Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
The Year In Beer 2025 –Victoria
2 Playsin 8 hours
“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 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 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 founders, who joins us from the front bar of his Castlemaine brewpub hot on the heels of a highly entertaining collab 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.
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.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Year in Review
00:00:05
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Crafty Pint Podcast. I'm Will. I'm James and we're closing in on the end of our Year in Beer 2025 series. Another epic production. I think we will have knocked out seven podcasts in the space of...
00:00:22
Speaker
14 days, 15 days something like that. prefer not think about it. But this is our penultimate episode. So we will be back on Tuesday, December 23, just ahead of Christmas Day, where you'll hear us chat to some people from both the Northern Territory and Canberra. And then after that, we've got a nice long break, at a month off podcasting. And so our our regular show 2026 will commence on January There we go i' Excellent. And I guess even though we do have one more show to go out next week, um I guess this is to be the Victorian episode, I guess home territory, and we figured it was ah the ideal time to offer a bit of thanks to people, you know, I guess who've helped us get through get through the past year in such hopefully fine style.
00:01:05
Speaker
Yes, well, i we'll be up front. It's also the last time we'll be in a room together for the year. Very true.
Acknowledgments and Gratitude
00:01:10
Speaker
We best do it now. But, I mean, first and foremost, Matt Hoffman, our producer and editor. He's always got a very tough job making us sound and look good. Not that too many people are watching the YouTube. But it's been made all that much more difficult by the rigmarole we've put him through over the last couple weeks of the the many episodes. Hey Matt, yeah like last year we did every two or three days. like Why don't we just do three days back to back Matt? you know so I don't think we told him until we well and julie were down the path as well. And remote recordings and things like that, they're very tricky with different mics and different setups. You don't really know what someone's going to use until they appear on the screen and he's made everyone sound fantastic. well and he He also spent a few weeks recently in the States. I spent three months on the road recording from windy beachside locations or whatever. so Yeah, Matt's done ah an awesome job, um I think, pulling it all together for us um and advising us over time. You probably notice every now and then a new bit of gear sort of appears on screen if you watch it YouTube. risk We're still working to refine that. But yeah, Matt's done an awesome job there. And I guess also, i guess, another...
00:02:16
Speaker
a person with a great amount of input into the podcast has been Craig Williams. He often pulls together the ideas, the concepts, the the partners to put together a lot of our mid-show segments and often records them as well. Always very creative. And if you you know if you want to be part of the the podcast in the future, get in touch, Craig at craftypint.com. He's always got plenty of ideas or can take people's ideas and turn them into something informative and engaging on the podcast. So cheers, Craig, for another awesome year from you.
00:02:46
Speaker
Yes, and to our sort of standard, our annual sponsors for the show, Bluestone Yeats. So Derek and the team there who sponsors the Bluestone Yeats Brewery of the Month competition. We wouldn't be able to do this show without his and the team's support. And then also Rowling's labels, stickers and packaging. The people behind our Have You Done a Rowling's campaign where we celebrate Good Beer Citizens. Yeah, yeah, for sure. And also, I guess and and another sort of you know major sport in terms of the podcast, hop HPA, formerly Hop Products Australia. and We sort of tested the water with the first outside first mini sort of series outside of our regular show with the Aussie Hop series earlier in the year. um
00:03:25
Speaker
I think all involved are really happy with that. We're brainstorming ideas for a future Hop themed mini series of shows with them again run next year. And to everyone else who's, you know, all the guests that we've had on the show, we must be up to about 5,000 guests it feels like now since we launched about 17 months ago and everyone that gets involved in sort sponsoring advertising on the show to help make it feasible. there's any more of you out there that like to get involved, we would love to hear from you. And we've got some big plans for 2026 and beyond, which all going a lot easier to, I guess, bring to reality if we can get some more partners on board. Aside from that, though, guess we set up a survey to get feedback on the podcast a few months ago. That survey is actually still open. We'll include the link for that in the show notes now that we've got sort of 84, 85, 86, I don't know, or 70 something. I've lost count. 70 odd 80 odd shows under our belt if have any feedback we obviously would love to hear from you you know I guess you might like to hear things you think we're doing well things we could do better yeah jump on board there take a few minutes to give us some feedback which we'll hopefully do our best to react to Yeah. And just to listeners as well. Thanks for joining us for the year. Thanks to those who occasionally write in and those kinds of things. Sometimes you do feel like you're screaming into a bit of void here. The only comments you get on social media and sometimes they're not that positive or sometimes they are, but it's always good to hear listener feedback as well, whether in person or through the survey, which is really important. And if you do like the show, you can of course like subscribe. It helps other people find show. helps us build it up build the audience and all those kind of things well and i actually had know you had a moment think it was last year where you were at high country hop and someone approached you in the toilets and said then they started talking as if they knew you because they recognize you from the youtube show i actually similar moment to that another industry event a while ago where someone came up was talking to me as if we'd met before and i'm like i do meet a lot of people in the industry i'm sure i met you before and then they mentioned watching the put their their podcast on youtube so clearly the people are out there are watching and clearly feel they are engaging so yeah please tell your friends if you are enjoying the show and we'll hopefully keep delivering you know and over delivering and improving the best we can in 2026 but I guess for now home turf Victorian year in beer Will what have you it?
New Developments in the Melbourne Beer Scene
00:05:49
Speaker
what's going on? Uh, look, there's been some, uh, recently there's been some very long awaited tap rooms, which is good to see. I mean, Hargraves Hill, which is one of them, uh, joke that they felt like they were probably the only brewer in the country without a tap room. And I think that'd be pretty close. That that's been a long, uh, a long and challenging battle for them to get that open. They, they were in hospitality before a lot of other breweries with their great pub in Yarra Glen. And then they had occasional food trucks at the brewery in Lilydale.
00:06:17
Speaker
Then COVID happened, the planning took a bit longer than they thought it could. And and then obviously construction has gotten very expensive. The sort of markets cooled or or investors have been, banks rather, have been less excited about the beer industry as well. So harder to borrow, harder to get loans and all those kind of things have been more challenging.
00:06:37
Speaker
Yeah, but it looks like you know we haven't had a chance to go out there yet. It's only been open, what, two weekends? But they've done a lovely job of that. you know It's within the brewery, but with, I guess, a lot of use of timber and you know some lovely-looking Chesterfield sofas, they've made it feel like, you know even though you can see the brewery from from the bar, they've done a good job of making it feel more like a venue, which you know we've discussed many times over the last year or so about it's...
00:07:01
Speaker
We've sort of generally moved past the point where you can throw some trestle tables down and some, you know, nuts on the table. And I think you do have to give people a bit of a warmer hospitality experience. and I was actually chatting to Simon and on the first afternoon they opened and I think in the 15, 20 minutes we were on the phone I think talking about bills not getting paid probably. um I think it sort went from 20 people being in there to sort of 30, 40, 50. So hopefully hopefully that sort of maintains. um And a similar trajectory there, Venom, the Venom taproom, the CBD. I think ah that the feedback from that story was people were excited that Venom had a taproom because they'd been brewing for a long time. But also just the fact that it was in Melbourne CBD, I think excited people because Melbourne CBD has become, a challenging place to buy craft beer there's a couple of venues to do it really well but it feels like fewer and fewer that where you can get independent beer well you remember is you beer deluxe used to be a real flagship in fed square it was the the home of the good beer week opening party it was a hub for a number of years and their owners are very new car even
00:08:01
Speaker
said straight out to her earlier in the year it's no longer a craft beer venue you know and they've taken where the portland hotel which used to be um the home to one of the james squire brew houses has now got big carlton tanks in like you know you can see that that group is moving further and further away from supporting craft and independent beer um so yeah people are very excited obviously he's gonna have a number of joel's benham beers on but i think he is looking to rotate stuff through a few of the taps as well and you know we've been talking about some other potential opportunities for craft beer at his venue next year. um So that's pretty cool. And then, and I guess one that's not quite opened yet, but you've been chatting to Steve Jeffers of, you know, local tap house, Gab's stomping ground fame, looking to, um I guess, find success with the de the former Deeds tap room, which they struggled with, you know, in terms of getting a lot of people through, but he seems a very different vision for what he's going to do at that place in Glen Iris. Yeah, I mean, I've got to watch it slowly unfold as that the names change and things like that. I kind of hope with this story that it the benefit of it would be that you'd get to really notice the change more rather than talking to someone as the venue's opening and at the end. And I mean, I was lucky enough to even get a name change. I didn't think that would happen, but that that's kind of nice as a journalist who set out to do this where you're like, oh, okay, no, ah a lot.
