The Crafty Pint Podcast

• From Little Things, Big Creatures Grow – Little Creatures at 25

  “Little Creatures is iconic, and I think we'll always have that iconic status.”Ask people who’ve been working in, or merely enjoying the delights of, the Aussie beer world for a decade or more which beers turned them onto craft beer in the first place, and if any beer is referenced more than Little Creatures Pale Ale we’d be surprised, if not amazed.Little wonder then that Russell Gosling, head brewer at the brewery he joined two decades ago, uses the word “iconic” in this episode – timed to coincide with the Freo-based operation’s 25th anniversary. The impact of that beer, and indeed the the Little Creatures approach to hospitality, has been game-changing – arguably only Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale has come close since.Russell joined us from Freo amid the “chaos” as a major overhaul of the brewery’s original site nears completion – at the same time as a Little Creatures brewpub opens in Perth’s Elizabeth Quay.As well as discussing the challenges of stewarding Little Creatures Pale Ale through the years, we look back to the brewery’s earlier days, its evolution – half of which has been as part of Lion, his favourite beers – including some that never took off, recent projects involving the regen agriculture space, and the excitement that came with working amid a group of pioneers aiming to change beer culture in Australia.We also head back in time pre-Creatures to Russell’s earlier days as a brewer in the UK, where he notched up spells at marquee breweries such as Harvey’s, Fuller’s, and his hometown heroes Everards.With Will on holiday, James was joined by Guy Southern, one of our WA contributors and a man with his fingers in pretty much every beer-flavoured pie in the state. He provides some local context on the way Little Creatures has influenced so much and so many, as well as chatting about this week's other stories on the main Crafty site: a look at the growing importance of events to beer venues; the opening of 27 South's taproom in Brisbane; and soon-to-open Melbourne bar Donny's.If you enjoy the show, please like, subscribe, rate and review.Start of segments: 15:25 – Russell Gosling Part 1 35:51 – Russell Gosling Part 2To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

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• Two Decades Of Moo Brew

  “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make good beers. That’s not to say we don’t try.”There’s little like Moo Brew in the Australian beer landscape, however you look at it.The brewery blazed a trail for craft beer in Tasmania and remains something of a figurehead for the state’s beer scene as one of the few breweries with a presence on the mainland. The unique bottles and John Kelly artwork on their labels marked them out as something different from the off – and that was before founder David Walsh carved the world-famous Mona into the rock underneath the original brewery.You could argue their refusal to bend from a dedication to finely-honed, classically-minded styles while the rest of the beer world was losing its mind also marks Moo out as different. Meanwhile, making it to this month’s 20th anniversary with just three head brewers – all of whom still meet up in Hobart – is pretty extraordinary too.Ahead of their birthday celebrations, we were joined by the latest of those three, Jack Viney, to look back on two decades of Moo Brew. The chat covers the brewery’s ethos and evolution, distinct brand and place within the Walsh empire, Moo's pioneering role within Tasmania, the arrival of Manky Sally’s brewpub in Salamanca, Jack’s career in beer, and the state of affairs for beer today.There’s plenty to cover before we get to Jack too: Grifter becoming the latest local brewery to secure B Corp status; little Central Coast bottlo Oldfield Cellars beating all-comers to an ALIA trophy; a collab ten years in the making; and a look at the ins, outs, magic and mishaps of beer advent calendars.We also unveil the latest winner in the Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month – nominate yours here – and hear about the opening of submissions for the 2026 Royal Queensland Beer Awards.Start of segments: 13:45 – Jack Viney Part 1 37:11 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month 40:24 – Jack Viney Part 2To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

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• All Indie, Always Innovating – Seeker Brewing

