The Crafty Pint Podcast

• A Golden Era For Pubs - But Can It Last?

  “People attract people. It’s that simple. Nobody wants to sit in an empty room.”If you've visited The Lincoln – a 171-years-and-counting-old corner pub on the edge of Melbourne's CBD – at any point in the past decade, there's a good chance you'll have enjoyed the experience. After all, as we like to put it: they do everything excellently, all the time – and the team has a bulging trophy cabinet that suggests we're not alone.As they prepare to showcase the Tasmanian beer scene once again for the Pint of Origin festival, we sat down with Iain Ling, who bought the pub with wife Stella in 2014, for a chat about what goes into running a great pub and creating the sort of community that has evolved at The Lincoln.We also delve into the backstory of one of the Melbourne hospo scene's true characters – one that took in club promotion, fine dining and high-end retail in England before he moved to Australia, where he ran Movida Aqui prior to becoming a publican.It's a conversation that goes as deep as it does wide, covering Tetris ninjas, kissing frogs and the challenges of surviving and thriving in the industry on the one hand, to the joy that comes from packing a venue with punters in what he believes is a golden era for pubs, albeit one that's threatened by sky-high taxes and rocketing prices.Before Iain shares his hard-earned wisdom, Will and James reflect on the glorious career in beer of Evan Cray, who this month switched craft beer for Tabasco after being a central, yet humble, figure in the rise of beer in Melbourne since he was old enough to drink it.We also look forward to Pint of Origin, which launches on May 9, as well as the festival's "Pining for a taste of home" competition that started this week.Start of segments: 9:14 – Iain Ling Part 1 39:27 – Iain Ling Part 2Relevant links: The Lincoln Pint of Origin 2025 Pining For A Taste Of Home Competition Craft Beer Heroes: Evan Cray Klippakan Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

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• Beer, Cheese & Life On Beautiful Bruny

  "The nature of our brewery definitely comes across in our beers. I like to think of our brewhouse and fermenters as the terroir."Bruny Island is quite unlike anywhere else in Australia and, fittingly, Bruny Island Beer Co is a truly unique operation too.The brewery's story began in 2003 when Nick Haddow founded Bruny Island Cheese Co; in the years since, he's become a well-known champion of Tasmania, its produce, and the art of making cheese with integrity.In 2016, Nick launched the brewing wing of the venture with Evan and Steph Hunter, who have since moved to the mainland and helped launch Bendigo Brewing. As with the cheese, Bruny Island beers have a focus on place, utilising local ingredients and eschewing more common styles.These days, brewing is headed up by Luke Rutland, a former Stone & Wood brewer, who is joined in the brewhouse by several brewers, including Amy Beavan. While in Hobart for the CIBD convention, we caught up with Nick, Luke and Amy to learn more about their stories, the cheese, the beer, and what life is like on beautiful Bruny Island.Ahead of the main interview, James and Will reflect on Fox Friday and the group's associated businesses, Carwyn Cellars and the Moonah Hotel, entering voluntary administration as well as our feature shadowing Aussie brewers at the NZ hop harvest. You’ll also discover the identity of our latest Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month.Start of segments: 7:54 – Bruny Island Beer Co Part 1 26:38 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month 29:57 – Bruny Island Beer Co Part 2Relevant links: Bruny Island Cheese Co Bruny Island Beer Co Fox Friday Enter Voluntary Administration Where The Cash From First Guardian Went Beer Travel - Québec City From Beer To Bine at Clayton Hops Pint of Origin 2025 Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

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• Understanding Sustainable Brewing

