's in Launceston and they became the first penguin beers. And then quite a few locals got interested in what we were doing and threw a bit of money our way and we're able to build our own brewery in Devonport, which became Arnold State Brewing.
00:15:14
Speaker
Yeah. So you see started in Penguin, then did Island State in Devonport, and then the third thing. Yeah, extended Devonport a year later, and then a bit less than 12 months after that, the lease came up on buttons moved out of their facility there. So we moved in there at Alberston, and that's now called the pier. And what's next, or is three enough for an extended holiday? oh Well,
00:15:39
Speaker
Well, we've we've had a look around now, but that'll do for now. i think but say sign And in terms of the year 2024, obviously it's been a pretty tough one for a lot of people. but How's it sort of felt on the ground in Tassie and and Northern Tassie?
Challenges and Successes in Beer Events
00:15:57
Speaker
Oh look, I think up this way, it's been a lot better than but most of the rest of the country for us anyway. I mean, we had a very tough 2023, but we grew, I mean, we did we knew we were going to, we we grew ridiculously too fast, but we knew we'd have to cop that for a year or so. um But we learned a lot of lessons and we applied them and it made 24 a lot easier for us. um We still had a pretty good steady stream of tourists here at Penguin through the winter, and that really helped things here.
00:16:25
Speaker
And what about the wider scene? and You know, there's obviously been a lot of growth in terms of the number of breweries in the north of the state. um You know, I guess there's only been a handful when I first came, you know, maybe 10 years ago, but it seems to be growing. Most towns or most regions seem to have one or two now. Yeah, it's great. I mean, here tellsy you can't drive half an hour without tripping over a brewery. It's fantastic fantastic it's just awesome. um We love it. It's a really good community. um You know, we' always drop into all the other venues and check them out.
00:16:54
Speaker
Yeah. And who's, who's been sort of, um, impressing over the last 12 months, anywhere in the state, whether that's beers, breweries, standout events, venues, whatever. Well, for me, I guess I'll look spotty dogs opening, um, which has been a little while now, but I love going down there. I think they're the only place in Tassie that has a better view than we do.
00:17:14
Speaker
Their kitchen opening was just fantastic. I love love getting down there for some of their fried chicken. It's awesome. yeah ah The other one is Manky Sally's moobers opening the venue in Salamanca. And we never go to Hobart without dropping in there. It's just incredible. Yeah, no, I've not been in, but I've seen the photos. It seems like, you know, yeah I guess what you'd expect from Moo slash Mona, just in terms of the attention to detail and the sort of off off the wall or carpet on the wall details, I suppose.
00:17:41
Speaker
Yeah, it's brewing and their forage menu is just mind-blowing, so good. yeah And how's the event scene been around Tassie? You still had many beer events taking place, whether of a sort of you know small or large scale? Yeah, it looked probably a bit tougher. Anything to do with like festivals, events, ticket sales, all that kind of stuff is is pretty tough at the moment. And what about and any sort of trends? Are are there sort of styles that are proving popular. I mean, tas is my impression is always sort of march to the beat of its own drum to an extent. you know Back in the day when you know you wouldn't find any sort of traditional nails around the country, you'd find and several breweries making Irish Reds or English Bidders or whatever, then obviously you you've had that sort of expanding. That's probably, Doug, you mentioned before, very well known for their IPAs. Has there been anything you've noticed this year in terms of trends?
00:18:32
Speaker
Well, for us, when you mentioned the Irish Red, and we've made that Irish Red of ours, which is ah called the Ranga, and it won gold um in 23, and it has just gone from strengths to strengths. Like, I can't believe how much that beer sells. Like, it's just a real bog stand, traditional style of beer, and people just love it.
00:18:49
Speaker
Yeah. Um, the other standard we've had this year, I guess we brewed first as booted as a one-off was just a little single hop nectar on hazy, ah hazy pale ale, um, coming in at 4%. And that has just really hit, hit a nerve down here and people absolutely love it. I think it's that 4%, that great fruity nectarine taste. And, um, everyone's got nuts for that.
00:19:12
Speaker
Yeah, and it's really interesting. We've sort of seen a lot of buzz around Kiwi hops, like some of the newer varieties, but also that a number of our chats already for this sort of end-of-year series have been highlighting that sort of move to more moderate styles. You know, it's a lower AUB, so but whether it's just that you know your average car craft beer drink is getting a bit old or whether it's just that people like to have a bit more to drink and still be able to function, but it' certainly a common theme we're hearing.
