The Crafty Pint Podcast

“What excites me is all the small players who are setting up in a brewpub and running their own race.”
Just like the industry it covers, the beer media world has taken a fair few hits in recent years. Publications – online and in print – have folded across the planet, yet there remains a core of true believers keeping the flame, and the stories, alive.
In New Zealand, nobody’s flame burns brighter than that of Michael Donaldson. These days, he’s the owner and publisher of The Pursuit Of Hoppiness, the country’s leading publication on all things beer, while also one half of The Third Pint Theory podcast with Martin Bridges.
We sat down with Michael at Mac Hops during NZ Hops’ recent Harfest to trace a life in journalism as well as beer. We learn that it was while in Australia – covering sport for New Zealand’s press in what was something of a golden age for print media – that he experienced his beer epiphany, one that led to him pitching a beer column to his editor once back on the other side of the Tasman.
The award-winning beer writer and fine conversationalist, is as well-placed as any to cast an eye over the craft beer era in NZ, and shares his take on its evolution, its key styles, its contribution to the wider beer world, and where the industry sits today.
The Easter long weekend means less new stories to discuss in the intro, with Will and James returning to Dollar Bill’s decision to sell up after getting hold of the Nolles earlier in the week, and also discussing the inspiring tale of Jacob Viel, the founder of Blind Boy Brewing. We also look ahead to the almost sold-out Pint of Origin Launch Party and a couple of events we’re co-hosting with Benchwarmer and Whisky & Alement in Melbourne and Flavour Logic in Perth.
Start of segments: 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
12:15 – Michael Donaldson Part 1
41:36 – GoTab
47:37 – Michael Donaldson Part 2
To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

“I’m a big believer that times waits for no one.”
If you’ve come to know Dangerous Ales through their beers, it’s most likely via their banging, Knappstein Reserve-esque Crispy Boi lager or one of the many hazy IPAs that have impressed the country’s beer judges too. But while the beers are indeed impressive, they’re only part of the picture for this family-run brewery on the NSW South Coast.
At its core is Damien Martin, AKA Dangerous Damo, who has amassed one of the most colourful CVs you’ll find in beer. The keen surfer and body-boarder left Milton to travel the world chasing big waves and ended up working in many highly-rated kitchens along the way – hence the knife in the Dangerous Ales logo.
Once back on the South Coast – by now homebrewing after deciding to produce all the beer and food for their wedding – Damo and wife Alice envisioned opening a small venue in Milton where he cooked all the food and brewed all the beer. But when the Milton Hotel in the middle of the town became available, and with Alice’s dad Andrew on board, that vision became rather grander.
Today, the reimagined hotel is the home of Dangerous Ales, as well as the brewing world’s first Chef’s Hat. And it’s there we caught up with Damo inside the brewery where he’s brewed every drop of beer while still popping up on the pass in the kitchen.
As you can imagine when someone’s led such a life, it’s a broad-ranging episode that takes in flavour and fermentation, chasing waves and perfection, exploring new techniques and terpenes, and plenty more besides.
Prior to the chat with Damo, Will and James reflect on another highly enjoyable High Country Hop in Beechworth, and Dollar Bill’s announcement they’re selling up, as well as going Behind Bars with Locky at Benchwarmer, discussing part two of our Building A Brewery series, and welcoming Joe White Maltings to the site.
Start of segments: 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
9:44 – Dangerous Damo Part 1
30:45 – Dangerous Damo Part 2
To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