  "A lot of customers are very concerned about their carbon footprint."For all the challenges faced by the beer industry, it’s one that continues to forge ahead in many areas, not least when it comes to sustainability.Whether the focus is powering breweries, recycling or reusing ingredients, supporting organic and regenerative farming practices, or creating new and innovative ways of cutting waste, the brewing industry and those with which it shares a symbiotic relationship are often hotbeds for fostering sustainable practices.It’s an area we’ve covered extensively on The Crafty Pint and, in this episode of our podcast, Craig Williams brings together a panel of pioneers from different businesses helping drive industries in a more eco-friendly direction.He’s joined by George Wade, co-founder of UK-based Zevero, which helps breweries calculate their carbon emissions, Tom Field, founder of Sydney-based Bearhug Pallet Wraps, and Jonathon Buntz, from Ecogrip, producer of 100 percent Australian-owned and manufactured recycled plastic can holders.As well as exploring the genesis for each of their businesses and how they’re helping customers operate in a more sustainable manner, they discuss the benefits to brewers, the challenges of persuading more businesses to implement new sustainability measures in tough economic times, and how business owners can take their first steps in this direction.Prior to the panel discussion, Craig is joined by James at Moffat Beach Brewing’s Caloundra Production House (where they’d recorded a future show) to look back at another big week in beer – and that was before the news about Fox Friday’s voluntary administration broke.The Akasha-Wayward unification and rebirth of Molly Rose from liquidation, plus a recent post by Phil Cook on his Beer Diary site, spark a discussion about independence, its meaning and relevance, while Craig offers insight on Steve Jeffares’ takeover of the former Deeds Brewing site, after working with him on GABS for four years.We pump up the launch of the Pint of Origin program ahead of the festival’s return on May 9, and in the middle of the show shout out the latest winners in the Have You Done A Rallings? campaign celebrating good beer citizens – nominate yours here.Start of segments: 17:12 – Sustainability Panel Part 1 34:12 – Have You Done A Rallings Winners 38:49 – Sustainability Panel Part 2Other relevant links Zevero's Starter Sustainability Kit For Brewers Bearhug Pallet Wraps Ecogrip Nominate a Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected] We mention a travel article on Québec in the intro, but publication has been pushed back due to the breaking news regarding Fox Friday.

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  56:37
• Brewing In The Deep South

  "Balance is key for me in beer. I really love when a brewer can execute the balance between malt, hops and yeast."Dave Macgill is a brewer whose name will be well known to many in all parts of the Australian beer industry. For many years, he was head brewer at Tasmania’s Moo Brew, just one of three people to hold the reins at the pioneering brewery across its 20-year history.These days, you’ll find him at Deep South Brewing Co, the North Hobart brewery he launched in 2021 with some old mates. While visiting Hobart earlier in the year, Will and Craig caught up with Dave to chat about the Deep South story, his time at Moo, and his continued passion and optimism for the beer industry.Before the interview, James and Will talk about The Crafty Pint’s recent Beer By Design features focusing on trends and the artists who bring beer cans to life, our Brew & A with Becky Centeno, and the Pint of Origin 2025 festival program launch.As ever, don’t forget to submit your entries for our Have You Done A Rallings? celebration of the country’s good beer citizens, as well as your nominations for Bluestone Yeast’s Brewery of the Month.Start of segments: 8:05 – Dave Macgill Part 1 26:48 – Dave Macgill Part 2Relevant links: Beer By Design: The Artists Beer By Design: The Trends Brew & A: Becky Centeno Pint of Origin 2025 Dave Heads Deep South Deep South Brewing Co Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the MonthTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

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  55:13
• Hop Terroir And Timings With The Hop Professor

  In an industry with no shortage of hop lovers, Tom Shellhammer’s interest in the wondrous plant goes further than most. The Professor of Fermentation Science at Oregon State University is an internationally-recognised expert in hop chemistry who frequently travels the globe to provide his insights into all things hops. Indeed, as this podcast goes live, Tom is spending a multi-month sabbatical in New Zealand in order to better understand the industry there. Taking advantage of his time Down Under, we caught up with him during the Chartered Institute of Brewing and Distilling's 2025 Asia Pacific Convention in Hobart. There, Will and Craig chatted to Tom about his fields of interest, including how terroir and the moment within harvest that hops are picked can impact the flavours and aromas brewers are able to elicit from different varieties.Ahead of the main interview, James and Will chat about some sobering recent news, with Molly Rose appointing liquidators and Currumbin Valley closing the doors of their Gold Coast operation for good. We also discuss the IBA’s hopes and plans for the upcoming Federal Election, Pink Boots’ mentorship program, and reveal the latest winner of our Have You Done A Rallings? campaign celebrating good beer citizens.Start of segments: 13:30 – Tom Shellhammer Part 1 38:29 – Have You Done A Rallings? 41:27 – Tom Shellhammer Part 2Relevant links: Liquidators Brought In By Molly Rose Currumbin Valley Closes Indie Beer’s Campaign 2025 Pink Boots Mentorship Meet The Hop Doctor Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month The Crafty Pint's beer club: The Crafty CabalTo find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

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