00:09:17
Speaker
Well, the vision's still the same, but there as he's had to move and and move things around still. Yeah. Glen Iris is a yeah another tricky spot to find a good beer. It's a traditionally dry suburb, so traditionally had no real license venues. um Deeds did get people in, but probably not enough often enough. Steve's going for, I think, a venue that will attract people and ideally attract them for a long time in terms of the screens there, the pool tables, the bocce, just rattling off sports here, I think darts as well. I've forgotten. There's quite a lot, but I mean, in that part of the city, I think if you can make a bit of a destination venue where people will go to for a long part of the day, it should find yeah success ideally. And i'm I'm sure that's a part of his vision as well. And another fun sort of opening that was right, or we heard about right at the start of the year, Bright Brewery taking over PA's Prince Alfred Park. That was one of my old stomping grounds when I was a at university across the road. There, um again, on the cusp of the city. So it's really improved the area in that part of town too. Yeah, yeah. And I guess other changing hands sort of, the you know, Carl Winn Cellars going back into the hands of Ben and Nicole Carl when after... The collapse of Fox Friday, which also brought Mountain Culture, um I guess, another venue with when they took over Fox Friday's Richmond Taproom, which was always a beautiful venue.
00:10:44
Speaker
I've maybe struggled a little bit with patronage under the Fox Friday banner, but seems to be yeah a lot busier now. Looks constant constantly busy as far as I can tell. There's always a lot of people in there. I mean, people love the Mountain Culture beers and and the brand and, and and yeah, the...
00:10:58
Speaker
They haven't really, Vox Rider didn't really spare any expense on it as well. So they managed to take over a really good venue. I was also thinking about um on the smaller scale, there's been a couple of sort of what you would maybe historically call ah a small Melbourne wine bar, but they have, they do have a real focus on beer as well. Right at the end of the year, Sweet Nectar Inn opened.
00:11:18
Speaker
um it's sort of in the coberg end of nicholson street and then also just a couple weeks ago there was also donnie's which uh it was uh opened by xavier and chris miles uh to originally tasmania well chris is from brisbane but kind of people with roots in tasmania and they've got great beer pouring over their tap in the sort of lower part of um northgate too Yeah, and outside of the city, we were sort of having a discussion, not too many notable new brewery openings or new venue openings, but there has been some expansion, whether it's been a case of just getting brewery lights. We said, talking about Goodland Brewing, they put some new tanks in at the end of the year in Taralgon. Love Shack, which you actually hear from Connor from Love Shack later in this show. There's just, it has been a remarkable story from opening in that, literally a little shack next to the Theatre Royal, during the COVID era, then moving into the cooling and heating shop, turning it into this fantastic, now award-winning pub and now taking over next door as well to put a bistro in. So they've been expanding and I guess almost in that same region, or the same town. Shed Shaker moving into a new larger site, increasing support for live music and the local arts. And not too far away, Hepburn Springs expanding. It's still a very small brewery, but Nick and Helen, they're just, they're that
00:12:38
Speaker
really tinier end of the brewing world but you know i think the spotlight first went on them when they won the the champion hills and trophy a few years ago at the indies but just nick has this real talent for making lovely full flavor often malt led beers and now he's a bigger brewery to be able to sort of expand there so there has been you know we've we're seeing that side of things without necessarily in any major sort of high profile you know big openings Yeah, and I think part of that is probably there are a good number of regional areas that do have breweries now.
Regional Brewery Expansions and Trends
00:13:06
Speaker
so So maybe there is, in a maturing market, there's fewer places where they can actually open. I think Western Victoria still has bit of way to come. We spoke about that with Noodle Door a little earlier. They've obviously found a good spot for them, but I think there's a couple of towns out there where you'd think people might be looking to open up. But it was interesting to what Anne Little do did with some of the venues in Warrnambool earlier in the year as well. Warrnambool is a good sized town, you know, and they um put on a sort of, you know, a multi-venue event earlier in the year, just trying to tap in I guess, raise the profile for craft beer, tap into new venues. And, you know, it was almost like a mini sort of Bendigo on the hop.
00:13:41
Speaker
sort of um concept there. um And it's also been good to see, I know they're not new this year, but you know you're very close with the team at Devil Bend Farm Beer. um you know They've got a pretty unique operation, growing a lot of their own ingredients, sticking for the main parts in pretty traditional styles, but they seem to really, their story seems to be getting out there. They seem to be gaining traction and done some pretty you know high profile collabs as well.
00:14:03
Speaker
Yeah, and their beers are more available in Melbourne now over the last 12 months. ah They've really started popping up in in more places, more bottle shops and things like that. So they're definitely like a brewery you'd want to watch as well. um Yeah, it's interesting on that festival side of things, you know, No gabbs obviously but like the small scale festival still seem to be doing really well. i was at blobfish Earlier in the year once again, they sold out just so quickly such a popular Festival people there loved it It's interesting because you talk to anyone and they'll well almost anyone and they'll tell you that you basically can't sell sour funky barrel-aged beers anymore It's a really tricky market at the moment and price point has a lot to do with that but there's still people who love that experience and that that ah more more unique interesting beer experience. Yeah, well Obsidian and Dart Beer Festival in Ballarat they i think came within 23 tickets of selling out both sessions or whatever this year, this second year Tom's been running that. um i know more recently um Bad Shepherd held, they moved they brought back their Southeast Beer Fest which used to be a good beer week event, moved to a different time year.
00:15:12
Speaker
We've had a pretty rotten spring um here in Melbourne, and I know there was a lot of rain came through the Friday night before the festival, and I can imagine they'd have been a little bit nervy, but I spoke to, well, had some message back and forth with Derek afterwards. They got 1,500 people through on the day. We bumped into some of the...
00:15:28
Speaker
The people, Cabal members who were attendees there when we did that Crafty Cheer Festive Feast and they said it was a ah you know great event. So i think it is definitely more challenging at the upper end, but it does seem that you know there's still some sort of appetite there, especially if things are a bit more, you know, either niche or you know more locally targeted or more more focused in their targeting.
00:15:48
Speaker
Yeah. And just the general tap room activation as well, which one of the stories we wrote towards the end of year, but seeing breweries really putting on a lot more events and and trying to make them fun.
00:15:59
Speaker
Not hard to get to generally no cost of admission, that kind of thing. Like that, that's been really sturdy. And, and likewise, I always like to see, well, I go to a lot of pubs and like,
00:16:11
Speaker
The successful pubs in Melbourne are doing really well and still under independent structures. You know, the Lincoln, it still remains a very popular place. Bobby Peels in North Melbourne, they took a took over a couple of years ago, the current owners.
00:16:28
Speaker
There was several pubs that were kind of short lived. So I think it probably took them a bit of a while to get a reputation back, but they have now and and but people love it. it The Marquee of Lawn sort of group with a sporting club and and those kinds of places really busy and punters club on Brunswick street too. That again, I mean, that was, that was some shocking venues for a number of years and venues that I would say really destroyed the interior of those places. yeah They managed to bring it back, make it look good, make it feel like a pub, put good live music on and people are streaming in. It's great.
00:16:59
Speaker
Now you just say before you go to a lot of pubs, don't you just go to the one pub all the time? No, no, I've been to plenty of these pubs enough this year to get to make a judgment call. Excellent.
