The Crafty Pint

Terpenes are hot property in the brewing world right now, providing brewers with another tool as they set about creating new beers. But what are they, where do they come from, and why the excitement around them? We invited Sam Bethune from Bintani and Scott McKinnon from Wolf of the Willows Brewing onto the podcast to find out, while delving into their backstories and careers in beer along the way.

A comprehensive brewery plant and equipment, including a semi-automated brewhouse with a variety of pre-loaded recipes, fermenters and packaging line have been put on the market.

Esker Beer, the beer brand that evolved from the Australian Brewery, enjoyed more awards success in Sydney overnight, claiming multiple trophies including Champion Beer for their Citrus Gose. Reckless Brewing Company, Philter Brewing, HIATUS BEERS, 4 Pines Brewing Company Pty Ltd, and White Bay Brewery also picked up awards, as the inaugural Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show Awards crowned a 40-year-old brandy from St Agnes as Best Distilled Spirit.

It was while spending time as a stay-at-home dad that medical researcher and homebrewer Derek Lacey had a "Eureka!" moment that led to the creation of Bluestone Yeast. Six years into his mission to supply Aussie brewers – pro and home – with local liquid yeasts, he's about to open a new, much larger facility. It just happens to be 800m from Crafty Towers, so we invited Derek in for a chat about his challenges and triumphs, life as a small indie producer, future plans to diversify, and the lessons learned along the way.

FOUND. is little more than a year old, yet the stories of the people driving the brewing company stretch back far longer, and are interwoven with the very fabric of craft beer in WA. We sat down with chief instigator Steven Finney and head brewer Will Irving at their Subiaco brewpub – set to open in November – as they shared tales from their careers in beer as well as insights on the past, present and future of beer in Australia, and their desire to create the perfect Western Australian brewery.

Greater Perth is dotted with brewpubs and taprooms these days, with more on the way. Yet when Northbridge Brewing Company by BEERLAND opened in the heart of city's most famous nightlife strip a decade ago it was something of an anomaly – its arrival an especially confident move. As they celebrate a decade of beers, Guy Southern invited senior brewer Andrew Dean – who joined as an assistant brewer in 2014 – to share their Ten Lessons From Ten Years.

Dainton Beer have reopened their taphouses, weeks after both shut without warning. The sudden closure was caused by an oversight which meant their liquor licence lapsed. While this has now been resolved, the process has seen Daicom, the entity which owns the brewery and its assets, placed into liquidation by the same team who oversaw their voluntary administration last year. The Dainton family remains the most likely buyer of the brewing company.

The launch of Rocky Ridge Brewing Co.'s Brunswick home is imminent, giving the Jindong brewers a substantial home in the east. The day before they signed the deal, we sat down with co-founder Hamish Coates for a chat about their plans for Brunswick, their approach to brewing, community and the planet, as well as experimenting, evolving, collaborating and more.

Innovation within the world of hops has been in hyperdrive *checks that's not a trademarked term* in recent years with heaps of advanced hop products with funky names enlivening your beers. Seeing SubZero, Cryo, Spectrum, Incognito, Phantasm, Amplifire, Abstrax and more on the label of your IPA can be overwhelming, so here's Jason Treuen to demystify this fragrant new world.

We've always featured the people that make or sell beer in our Ten Lessons From Ten Years series. Now for something a little different... Ahead of the tenth Bendigo On The Hop, we got in touch with event founder Trevor B. Birks as he reflected on a decade-plus at the helm of this unique, moveable feast of a winter festival.