“Year one for us is proof of concept.”

In January, we unveiled plans for a new form of beer awards being conceived by industry titans Justin Fox and Jayne Lewis. Five months on and submissions are now open for The Beer Championships, so we invited them to join us on the show to find out more.

We delve into the genesis for this new approach to assessing and celebrating greatness in beer, their reasons for heading down this path after years spent judging across the world, and their desire to achieve significant commercial benefits for finalists and champions. We also tease from them the Oscars-inspired name for the trophies they’ll be handing out in October.

It would be remiss of us to have two such respected individuals, with rare breadth of knowledge across many facets of the beer community, on the show and not ask more of them.

So, in the second half of the main chat, we invite Justin and Jayne to tell us what they’re seeing and hearing about the beer world’s health and prospects, and to share their personal feelings on where the industry sits as we approach the midpoint of 2026.

Talking of that, we’ll be taking a short break from running new extended interviews from the end of June. We’ll still publish weekly news updates; however, throughout July, these will be paired with some of our favourite shows from the past two years. Fresh long-form interviews will return at the end of July.

We’re working on a major new project that’s launching in the second half of 2026, and Will, James and Matt will all be overseas for stretches between now and September, hence the short change in transmissions.

In terms of this week’s news, we cover a VA on the Central Coast, the opening of a European-style beer hall in Hobart, the final leg of our 86 tram Crafty Crawl, and the launch of our competition to find the dream Aussie Beer XI now the World Cup is underway.

Start of segments:

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 12:30 – Industry Insights with American Canning Machines
• 13:40 – Justin & Jayne Part 1
• 38:47 – Enter The Beer Championships
• 39:39 – Justin & Jayne Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

“The human component sometimes goes beyond the beer component of working in this industry.”

Tito Orellana arrived in Australia from Chile with his interest in beer already piqued. Upon arriving in Melbourne in the midst of craft beer’s explosion – with signs blaring: “GOOD BEER WEEK” plastered on walls across the city – his interest soon became a full-blown passion.

In the decade-plus since those early days, he’s moved from basic hospo roles through some of the country’s best beer bars and breweries to become an Advanced Cicerone and judge at major beer competitions on both sides of the equator.

Today, Tito is the beer ambassador at Carwyn Cellars – an incredibly rare role in hospitality and retail that speaks volumes of both employer and employee – and one of the most respected beer educators and event hosts in the country. He’s also launching a new project, Edubeer, designed to make life easier for any Aussies wanting to understand how beer styles are supposed to look, taste and smell.

He’s a wonderfully charismatic guest who touches upon his travels and love for music as well as his specialist subject, and offers some lovely insights into his first experience judging at the World Beer Cup in Colorado earlier this year.

Before we get to this week's main chat, we cast an eye over the week's news: a new collab in WA designed to keep the beer gas tax conversation going; the crafty rebirth of an historic Melbourne corner boozer; entering the Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Awards; and our latest guide to enjoying beer at its best.

Start of segments:

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 13:52 – Tito Part 1
• 40:51 – Industry Insights from American Canning Machines
• 41:57 – Tito Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

“Be kind to people and treat your beer well.”

It’s been an emotional few days for Nemesia Dale-Cully – or Meesh as she’s known to most. For almost half a decade, she’s been running the venue at Wildflower in Marrickville, where they bade farewell to their last customers on May 31.

We took the opportunity to chat to Meesh ahead of the closing weekend, not just to reflect on her time at Wildflower but also to find out what she believes goes into creating a great hospitality experience – both for staff and customers.

Her insights have been earned over a period in which she swapped running events at libraries for bar shifts at Sweet Amber in Adelaide, which led to working at Pirate Life as the brewery swapped its OG Hindmarsh home for its Port Adelaide behemoth, then being headhunted by Shapeshifter as they set up home, before swapping Adelaide for Sydney’s Inner West.

Her advice ranges from the importance of respect, kindness and “meeting people where they are”, to cleanliness and theatre. And we go deeper too, with Meesh one of the most respected voices in the beer community on diversity and inclusivity, not least when businesses or individuals – on either side of the bar – fail to meet even basic standards of civility.

There was big news in the world of big beer this week, with Lion announcing they’re to cease brewing at James Boag Brewery in Launceston, while in the world of indie beer, the IBA revealed they‘re switching the focus of their Indies awards from liquid to people, and our Building A Brewery series returned for a third chapter.

With Pint of Origin wrapped up, we’ve lined up a bunch of new specials for members of our Crafty Cabal beer club, so if you’d like to boost your beer experience while supporting us on our good beer mission, feel free to sign up. And, of course, feel free to like, subscribe, rate and review the show so we can reach more people.