Industry Challenges and Milestones
00:17:11
Speaker
um And I guess, you know, a lot that sort of focusing on sort of the upside of what's been happening in the Victorian beer scene this year. Obviously, I think if you look over all, you'd probably say it's been, it's still been another challenging year. And, you know, outside of those successes, you know, there'd been people who have had a tough time and in a lot of cases, I think people just finding,
00:17:31
Speaker
where they're at and just finding a way through and when i say finding where they're at maybe in terms of the size of the business they're offering as a brewery what what beers are we going to make you know that works for us and what have you and there's still been vas as well i mean kaiju at the start of the year molly rose liquidation and then bought back uh nice guys closed like number of breweries up for sale as well at the moment yeah Yeah, well, Red Duck, um you know, they put the business on the market coming up to their 20th anniversary. Three Ravens has been put on the market more or recently. I think that's just one of the, um you know, key stakeholders wanting to sell, you know, get sell their share. um But, you know, i I think, you know, you look at sort of, yeah you know, like Molly Rose, the liquidation then coming back. They...
00:18:15
Speaker
another one that's of looking into her maybe finesse their offering and work work out what exactly do we need need to be in the current market and then i know the last updates i saw from them they were pulling apart their bar to make it into a more sort of open i guess more welcoming sort of beer hall type offering um so it's been interesting to see that and um i guess if we're talking about sort of departure from the industry it's probably worth a little uh nod to steph howard i know Kiwi, she's she's a Kiwi, but she was basically in the hat but based in for a long time for Cryo Malton, Barrett Burstyn and sort of, you know, the various takeovers there. She's ah but left the industry earlier in the year to go and work in dairy back in New Zealand. But, you know, Steph definitely like made her mark on the the Melbourne beer scene in the time she was here. um So, yeah, definitely he yeah we concluding to the chat we had with her but as she was about to depart these shores. um Anything else you sort of picked up over the year? Oh, well, I was just thinking, you know, it is remarkable. And these are kind of, we do cover them a little bit, but things you can almost miss of how many breweries are, if not in their second decade, a number in their second day, okay, now even like Bad Shepherd, you mentioned earlier, but then how many are in their third decade? right Like look at Bridge Road, Brewers, Red Hill, Holgate, who were podcast guests last year. There's a number of people who have been running small businesses for 20 odd years now. It's such a long time. yeah Well, it's 16 years of Crafty Pint next year, so we're we're we're we're chasing them down. They always seem to be a few years ahead of us, though. I need that. Yeah. um And I guess sort of, you know, back on the success side of things, um number of...
00:19:56
Speaker
Victorian breweries continue to do well award success. Hawkers, Stomping Ground, a lot lot of them are sort of you know familiar faces. um you know Hop Nation, Urban Alley, there's a number of local breweries seem to be doing really well. Yeah, and getting those consistency awards as well, which is my favourite ABES award that when you get gold medal three years in a row, I love seeing breweries get that. there quite a number from Melbourne this year as well, which was cool to see. Yeah, yeah, for sure. um And I guess in in terms of, you know, another thing was that seemed like maybe trend out there which would tie into the the cost of living thing, um maybe see and it maybe even tie in what we're saying about venues refining or finessing their offer. um So the rise on sort of the happy hours, $10 pint specials, that kind of thing. I was at the the Keys bowling alley and they're doing their sort of um summer of 10 pint specials with a different brewery each month. And I guess, you know, whilst
00:20:49
Speaker
It's challenging to sort of make beer in any way affordable. I guess it's that kind of thing that people are almost like you sort of just your real old school pub approach of going, hey, this is Palmer night. This is $10 locals night or whatever. More of that just old school kind of thing just to try and get people, you know, as we've said, phrase used before, off the couch and, you know, up to the bar.
00:21:08
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, that's that's a massive challenge as well. But um if you can get people in and, yeah, settle in and that kind of thing and become part of a routine, like there are a lot of that, those back to basic things, I think, like trivia nights popping back off and all those kind of things. People want to go out and be entertained for a sort of low cost which I think builds around that you know that love for Guinness and and that kind of thing as well where people get to buy it and they get this drink that's poured specially for them and we we mentioned the national rap or so won't go into it here but a lot of dark beer as well um whether it's kind of Guinness you get getting very very close to Guinness or dark lagers or things like that we definitely sure saw a whole lot of them over winter
00:21:47
Speaker
Yeah, and I guess in the current of that sort of that low cost, getting people out, maybe that's part of the reason why Pine of Origin continues to thrive when at some of the other sort of major and festivals on, ah I guess, a citywide or even with, but I guess, a national um reach as it continues to and to go well because, that you know, it's that sort of no ticket ticket outside of a handful of events there. Just rest assured, Pine of Origin is going ahead again next year, despite the fact there's no gabs. and May 15 to 24th, I think it is. You want to put in your diaries for that, but we'll confirm the line up for that. Confirm the line up for that early March. It's taking a little bit of shuffling to get it all locked in this year with all the challenges that are out there in the industry. but We've got to drop another pretty amazing line up there. um And back on the beer front, I mean, I think it's something we've discussed um here, you know, elsewhere in this series and elsewhere on the Crafty Pint. there hasn't necessarily been like like last year we were talking about west coast pils and cali ipas that hasn't necessarily been apart from the the guinness nitro um the irish stout there hasn't been something where you that's the big thing again this year because it does feel like people have sort of think like breweries of businesses have gone oh what are we about you know what what are we going to make that we like and i think there's everything's still out there yeah
00:23:00
Speaker
but maybe not as much of certain styles or what have you. But one thing that you picked to up on, and I guess we'd seen, you know, hazies aren't going anywhere. you know, hazy pales, hazy IPAs, they still sell through. It's what a lot of people are after. But we'd sort of commented probably even last year about West Coast starting to make a bit of a comeback and definitely some of the but beers I've enjoyed most this year. There was a couple from Banks I had just recently, you know, a modern and a more traditional West Coast IPA that clearer, leaner, Still fruity in a lot of cases, but that sort of 6-ish percent IPA seems to be, you know, finally a bit of a foothold again, you know, the the haze-free IPAs.
00:23:36
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, so Bodrigi, they added Quench, ah West Coast IPA to their core range with a decent little like advertising campaign around it, posters around the inner city of Melbourne and that kind of thing. It's 6.2%, same percentage as Cosmic Microwave, they're hazy, so a yin to the yang and that kind of thing. But I think those leaner beers, they do seem to be popping up more consistently. Maybe maybe like they're just steadier and and just more apparent and and some of that is in core ranges as well. um And you know Hawker's West Coast is one that a lot of people love have has a huge fandom around it and they seem to have really worked out the scheduling around that of getting it into stores and keep it really fresh. i I went to a bottle shop that I wouldn't say was that good. I was pretty unimpressed with what they had on shelf but I still managed to find Hawker's West Coast IPA and it was two months old. I was i was pretty stoked with that. Yeah nice. yeah no so you know there's definitely um i guess things changing things evolving in the beer space maybe not in such a dramatic sense it'd be interesting to see if there is going to be something lying ahead in 2026 new beer style that will or new category like i guess you know comes through or gets rebooted you know from something they haven't seen for a few years um but for now it does feel like um yeah more of a
00:24:52
Speaker
steady ah ever evolution or ah just a steady moving moving forward of the market.