00:19:39
Speaker
I mean, I'll stick to my old school West Coast IBAs, but I'll make whatever they want me to. And just so so so yeah are you you still handling all the brewing for Penguin Island State? so i know you know you no No, no way. um We've got an incredible brewing team with Michael and Bjorn who just do an amazing job down there here. Yeah. yeah um And in terms of looking ahead, so what what are the plans for your three venues um if it stays at three for 2025?
Expansion and Education in Brewing
00:20:05
Speaker
ah Look, our biggest thing is building the wholesale at the moment. So we're just about to purchase our first canning machine. And that's going to really allow us to... ah fulfill we We just can't keep up with beer orders at the moment um using mobile canning. So we're looking forward to that. And that's going to allow us to do a few more experimental styles, a few more one-off beers. And that's got me really excited for 25.
00:20:29
Speaker
And when you say wholesale, are you just servicing Tassie or are you looking to get some beer onto the mainland at some point as well? Well, just servicing Tassie at this stage. I'd love to get to Melbourne Geelong. We've got a huge demand for it. um The Victorian ah recycling people keep bringing me up, asking me to register for them because people are taking our cans home.
00:20:50
Speaker
but but We don't sell in Victoria, guys. I can't help you. that's nothing we can Maybe that's the story to stick to, Ian. You do start selling it here as well. I think we will, yeah. would they like of the here We've got the container scheme coming in this year, 25, so we'll see how that goes, too. Now, will you more than welcome over to Melbourne in in May, when Piner Front Origins on? I'm sure your your beers will be on at the Lincoln, but, um yeah, if you would. Yeah, it loves to be here this year, wouldn't it? Yeah, but um when we look at now but we're looking at that market for next year. Yeah, certainly love to get into that.
00:21:20
Speaker
Yeah, great. And in in terms of the wider beer scene, either in Tasmania or just for sort of, I guess, Australian craft beer in general, because, you know, as a whole, it's been going through a pretty rough few years. Any sort of, you know, hopes, dreams or just, you know, what you'd like to see happen in the next year? Yeah, I guess for me, I just like to see a lot more people supporting local and even that really uber local focus that, you know, people are starting to get behind now. um I'm loving in the education that the ALBA is doing around, you know, where your beer comes from and knowing where your beer comes from, that kind of thing. um Because, you know, people here, and especially in Tassie, it's all, you know, bugs and cascading. None of them got any idea who who really owns it or where their money's really going. So that's something that, you know, I'm always sprouting. Yeah. And what what have you been doing to sort of bring people into your venues in terms of sort of drumming out support from the local community? Do you have sort of,
00:22:11
Speaker
a number of sort of, I guess, bokes or, you know, cascade style beers to bring them in, or is it more about just word of mouth and making welcoming venues, putting on events they like or what have you. Well, we've got our, um, auto state lager, which is really popular. If someone comes in and they say, Oh, no, I only drink bugs. I'll give them one of our lagers and they never knock it back. You know, um, like it drinks a lager drinker. And it we've we've made a pretty generic, but very enjoyable lager that everyone can enjoy. That's really the focus with the island state beers is, you know, we call it beer for the people. We just want to make things that are really approachable. Um, and once we get them on the lager and we start that conversation, well, if you like that, we can try this and try and move them around. We've got so many people here.
00:22:52
Speaker
who, I guess, hadn't experienced independent beers before we arrived, and now they're completely converted.
Conclusion and Community Appreciation
00:23:00
Speaker
Yeah, no, it's great. Again, I think it's going to be a potentially a slow waste to rebuild or build the craft beer audience again in the future, but I think it's going to be a much more sustainable way if each brewery and each good beer bar takes it upon themselves to just win over their postcode, win over their locals, I think. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, great.
00:23:21
Speaker
Well, fantastic Scott, thanks so much for the chat and we'll see you soon, hopefully down in Tassie. I hope so guys, great to talk to you again. And I don't think we had a single train rumble by either, so we did we did well. No, give it time.
00:23:33
Speaker
right
00:23:36
Speaker
Cheers mate. Thanks a lot, cheers.
00:23:41
Speaker
The Crafty Pints 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. That's M-O-G-W-A-I-L-A-B-S.com.au.
00:24:01
Speaker
The Crafty Pint Podcast is produced and edited by Matt Hoffman. You can get all your beer related news and reviews on the Crafty Pint website craftypint.com and can stay up to date on future podcast episodes via our socials. We wouldn't be able to produce the podcast or the website, events or festivals we run without the support of the beer industry, whether that's suppliers, bars, breweries or bottle shops.
00:24:24
Speaker
If you'd like to support the show or partner with the Crafty Pine in other ways, please reach out to Craig via the details in the show notes. And if you're a beer lover who'd like to support what we do, you can join our exclusive club for beer lovers, the Crafty Cabal. Visit craftycabal.com for more. And until next time, drink good beer.