“The Kiwi hop industry has really focused on what flavours people are chasing in their beers.”
Demand for New Zealand’s hops has been soaring in recent years, with old varieties revitalised, new ones hitting a sweet spot in the current market, and innovative products coming thick and fast.
While in the Nelson region for the 2026 harvest, The Crafty Pint team visited a number of farms and processing facilities, recording interviews as we went. The aim was to capture a snapshot not just of this crucial time of year for growers, but also various facets of the industry.
This episode features three guests, starting with Andrew Sutherland of Oasthouse Hops, a farmer who switched from wine to hops around a decade ago. We talk terroir and timing, the intense nature of managing two farms at harvest, growing experimental hops as part of NZ Hops Bract Brewing Programme, and his love for Nelson Sauvin.
Next up is Lauren Yap, who started out brewing in Portland, Oregon, switched between wine and beer for a while, then ended up in New Zealand. These days, she leads all things quality and innovation at Clayton Hops, one of the country’s largest growers, trialling new hops on their tiny but hi-tech pilot system, assisting their sales team and brewers, and when we rocked up, fixing a forklift...
Wrapping things up is Dave Dunbar, another American who married a Kiwi and ended up in the Nelson region. He’s the CEO of Freestyle Hops, which has been at the forefront when it comes to innovation and experimentation as they seek new flavours and aromas from existing varietals, explore how different hops perform in different regions, and create their own advanced hop products.
Taken together, we hope the interviews paint a broad picture of a booming industry at its most hectic time of year.
Back in Melbourne, Will and James kick off the show with a reflection on the second half of their NZ trip as well as the latest features to land on Crafty: a deep dive into identifying flavours and aromas in your beer; a new listing for Venom Brewing Taproom on the former site of Mrs Parma’s; and the return of The 86 Tram Crafty Crawl.
We also preview some upcoming events: a cellar deep dive for Cabal members at 3 Ravens; the first ever Pint of Origin Festival Launch Party; and the return – in a new form – of the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival.
Start of Segments
0:00 – The Week On Crafty
16:25 – Andrew Sutherland
32:53 – Lauren Yap
41:41 – Bowimi ft On Tap
47:33 – Dave Dunbar
To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

“We want to be inclusive, and be a place where people can feel comfortable and proud to be themselves.”
We had Stomping Ground penciled in for a chat later in the year when the Melbourne-based brewery turns ten. But when they announced they were launching a crowdfunding campaign – one with an ambitious maximum target of $4 million – we decided to bring the episode forward.
It gave us a chance to discuss their decision to go down this route, as well as their views on the often-vexed topic of crowdfunding itself, their expansion plans should the campaign go well (including the proposed location of their first brewpub outside Melbourne), the maturing of the business as it approaches the decade milestone, plus the “brutal” experience and silver lining of their proposed merger with Good Drinks Australia.
Sitting down with co-founders Guy Greenstone and Justin Joiner, plus marketing manager Abbey Packer, also gave us the opportunity to explore the way they’ve built a brand synonymous with their hometown, their come one, come all ethos, the importance of good governance, and forging strong relationships with customers – Friday fuck-ups and all.
This week’s intro comes from Nelson, where Will and James have been hopping between hop farms at harvest time, checking out beating heart of the vibrant NZ hop industry while recording a few podcasts along the way. It covers our feature on the launch of Ryefield Hops’ first exclusive hop variety, a postcard from an honorary Aussie Export in London, and the lessons learned from ten years running Newcastle Beer Fest.
Start of segments:
0:00 – Intro
11:57 – Guy, Abbey and Justin part 1
45:10 – Preview of The High Country Hop Technical Symposium
51:49 – Guy, Abbey and Justin part 2
To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

“When people are happy and passionate then the experiences that you have are just going to be better.”
The story of Molly Rose Brewing and the man behind it, Nic Sandery, has been one of constant evolution, all in the pursuit of delicious flavours and delightful experiences.
Launched initially as a subscription service while enough pennies were put away to open phase one of the brewery’s home in Collingwood, that original brewpub has since been joined by an ambitious, high-end bar, restaurant and beer garden, then a pilot brewery and rotovap for creating small-batch spirits.
By the time we sat down with Nic for the show – almost a decade on from the first article he wrote for us as he embarked on global travels to study beer, food and drinking cultures around the world – Molly Rose had evolved once more. The team has revamped the “brew-restaurant” part of the venue into what the team refers to as “Collingwood beer hall chic”: more casual, more laid-back, more European in feel.
It felt like the perfect time to chat to one of the finest flavour merchants and most thoughtful figures in the beer world, not just to talk about the recent changes, but also his belief that people will always want nice things, his grandmothers’ values that infuse the business, the turbulence of recent years that saw Molly Rose restructure and go into liquidation at one point, and the importance of community and collaboration.
Prior to sitting down with Nic, we look back at the week that was – and a little further too: to the Royal Queensland Beer Awards and the good news that trophy-winners Happy Valley shared afterwards; a feature on KAIJU! brewer Kat Howes as she joined the brewery’s women to create a beer for International Women’s Day; a new beer history tour by one of our writers; Tilray’s purchase of BrewDog Australia; and our involvement in the upcoming High Country Hop Technical Symposium.
Start of segments: 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
14:22 – Nic Sandery Part 1
32:52 – Philter on their Australian International Beer Awards success – Part 1
33:55 – Nic Sandery Part 2
59:11 – AIBAs Part 2
To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].