Beer Market Evolution and Future Outlook
00:24:57
Speaker
Yeah, well I think this is what a maturing market is like, you know, in the wine industry it's not like they're introducing that many more grapes all the time or anything like that but what they are, what you do see is certain regions turn towards different grapes and wineries starting, you know, planting traditional grapes that and were normally grown elsewhere and that kind of thing. I think it's it's more about that tinkering around the edge edges and you know making beers either leaner or hazier or more expressive or or those kind of things people are always finding ways to experiment it just because we don't see a big leap in in in a different direction doesn't doesn't really mean anything the innovation's still happening it's just on a smaller scale yeah yeah 100 percent no that's great um so there's you know plenty to have discussed about victorian beer scene 2025 and we can look forward to a spirited 2026 i think for you know the crafty pint and the and the industry around us um for now we've got two more interviews coming up uh we've got the uh the carwin uh ben ben carwin and ben deval from carwin sellers coming after the break and then connor from love shack um wrapping up this episode as we said at the start we'll also have our Territories chat coming up next Tuesday and then we're taking a break for about a month on the podcast. So um I guess this is our last chance to say, yeah you know, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to our listeners and viewers. Thanks for your support. And thanks for joining us for 2025. Cheers. Cheers.
00:26:27
Speaker
Entries are now open for the Royal Queensland Beer Awards, supported by King Street and the Star Brisbane. And it can be about so much more than medals and trophies. Here's Gavin Croft of Slipstream Brewing, brewer of the 2024 Grand Champion Beer, about what they get out of entering the awards.
00:26:44
Speaker
Yeah, one good thing that we get out of the awards is the feedback. You know, that's quite valuable. Something that think the Queensland Beer Awards does better than Other comps that we enter is the the quality of the feedback.
00:26:58
Speaker
You know, it's not always perfect and we can't always do something with it, but there there has been quite a few instances where we've been able to use that feedback to, you know, modify our recipe or our process to make some improvements and yeah see some quality change.
00:27:12
Speaker
If you'd like objective, expert feedback on your beers, there's no better opportunity than the Royal Queensland Beer Awards. Enter your beers today rqa.com.au.
00:27:28
Speaker
Benz, Karwin and Duval, welcome to the show. to be here. Glad to be here too. it Sounds like you've got a case of the Benz. A case of the Benz, yes. I've been listening to too much Radiohead. Anyway, um I guess it's been a pretty momentous year for all involved with Karwin Sellers. So how has it been from the inside?
00:27:52
Speaker
and Pretty emotional and pretty stressful for pretty large chunks of the year. But I think we're through it now. so Yeah, the most stressful year of my life, both ah work-wise and, yeah, personal as well, having a second child at the end of last year. So it's been full on. I feel like we're we're finally, you know, starting to make some headway and, yeah,
00:28:20
Speaker
It's been ah been a lot of work, but it's it's... Yeah, getting back to the new normal, whatever that is. Exactly. And I guess, you know, were there times when, you know, things were falling apart, you know within the Fox Friday and that sort of wider business where you'd wondered whether, you know, car wind sellers would, whether we'd still be having this conversation at the end of the year?
00:28:39
Speaker
Yeah, quite a lot. Actually, that... So the end of Fox Friday started administration and it, yeah, it it wasn't looking great. That would stay in its current form. i thought it was...
00:28:52
Speaker
What I'd heard from a few people who were interested in it, they were looking at it, but it wasn't going to stay the same. That's right. That morning the administrators got on a call with all the staff and we were told that they were going to announce the new buyer of the Fox business and Carwin Sellers.
00:29:12
Speaker
um Very nervous. I packed up my desk that morning. the other car and staff were looking at me. They're like, what do you know? I don't know anything. i'm just so nervous. I'm going to do something that I do maybe once every couple of years, which is pack my desk It's the coolest thing you've seen when you came back then.
00:29:30
Speaker
Because I guess, I mean, you you'd have been, don't know, Ben C, Big Ben, like there's some time when you were, I guess, out of the business, not necessarily by your own choice, but Ben, other other Ben, you were sort of there with almost a skeleton staff at some point all the way through. So I mean, what was that sort of experience like sort of going through that period of uncertainty?
00:29:48
Speaker
Oh, it was just crazy. yeah Each day was a new present to unwrap. Just didn't know what was going to happen. um Yeah, literally having to fight for everyone's jobs here and justify um our existence. And um in the end, we're pretty successful in in doing that.
00:30:09
Speaker
um you know both to the administrators and then obviously to, um I guess, the mountain culture and then to Ben and Nicole Carwin.
00:30:20
Speaker
It was pretty interesting watching it from the outside as well um because we kept in fairly close communications with everyone just to see what was happening um and just the hoops everyone had to jump through.
00:30:32
Speaker
just to keep running a business that was running fine. Yeah, and and and with keeping a break, you know, I guess a smiling face on for the customers coming through the door as well. Well, absolutely.
00:30:46
Speaker
It certainly got pretty tough, you know, even in the last couple of months leading up towards the administration. It was tough to do business and tough to keep your head up and that was for all the staff.
00:30:57
Speaker
um So, yeah, to be where we are now, is is huge really and morale's back up where it should be. And how's it been sort of managing coming back in? I know when we spoke, Ben, see, Ben Carwin, at the time you did take the business back over, you were saying, you know, you you knew one of the challenges ahead was going to be sort of rebuilding relationships. Obviously, there's been some debts built up with some customers. mean, we're now, you know, six months or so on. How's that sort of been been managed? I've seen some familiar faces in the can vent. So, you know, presumably...
00:31:31
Speaker
Mostly overall, I think everyone is incredibly understanding and they know it wasn't us. You know, we were... we were doing what we were told. We were told the business was fine. So we trade as normal. But think over that sort of last six months, I think, yeah, and everybody really understanding. Everyone wants to keep working with us.
00:31:50
Speaker
You know, they know we can sell beer. You know, we that's what we do. That's what we do. And so we've just been really conscious not to go, you know, too far out with anyone. If one gets paid, not go too far.
00:32:01
Speaker
massive orders, that sort of stuff. And yeah, I think it's worked and I think um i think everyone's happy with us. Yeah. As we know, this business is about relationships and ah luckily, you know,
00:32:14
Speaker
Ben and Kyle did own this business for a very long time before they sold to Fox Friday. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And in terms of, I guess, you know, aside from that, and he hopefully getting back on an even keel or what have you looking back over the year, aside from that, any sort of standout moments, any, any highlights or, you know, events or beers that have really, yeah you know, caught fire for you guys?
00:32:36
Speaker
Or Chardonnay in your case, Ben, Calvin.
Carwin Sellers: Adapting to Change
00:32:38
Speaker
I've had some delicious Chardonnay, yes. yes um I've quite enjoyed Canvent this year, to be honest. I think having – I wasn't really involved that much last year.
00:32:48
Speaker
um But, yeah, no, I think Canvent I think is pretty good. I think it's probably the best group of beers we've done. Mm-hmm. So yeah, with Canada's on fire this year, I'm loving seeing all the feedback come in.
00:33:01
Speaker
um Didn't think we were going to get there either. So to put together a box of such qualities yeah is amazing. Probably the one event that sticks out. would have to be the Anchorage event during Pine of Origin with Ford Hops and getting to release an Australian exclusive barrel-aged ah Anchorage beer was was pretty special. Yeah. um And that was that was actually during the administration. So it's just in amazing that we're able to pull that event off.
00:33:36
Speaker
um Yeah. It was quite reassuring for, I guess, me, someone who's created Pine of Origin running for so so long that you were able to persuade the administrators that, yes, it was worth approving this very large payment because it was going to pay off because this was an event that wasn't this, you know, it it was definitely worth signing off on this one because, you know, you guarantee it was a a wise investment.
00:33:59
Speaker
Well, exactly right. I put together the business case. They understand numbers, so they actually tickled quite easily yeah when I was able to show what we'd done the last few years. yeah um But, yeah, that were they were the most expensive beers we've ever put on tap. So thanks, McGrann Nickel. Well, it's funny, actually, I remember coming into your place on, it would have been maybe the Friday night, maybe the first beers were on, the usual, you know, last minute top-up t-shirt deliveries for the staff or whatever it was. And I spotted um a guy I know from the Sydney beers, know, i met at an event earlier in the year and I was like, what are you doing here? And he's like, oh, um'm I've flown in last night, I'm here for that event. And he was sharing, and he goes, ah there's some guys from Adelaide coming over, they're here for the event as well. And it was a reminder that, you know, i guess after the last few years, you can get a little bit like our...