  "We just like making full-flavoured, unapologetic, big beers.”There’s nothing in the Australian beer world quite like Seeker Brewing. The Wollongong operation was founded by identical twins Jeff and Curtis Argent, our guests on this week’s show, alongside mate Ben Boorer. Prior to running a brewery together, the brothers were in a band together, only denied their dreams of touring overseas by the pandemic.While their no-holding-back approach to brewing – whether that’s adding more hops to a beer or ramping up the ABV – isn’t unique, they’ve found new ways to approach it, not least in their Art of Flight series featuring big beers in small cans.To find out more about one of the most joyous success stories of recent years, the twins joined us from their brewery to reflect on working (and sometimes living) together in Pirra and Seeker, the pleasure they take in watching a brewery full of people enjoying live music – from flamenco and salsa to rock and reggae, the plans they’re currently hatching, and why they love working with others.There’s plenty to discuss ahead of the main interview too: our Secret Sales Rep article on the death of relationships, Venom’s takeover of the former Mrs Parma’s site in Melbourne’s CBD, Bad Shepherd’s Ten Lessons From Ten Years, an inspiring collaboration between veterans in WA, and our upcoming festive feast, Crafty Cheer!We’re always keen for feedback on the show, which you can provide here, as well as nominations in our Have You Done A Rallings? and Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month campaigns. Don't forget, if you enjoy this episode, please like, subscribe, rate and review on whichever podcast platform you use.Start of segments: 15:14 – Jeff & Curtis Part 1 44:22 – Have You Done A Rallings? Winner 47:37 – Jeff & Curtis Part 2To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

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• Beyond The Barrel: Heartwood's Tim Duckett On Australian Whisky

  “Our isolation leads to innovation.”In the last of the episodes recorded at the inaugural Grainstock in the Riverina in October, we take a sidestep into the world of spirits, welcoming one of Australian whisky’s true characters onto the show.Tim Duckett, who grew up on a farm in Tasmania’s North West, bought his first barrels of whisky back in 1999, so has been both participant in and observer of the rise of the local industry.The whiskies he releases under the Heartwood banner are sought-after the world over, often selling out batches in advance, admired for their consistency of quality, renowned for the might of their impact, and noted for the humour found in their names and labels. Since 2015, he’s also released lower-ABV, typically more approachable whiskies under the Tasmanian Independent Bottlers banner.An outspoken commentator on the industry, one unafraid to ruffle feathers, he joined us to reflect on his own life in whisky since meeting Lyn and Bill Lark in its fledgling days, how Australian whisky is regarded globally, the current issues that have brought some businesses down – not unlike in the beer world, the need for federal support, and the difficulty in defining an Australian characteristic beyond “We give it a crack” in a vast country where distillers operate in such varied climes.James is joined by a guest co-host this week too. Luke McCarthy is one of the country’s most respect drinks writers, recently penned a piece for us on the trials and tribulations of the Australian whisky industry, and provides background and context ahead of the main interview.Start of segments: 10:32 – Tim Duckett Part 1 37:06 – Tim Duckett Part 2To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

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• Finding Balance In The Beer World

  Jayne Lewis needs little, if any, introduction to anyone that reads or listens to The Crafty Pint. Following stints at many of the country’s brewing trailblazers, she blazed a trail of her own, creating Two Birds Brewing with mate Dani Allen, together going on to conquer the country’s beer awards while inspiring many other women to follow in their footsteps. Two years on from leaving Two Birds, she’s been carving out a new path, one focused very much on the human side of the food and drinks industry. Today, she operates Full Colour Life, working with small business owners as well as individuals on everything from business strategy to setting and achieving personal goals. The wealth of knowledge she brings to the role comes not just from her time as a brewer and business owner, but also from personal experience: succumbing to burnout and a sense of losing agency, before embarking on a mission to rebuild herself and help others do the same. Given the well-documented issues around burnout, stress and churn in the industry, Jayne is playing – once again – a vitally important role, which she discusses in this episode, along with her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated industry, the remarkable success of the Australian chapter of Pink Boots Society, the importance of allyship, and bobbing like a cork in the ocean – even in the middle of a Melbourne winter. Last week’s tech gremlins overcome, the show opens with Will and James discussing the ACCC’s decision to oppose MicroStar’s proposed acquisition of Konvoy, ten years (or is it 140?) of Pikes Beer Co in the Clare Valley, the growing number of breweries using silos, and a new video launched by NSW indie suppliers Mogwai Labs, Ryefield Hops and Voyager Craft Malt. Mid-show we also reveal the latest Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review – and tell your mates! Start of segments: 13:55 – Jayne Lewis – Part 1 35:57 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery Of The Month 39:34 – Jayne Lewis – Part 2 To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

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