00:34:48
Speaker
either sort of concerned about events or how how people are, but you realize there's still this real passion out there and people are willing to you know travel and spend money and not only that but you to go to these key events, but actually they're catching it with people from another part of the country as well. They won't have seen in ages. And what's bringing them together is you know the events, the beers, the places. you know it was quite um quite encouraging, quite reassuring.
00:35:11
Speaker
Yeah, it was pretty interesting because during the administration, I wasn't coming in. I kind of decided whenever it's happening to keep a bit a distance, but I did come in on a Saturday of that Anchorage event and just did a quick walk through, had chat to bunch people and there was, it was full of the people that probably had a quiet few years and everyone had come for that event and caught up and you literally couldn't walk through the building without seeing regulars you knew over the last few years.
00:35:36
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, no, it's great to hear. and And how do you sort of feel about that? So, you know, the event space, you know, you, I guess you guys have been known over the years for doing some of the most um either high risk or certainly, you know, high end or daft and out there sort of a beer events over the years. is Is that something that you still think has a place, but you, or you have to be a bit more wary or a bit more sort of careful about doing some of those things?
00:35:59
Speaker
We probably should be. We're going to be. We'll still do those sorts of things, just just not that often. I mean...
00:36:11
Speaker
We've got to be a bit more strategic about it. No one's got the disposable income at the moment. And do you think that's more it? Do think it's more the disposable income side of things than people not being that fussed about, about you know, the beer events anymore? Where do you why don' think it lies? oh Well, no, beer events are still popular in that we do beer events all the time.
00:36:31
Speaker
But if you're talking about the really high-end stuff, yes, it's a combination of being able to afford the beer, but also there's just less of those people around that are interested in that yeah real high-end stuff. it's It's a definite niche. It's definitely. a And you've still got your Tonys and Scottys and they all know who they are yeah yeah and Kevin and the rest of them and they'll all be listening to podcasts and they'll come.
00:36:58
Speaker
It's that 20% or 30% extra people that makes the event worthwhile and easy and comfortable to do. They just aren't coming in for those events. They're coming for other events.
00:37:11
Speaker
But when you say other events, is it generally stuff that's, you know, no no ticket no ticket price, just come in, join us. there's good beers on but on the bar, some food offering, whatever. whatever yeah Correct. Just a mix of, you know, beer launches, collabs. Yeah. you know, themed events, Oktoberfest. We're doing something still every every couple of weeks.
00:37:32
Speaker
um You know, lately we've been putting on, you know, the first 50 free pots or pints, um yeah you know, get people in the door. yeah But, you know, events are still they're still working. Yeah. yeah Yeah, good to hear. And what about, um so looking ahead, I guess from a purely from a carbon perspective, like what does 2026 look like? Just, you know, a continuation of the rebound or are there any sort of big plans up your sleeves?
00:38:01
Speaker
Oh, look, it's still it's still a bit a continuation of the rebound. um We are working our way through sort of getting everything back working properly and it's taken a while. Yeah.
00:38:14
Speaker
That being said, there's a few kind of events we're sort of thinking about. We're to be with a meeting this morning on on some of the plans for next year. Probably a bit early to really talk about them, but we're going to try and do a few kind of but big marquee events and then just keep it really simple for the punters that want to come in every week.
00:38:36
Speaker
uh black box is back black box is definitely back yeah but no no plans to close off the street and do any you know collaboration events pulling against putting together brewers from all over the world ah um and look it was on today's conversation it's probably something we'd spend a few years building back into.
00:38:56
Speaker
um i don't think it's as simple as what it was back then. i think the risks are so much higher. Everything's so much more expensive. I think there's an opportunity to do it, but I think we're just going have to sort of build ourselves into it.
00:39:10
Speaker
Yeah. And I guess, you know, I guess tied into that, how do you feel about the future, whether from a car win perspective or whether from a Melbourne retail hospital perspective or whether just from even a wider sort of beer perspective looking ahead? Depends on what day you ask me.
00:39:26
Speaker
it it I think it's one of those ones I think it's improving. I do think we're probably at the bottom of the cycle. um I think there's going to be a bit more pain in in breweries, distilleries, wineries, hospital venues for the next little while. I think I've always maintained a bit of a viewpoint of the venues that aren't well managed, will always struggle when times are hard.
00:39:53
Speaker
um That then opens up opportunities for you guys to come in. um So I think it's one of those things. It's something we're going to have to have. But I think it's probably at the at the bottom of the cycle. yeah And now that I've said that, I will be completely wrong.
00:40:09
Speaker
Well, you know, hopefully there's no worse than bottom of the cycle. You know, that's that's all we can hope for really. um I guess I should have asked as well, you know, as someone who, ah you know, through your ah through the taps and through the fridges, you'll sell as much beer or and I guess as wide a diversity as beer as almost anyone else in the country. What what sort of has been selling, whether that's breweries, you know, specific breweries or maybe styles that have been really sort of flying this this year? That's your part of it.
00:40:35
Speaker
Yes. Oh. Look, ah IPA just continues to be the beast that it has been over the last decade. And brewers just, you know, know no bounds in terms of evolving them. I mean, obviously terpenes have come on the scene in a big way this year.
00:40:52
Speaker
um prefer, you know, there those the fruity flavours came from where yeast and hop derived. But, um you know, I'd probably prefer we sold a lot more traditional beer as well. but Yeah.
00:41:06
Speaker
um So that' that's been huge. Larga has continued to slay it. um Sours have certainly slowed down. There's some, it's it's funny, of the the US stuff that we've been getting in recently, um the big smoothie sours have actually not been selling as well, um but the IPAs are all gone already. yeah um You know, that said, the one drop sours seem to just walk off the shelf though. Yeah, they do walk off the shelf. Yeah, ah did it does see that yeah i IPA is, is you know i guess, within the beer bubble, it is, that the I guess, the style that seems to have the most impregnable armour to changing taste, whereas other things do seem to seem to fluctuate. And I have to say, I'm i'm all for IPA remaining strong. Well, it's not going anywhere, is it? It's not going anywhere. Yeah, yeah. I've noticed in retail, the Belgian and English classics have had a bit of a resurgence for us.
00:42:06
Speaker
which is always nice to see because there's some amazing beers there that I think probably got left by the side of the road for a few years. But they've definitely made resurgence. Yeah. And I guess I'm coming back to your comment about potentially being at the bottom of the cycle, you know, for each of you, one a time if you have what one thing do you think could help bring us, you know, take us from the bottom of the cycle and get the trajectory travelling back up again?
00:42:30
Speaker
I think the the cause of what's happening is a pretty simple one. It's it's disposable income. yeah You know, you come back to interest rates. It's only part of it because everything else has gone up. You know, the the price rise, cost rise even for running this place You know, we've been looking at it recently and it it is substantially higher than what it was.
00:42:51
Speaker
um And so I think if if wages have got to catch up to inflation, people have got to get used, interest rates need to come down a little bit, that'd be nice. And then the cycle kind of starts again. I think that's just the cycle that we're in with the way the economy is set up in Australia at the moment.
00:43:09
Speaker
That's right. Obviously, some tax breaks would be nice, but yeah let's not hold out for that. Yeah. Yeah, and hopefully things go well enough that you can finish to the curtain behind you to cover the entire wall by the time we chat again next time.
00:43:22
Speaker
yeah the The cut's are writ writ large. No, no, that's great. i Thanks so much share you know fit for joining us. I know it's been a very um challenging year for you guys. It's good to see you you know ending you know planning big events for next year and looking forward with a um smile on your face. um So yeah, just wish you well for a bumper Christmas and New Year and see you soon.
00:43:45
Speaker
Thanks very much. Cheers, James. Cheers, mate.
00:43:54
Speaker
Hey, listeners. Will and James with a Have You Done A Rally. This is where we shout out the great good beer people in our beer community. And there's many of them, but, you know, every now and then someone does something deemed worthy enough to get a nomination for a Have You Done A Rally.
00:44:11
Speaker
Stab of glory and this time around it's actually been annomous annominous an anonymous nomination. i almost said that correctly the first time, well done me. um But I imagine it could have come from any number of people who know um this wonderful chap. Will, who is it? ah It is Sam Branigan who's in charge of all things sales at King River Brewing from the high country.
00:44:30
Speaker
yeah Yeah, Sam, it's a pretty amazing story. He quit the corporate world um just a few years ago to join King River Brewing. um Would seem to maybe be an unusual thing to do given the current sort of climate around beer and the brewing industry. But I think Sam just decided he wanted to do something that he was passionate about, that he loved. And it's fair to say that, ah you know, from our perspective, in a short period of time, I think Sam has become as you know as central to the King River Brewing Program as the family that founded um the small business. um you know You'll always see him you know at at events and just helping out where he can, but you've got the de details of the nomination there. Yeah, absolutely. I think they've really hit their stride with ah King River sort of pride themselves in less...
00:45:12
Speaker
uh let's just say less popular beer styles traditional european styles and things like that and sam really seems like the person who's right to sell them as well and this person anon has said that sam is a passionate advocate for not only king rivers beers but for indie beer as a whole more than a salesperson sam will step in and help out wherever he can and is always passionately advocating for the positive impact small breweries have on communities If there's a beer event on, Sam will always be there to lend a hand to other breweries and whether that's helping move kegs or he's often seen DJing at festivals. Yeah, we saw him at Grainstock. He's really set that Friday afternoon in the light, I think with his set and he's been at Bendigo on the hop as well. He really knows what he's doing there. Well, I think in in terms of a good example of his dedication, if you recall the Australian International Beer Awards dinner this year, I spotted Sam, he was on crutches making his way around the room and he'd gone on, it was i was maybe the Bridge Road Brunswick Pint of Origin Run Club the previous day and pre-drinking, making his way back in, he somehow didn't see, think it was where you put your bike. He's a very tall man, i think he maybe couldn't see the ground. And he ran into, um I think it was some sort of metal thing outside the brewery, brew pub. I'm assuming it was like where where you put your bikes in and whatever. he goes, oh yeah, I damaged my shin, had to go to hospital.
00:46:29
Speaker
I foolishly asked to actually see the photo on his phone and it was like something out of you know some severe extreme medical procedure. um did some serious damage to his lower leg and yet was still there at the beer awards the following night um with a smile on his face as ever um so yeah i think a worthy a worthy winner a good one to sign off uh 2025 um i'd say sam is most definitely a good beer citizen um so congratulations to sam um you know merry christmas to you uh thanks to the guys at rallying's uh sam and um or the nominee won't get him because we're Maybe Sam and King River get both both the vouchers. We'll have to find that out. We'll have to find out who who's made the nomination. and or we just get you know get both prizes from rallying is going to Sam and the team at King River Brewing. um be Congratulations, Sam. um
00:47:18
Speaker
yeah Merry Christmas to you and the King River Brewing team. and Best in 2026. Cheers.
Love Shack: Growth and Community Engagement
00:47:31
Speaker
Conor, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. It's an honor and a privilege to be here Oh, if only everyone had said that, I'd feel so much better about myself. um I do love i love you love chatting to you. It's good.
00:47:43
Speaker
Excellent. um I thought, you know, maybe we should start with something quite recent in your year, um the amazing collab and video you did with ah one of your favorite bands, Tropical Fuckstorm. How did that come about?
00:47:56
Speaker
I'm glad you broke the ice with the name there. I don't know if we we're allowed to swear on this pod. From now on, i'm going to say TFS because we do have a lot of children watching this channel last year. Yeah, we've been good friends with TFS for a while. Like yeah ah Lauren, the drummer, she comes in here all the time and has beers. And um basically, they got pretty sick of people kind of, I guess, ripping off their name, calling it Tropical Fruit Storm or but whatever else. And they just wanted to make a beer that they actually drink. They drink Melbourne Bitter and VB. and ah said well we don't really you know make anything too crazy anyway so yeah we'll make a like a draft for it and um and we did and uh yeah it's called the tropical so technically anyway uh yeah hope we we had a great time doing that and filming the art and stuff was one of the best days ever and um yeah it was
00:48:46
Speaker
We've got a few like movie making friends up here and we told them the concept. The concept came from around the goodfellas scene when they go through the kitchen and there's all the chaos around them. and it's yes It's an awesome scene. um and I was telling some friends that are in the industry about it and they're like, you're fucking idiot basically and you're never going to be able to pull this off in a working pub. We managed to do it. so yeah It was a great time.
00:49:08
Speaker
Yeah, no, so it's great great to see that. It's it's always great to see tie-ins between breweries and you know whether it's bands or anything outside of that, you know helps helping to reach different audiences. So yeah, good on you.
00:49:20
Speaker
Yeah, thanks. It was really, really fun. Yeah. and And looking back over 2025, I mean, any other highlights? You know, yeah I'd imagine plenty. I'm sure that was a major highlight. But yeah the Love Shack story does seem to have been a pretty, yeah um you know, up a trajectory since day one from looking in from the outside.
00:49:38
Speaker
Yeah, it's been a pretty crazy time. like we turn The brewery turned five on New Year's Eve this year. and the pub turns three in February so there's kind of two anniversaries there I suppose but it it hasn't really slowed down since we got it since we started sorry um but staying on collabs like this year we did a collab with Caretaker's cottage which is one of the best which is the best bar in Australasia which is amazing another one with Grifta we made an extra quality pail with them and then we've we've done this a couple of years in a row now but we did a thespia with stomping ground as well and um Harry went back to his roots and brewed a beer with AEG at Tar Barrel.
00:50:13
Speaker
um That was great. We brewed a Ruby ale there. It went really well. And um yeah, so I mean, that's sort of most of the beer stuff that we did. I'm probably missing a few highlights there. but But when everything gets molded into what we've been doing, it's pretty hard to remember when we got the yeahp so much beer coming out. But um most recently, sort of three months ago, we actually hired a GM, which was pretty amazing. And that's been a lot of help for us because as you said, the trajectory of which we've grown, we kind of got to a point where I was wearing a lot of hats and still do, but it's just like, it gets a bit scary as well. Like you kind of, there's a lot of things that you can kind of, you can kind of fuck up pretty easily. And if you don't have someone that knows a bit more about, you know, whether it's HR or just finance or strategy, like we went and did a strategic planning meeting with all of our, with the directors and the GM and sort of put together a plan for the next three, five, 10 years and,
00:51:05
Speaker
As boring as that sounds, it's actually like the best thing ever. And like, we all kind of work into a similar goal now. So whilst we have grown like crazy in the last five years, it seems like we're really good at building something, but then keeping it on track is really difficult. So um really proud and like feeling really good about the future as like, you know,
00:51:26
Speaker
boring as that is, is like it's just steadying the ship. But that's actually one of the biggest wins I think we've had this year. And yeah, feeling really good about that. And in terms of the growth, you know, you say it has been on a tra a trajectory from the very start. Do you have any sort of inkling as to why it's worked so well? Because at the end of the day you did start during the pandemic and things haven't got any easier since. And yet, you know, Love Shack has been this glorious, you know, story from day one.
00:51:52
Speaker
Yeah, to I guess like luck, like a lot of, I think there's a few cases in like, you know, success stories of whether it's bands or brands, you know, or anything really.
00:52:03
Speaker
Some people just do get a little bit lucky and I think, We're probably in that pile as well. Like I don't think that it's all just, like I said, we haven't really had a strategy this entire time. we've sort of just been flying by the seat of my pants a little bit, but maybe that's part of the charm and maybe that's why people like it. um Obviously, the brand's really strong and we know where we're going with that and everything and the beers aren't really complicated. And I think that when when money was of a premium and we were kind of just making beers that people wanted to hang their hat on, you know, like that was kind of it. People were maybe buying one or two of certain beers that were really...
00:52:36
Speaker
crazy and exciting and delicious, don't get me wrong, but they were kind of walking out with more of beers that they could have in their fridge for a long time. And that's kind of where we sat, I think. and And then again, Castlemaine as well. like it's This town has just gone crazy since we started and it's not slowing down at all. that It was ah famously called North Northcote when we first moved here because a lot of the hipsters were moving into town, us included. And um the gentrification here has happened and there's a lot of people moving into town into this into this place. and Everyone's kind of heard of it too, but when we first moved here, it was basically what was Castellane famous for and I was sort of saying op shopping and antiquing, but now it's well and truly hospitality.
00:53:18
Speaker
We've got some amazing hospitality offerings here. and I think we've just kind of got in at the right time and the visitation that comes through this place is is mental. So I think a lot of brand strengths come from where we are and that translates to Melbourne.
00:53:31
Speaker
Well, I think about the sort of bars and the venues that I see Love tap love Shack on tap. And, you know, there's certain venues you almost know from him the outside where you go and it's like, this is going to be a Love Shack venue. yeah The brand does seem to align very well with a lot of Melbourne pubs and bars and venues, even though you're based in Castle Main. I think, you know, it certainly captured something that, you know, there's a certain vibe.
00:53:56
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. And I think that, you know, when we first started doing, when I started doing sales and in Melbourne, I didn't really go down and just be like, let's just go into this place and get a tap. Like there's kind of like, i used to just go in and sit down and have a beer and see how the bar staff sort of treated the product first. And then I'd almost see if that's how I wanted them treating our product and be able to pick and choose a little bit because of how much we could produce. and that wasn't very much.
00:54:19
Speaker
And um that strategy seemed to work really well and kind of give us a bit more brand strength again. Like I think in like It was hard to get. It wasn't hard to get, but definitely turning a few people down sometimes. And that was, you know, made it a bit more desirable, I suppose. um But yeah, I think the whole nostalgia thing as well. So i assume when you think of like a Love Shack pub, you probably are going into pubs like Punters or Goldies or whatever. And like they're, you know, they're nostalgic places. And that nostalgia is is is really hitting super hard after COVID as well. Because everyone, I think, really misses going to the pub. Like, and it's still sort of raining through, I believe. And there's definitely been a resurgence of pubs. and
00:54:56
Speaker
um We're part of that resurgence, I suppose. that We've built one here in Custlemann from scratch. and in The old aircom link aircon sales place. Yeah, that's it. yeah Heating and cooling shop.
00:55:07
Speaker
We actually just installed a new aircon the other week, ironically.
00:55:12
Speaker
and how yeah how you go and meet in demand things you don't have a lot of room to put uh more tanks in if any at all i mean is that something that's you know down the line for you you might go know we need a bigger facility or you kind of like this is a sweet spot for us we don't need we've got you know no world domination plans or you know where you sit on that definitely definitely super conscious of both things i think like with more beer comes the need to sell more stuff and it's, it can be a bit scary and I'm just really scared to sort of overextend ourselves and rather than, I guess it comes back down to that strategic planning stuff and just being aware of where it will take us if we do make more beer.
00:55:49
Speaker
There's definitely more scope for us to put, to, to be more efficient and more and make more beer that way. Um, There is room for more for movement in terms of growth in the in the in the in the brewery side for sure. But whether or not that's something we want to absolutely do is another question. But it's looking pretty much like we will make more beer because currently we brew offside as well. So we'll do, during summer we'll brew lager at Hop Nation. We do some contract brewing through them and we brew draft at Holgate. So the Hop Nation connection comes from Harry working there and knowing where his guys will draft stuff from Hop Nation. They're just down there. and do a really good job of that. But that's just to meet demand. And in winter, we don't need to do that. So um it's yes and no, but it's being like very strategic about how we do it rather than what we've done in the past and being like, let's just buy more tax. It's more just, you know, it's ah just making sure we're aware of what that actually means because I've got three kids and a lot of work already and trying to add more work into that isn't exactly something like that. Don't add any more kids. Three's already one too many for the number of parents. Yes. Yeah.
00:56:55
Speaker
Well, it be in terms of expansion, there has been another expansion in the business. Do you tell us about the the new bistro? Yeah, we saw a lot of people walking into the pub and then walking out because they couldn't sit down anywhere, basically. So there was a cafe for sale next door and um we busted through the wall and we've added in our bistro. So that's kind of adding like a a slightly more elevated experience in there and more seating and a great little spot for kids to run around in. And um yeah, and so we've basically taken our venue from being 149 capacity sort of front bar to now being basically a 200 total capacity over two different red line plants. uh venue so we can kind of have 50 in there and that's been really good for us this time of year as well being function silly season we've um been smashing those out like it's it's unreal like how many businesses are getting around us and like having their christmas parties here and things it's it's great because it's not man there's not there's not heaps of places that kind of offer the space that we're doing basic basically basically going from the shack to the the original venue now next door so i'm assuming you're just like domino effect down the street until you hit the park
00:57:59
Speaker
Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. And then maybe we'll keep going into the park and start a cricket club or something. Yeah. I mean, that would be great. But again, it's just, it's the same, it's the same thing as before with the, with the expansion of the brewery. It's like, how much more extra stuff do we need?
00:58:13
Speaker
Um, it would be good to have a gift shop. That would be really fun and make everyone exit, exit through the gift shop, like museums and everything. and yeah another another like another amazing win that we have this year i know we're going to talk about it but um actually got we got nominated for uh the good food guides uh public a year because was in three other public it was pretty amazing to be there so went to the awards joel and i joel our head chef and we didn't really know what we were going for and then um the nomination came about and it was just it was crazy so to think that we've turned a heating and cooling shop into one of victoria's best pubs is pretty flattering as well so that's put a lot of motivation up our bums for uh motivation up our bums a little bit of a fire think so far go infinite for the gift shop yes i think um like lit a fire up our ass to sort of like even just improve on the space even more and just make that um you know try and get that just like that'd be i'd be really really proud of that sort yeah yeah and anything else um i guess we've already talked a fair bit about what might lie ahead but is there any any anything else in the plans 2026 um yeah i mean we are trying to kind of
00:59:22
Speaker
explore our beer range stuff. So we're looking to sort of expand on the mid-strength range a little bit more. We've got the midi red that does really well and that's kind of got to bit a bit of a cult following now. so I was devastated. I took the kids with some other dads to the Keys the other day thinking, I'm fine driving because your red's going to be on. And it wasn't on. And I was like, what what am i know what am I going to have?
00:59:42
Speaker
and know. they're doing that summer rep pints thing and we've got the boot, but I'm sure we'll be back soon enough. We've got the Lincoln Hotel. They've had it on for ages. So I don't know I'm going to do some ones. So yeah, exploring the mid strength range but exploring the mid-strength range a bit more is something that really excites us and excites the brew team as well. I think, you know, back to that is making simple beers. It's funny that like our brew team just wants to explore how to make beers taste good in a mid strength range capacity. So that's that's that's great and lower excise rates on those two. So a bit of a win there. um
01:00:15
Speaker
and then just looking to sort of like figure out some marketing stuff where we can kind of expand like on that and sort of look for some physical marketing options options outside of just you know events and things and i mean locally especially we really want to like lean on the community and sort of start sponsoring more things and um just getting more uh marketing presence in in the local town but um That's like one of the big things for 2026 for us. yeah Leaning into Castlemaine, like it's yeah it's such an amazing place. and On the weekend we did um our ah first sort of, we called it the Santa's Grotto. We basically did Santa photos for all the kids locally and we curated like an arrival of Santa, which was maybe me, I'm not sure. It was always i was chair Don't puncture the magic I know So basically I dressed up as Santa and we had like a full Santa's grotto set up for all the kids and some adults and their dogs and things like that um and we raised a bunch of money for a local charity and that was really great and it was a really nice community event and everyone really got behind it and um that's some stuff that really makes us feel like proud and warm and fuzzy inside so just continuing to look into more stuff like that because that's really what makes us like yeah happy I suppose
01:01:25
Speaker
yeah Yeah. And, you know, for for those that aren't, you know, but maybe enjoying such good time yeah good sort of times in the in the current conditions, is is there any sort sort of tips you might want to offer to the world for, you name yeah know, how how how to navigate till the glory days return?
01:01:42
Speaker
os No, not really. like I'm not bloody Nostradamus or anything. It's always the same thing when people ask you about parenting advice. it's just kind of, always find that, you know, this is what I did, but it's not necessarily going to work for you because everyone's so different. But like what I think what we just do is...
01:01:58
Speaker
sometimes it might not make ultimate sense as a business but if it makes you feel good it's probably okay to do but if it does if it makes you feel a bit icky then maybe don't do it i don't know like that's kind of what i've always wanted to try and go down the path of it's just yeah if it if and and also if it seems like it's gonna a lot of work but at the end of the day it's gonna be worth it like that's also probably a good thing to do whether like we just changed post systems today because and it's right before christmas everyone's got to learn a new system but the last one was just giving us the shits and it had to be changed because it was just ruining of the customer experience, we weren't even annoying the staff, it's just causing all kinds of issues.
01:02:35
Speaker
But you just kind of have to take risks and maybe spend a bit more just to make the experience better, I suppose. yeah yeah I don't know if there was even any learnings in there, but even for or i we go back and basicly we that's basically how we do it. Excellent stuff. Well, and I guess staying looking forward, you know is there one thing you'd love to see change, whether it's for the world of hospitality or for beer generally, that you think, you know, if you could click your fingers or tap your heels together and, you know, wave a bit of magic?
01:03:07
Speaker
Yeah, geez. don't know. it um I think you touched on it the other day with people paying bills on time or not paying bills at all. We've been pretty lucky in that sense. I was very trusting at the start and um you know bad debtors have been fairly few and far between but there's some big ones that are really, really rough and they do really screw you over. um So that would be good if they were sort of abided by their terms or told us they weren't be able to or maybe we could help them in other ways or something like that.
01:03:37
Speaker
But I think, don't know, not really anything that, I think to be honest, like being in Castlemaine, our head's pretty buried the sand. Like we're very like in our own little bubble up here and we kind of don't really,
01:03:49
Speaker
here too many it is definitely like a little bubble like during covid when they put the ring of steel up like we we we had different freedoms to sort of everyone else it's it's a very different place and the community is so strong here and everyone gets behind everyone and i mean you sort of half said it and like love shak's a bit of a weird story of like a success and i think that the town feel quite proud of that and they really get behind and they keep supporting us and we do the same back and um i think that's just you know it's nothing nothing to change there for us, but it's more just, yeah, we're a bit of an anomaly, I think. And yeah, we're just going to keep trying to do right by the people that do right by us.
01:04:27
Speaker
Yeah. So essentially what you're saying is you don't want anything to change for for the better for anyone else because you're absolutely fine as it is. Everyone else can stay together. Is that what sounds like? Is that what it sounds like? Not at all, but I just thought I'd throw that in there. Yeah. and that's not That's not what I wanted to say at all. No, don't really yeah you you didn't you didn't say that at all. I just like, you know. You look like a prick.
01:04:50
Speaker
Not at all. I guess but before we sort of sign off and wish you a Merry Christmas, outside of Love Shack, obviously you've worked with the number of other breweries this year, you know, you're good mates with the Grifter Crew and whatever. And anyone else out there that's really sort of, you know, impressed you and the team in the beer industry, whether it's Hospo or Liquid itself?
01:05:08
Speaker
um I'm pretty buried deeply in the hospital thing at the moment and going on the Good Food Guide Awards really just like, what was that phrase I learned just before when I meant to say light a fire at house lot of my house? The motivation. Yeah, that's it. um I'm just feeling really like really passionate about that whole thing at the moment and just again like knowing Caretaker's Cottage and other venues like that and um trying to learn how to just be better at that and just offer the experience because i do think that this is kind of this is all ah it is a tasting room and people that come up from Melbourne that either own venues or whatever like they come here and they have it and they often will be like i was in your pub the other day i really liked the red ale or whatever or the pale and we really want to put it on tap and we had the best experience because of X, Y and z and all those things are just like all that ultimately make the whole brand so cohesive and great and and
01:05:59
Speaker
Yeah, I think just more leaning in towards our hospitality contacts and trying to do more training with our staff and trying to figure all that out. Like I come from like from stomping ground like they're like for me when I was working there, the training they offered for everyone was incredible. And yeah, really want to lean into that some more. and Now we've got some more time up our sleeves in terms of management as well, like just the management structures on that side. Like we um we have time to be able to offer training and just get some people in and lean on them.
01:06:25
Speaker
Yeah. I've had a few conversations in that sort of space about, you know, how beer or notably, I guess, craft beer, indie beer could be doing a better job with engaging with the more sort of hospice venues as opposed to, you know, the dedicated beer venues. It's like there's a whole bunch of other venues out there that would pour your beer if they knew you out they knew about you and they had the relationship with them, you know, so that maybe feels like another area that, you know breweries maybe have missed out on by just going to the more traditional pubs and you know obvious beer venues?
01:06:55
Speaker
Well, I guess we kind of, we didn't, I don't know if we remade the wheel or anything here, but we just sort of made a pub with a brewery as well rather than a pub inside a brewery sort of thing. So because Castle Main, we needed both. And I think we actually kind of did it the wrong way around initially. We opened up the bar the brewery first and then the pub. And just touching back on that cash flow thing with people not paying,
01:07:17
Speaker
Cash flow was terrible. We had the brewery that on its own. It's improved slightly now because we get paid at the time of someone buying pint straight away. And that that helps ultimately because, I mean, we've we've got a very popular menu and that's really great. but But not everyone wants to go to a brewery and not everyone wants to go to a pub. But here they can kind of go to both, which is always good.
01:07:36
Speaker
Yeah. Well, I look forward to the next time I get to come to both and maybe drop the family in the bistro, I'll sit in the bar and we'll go from there. Yeah, very good. You can work your way through all the tabs. Exactly. Nice. Well, thank you so your time. I know it's ah you know Thursday lunchtime in the lead up to Christmas, I appreciate you taking some time out. But yeah have a great holiday holidays with the family. I hope you can get some time off and hopefully see you at the bar early in 2026.
Opportunities with Crafty Pint
01:08:01
Speaker
Thanks, mate. We're only closed on Christmas Day, so there'll be plenty of time for you to come in.
01:08:05
Speaker
Nice one. All right. Cheers, Connor. Thanks so much.
01:08:11
Speaker
Do you have a product to sell to the Australian brewing industry? Maybe it's hops or malt, hoses or equipment, or is it a new beer sales software package? No way, you've got the perfect pair of gumboots that every Aussie brewer absolutely needs.
01:08:24
Speaker
Whatever it is, there's no better way to reach that audience than promoting it through the crafty pint. We've been covering the Australian beer industry for nearly 15 years and have the biggest audience of brewers and brewery owners of any media publication in the country.
01:08:37
Speaker
Even better, our ads work. We'd like to get creative and help you make a meaningful connection with your target market. So if you want to drive sales, make the Crafty Pint your first call.
01:08:47
Speaker
Contact Craig at craig at craftypint.com. 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.
01:09:05
Speaker
We wouldn't be able to produce the podcast or the website, events or festivals we run without support of the beer industry, whether that's suppliers, bars, breweries or bottle shops. 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.
01:09:21
Speaker
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.