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 13:48 – Meesh Part 1
• 35:35 – Driving Footfall & Loyalty with GoTab*
• 41:24 – Meesh Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].
*To book a demo with GoTab, email [email protected].

"People use it to learn English, and I think that's spectacular."

Em Sauter is an American drinks communicator, international beer judge, podcast host and writer who specialises in visual education. To Australian beer fans and those working in beer, she's best known as as the person behind Pints and Panels, an award-winning website focused on "Visual Drinks Education" which launched in 2010.

Em returned to Australia earlier this month to judge at the Australian International Beer Awards – and to enjoy the country's XPAs, Cherry Ripes and coffee culture.

We caught up with her at Carwyn Cellars, where she held a pop-up stall during Pint of Origin, for a chat diving into the history of Pints and Panels. It covers the rise of AI, her experience travelling the world as a beer judge, and Em’s take on the state of beer in the US.

There's a bit to get through in this week's show before we get to the main event too – not least as it's the 100th full episode of The Crafty Pint Podcast.

We look back on the biggest Pint of Origin to date, discuss features on newly-crowned AIBA Champion Nomad Brewers Shack Bay and Goons Brewing, who opened their brewery venue on the Central Coast right at the end of 2026, and revisit one of the topics from Episode 099 that's been attracting a lot of attention on socials: container deposit schemes.

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 15:56 – Australia's Biggest Beer Fan
• 17:06 – Em Sauter Part 1
• 42:35 – 100 Years of Roasting at Joe White Maltings
• 43:32 – Em Sauter Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

“It's so great to see that people care, that there is still interest in the movement.”

Fresh off the back of the Australian International Beer Awards and both the federal and Victorian state budgets, we invited the CEO and chair of the Independent Brewers Association (IBA) to join us on the show.

There was plenty to reflect on and project from in the respective budgets, as well as the ongoing conversations around excise that have been capturing headlines and the public’s attention alike, not least off the back of Independent Senator David Pocock’s campaigning.

Those discussions form just part of the episode, with Sabrina and Evin offering insight into the IBA’s key priorities, the real costs to consumers of the various container deposit schemes across the country, the impact of non-payment of bills across the industry, funding to reboot the Tasmanian Ale Trail, and plans to replace the Indies with awards that celebrate the people of the indie beer community.

James sat out the main chat due to his position on the board of the IBA, but joins Will for the intro. As well as looking back on a booming opening half to Pint of Origin, they summarise this week’s features on two of the country’s independent breweries: Mog Brew and the rebirthed Zig Zag Brewery.

If you enjoy the show – or have enjoyed any past episodes – we're really appreciate it if you could like, subscribe, rate, review or tell your beer-loving mates too.

Start of segments:

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 9:39 – Are You Australia's Biggest Beer Fan?
• 10:46 – Sabrina & Evin Part 1
• 38:49 – 100 Years of Roasting at Joe White Maltings
• 39:57 – Sabrina & Evin Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

“This was our goal, and we achieved it today, which was phenomenal.”

A bit of a change for this week’s episode, not just because it’s going up a day later than usual. We recorded it straight after the Australian International Beer Awards 2026 had wrapped up – in the canteen next to the main hall.

James had just finished co-hosting the awards with Kirrily Waldhorn, while Will was armed with his third Best Media trophy as they cast an eye over the winners – which you can read about here. 

We also sat down with Tyler Little and John Marcus from Froth Craft Brewery in WA, who had entered the AIBAs for the first time in their tenth year with the goal to win Best New Exhibitor – which they did!  

As well as reflecting on their triumph, we get some insight into what it was like living in Exmouth – home of Froth’s original venue – as Cyclone Narelle came through, plus the camaraderie they enjoy in the WA beer scene.  

Prior to that, our discussion of the week’s news takes in the global travels of quality guru Bradford Tetlow, 100 years of roasting at Joe White Maltings, two more of our Pints of Origin preview articles, and a feature on Froth Craft Brewery’s collab with WA hop and malt industries celebrating the state’s flavours. 

Start of segments: 

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty 
• 8:59 – Double Vision Brewing & SURE on their Fresh Drop #PoO26 collab
• 16:12 – The AIBAs 2026 Results 
• 26:29 – Froth Craft Brewery 
• 35:59 – Australia's Biggest Beer Fan competition

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

In this exclusive series - The New Hop Order, presented by HPA - The Crafty Pint Podcast explores what’s happening on the cutting edge of hop innovation from breeding and processing to brewing. In this episode, we’re talking with Haas’ Sensory Manager Jeff Dailey and HPA’s Australia & New Zealand Sales Manager Michael Capaldo about Sensory Plus™ – a proactive quality assurance process they apply during hop harvesting and processing for more consistent performance in beer.

“I really get a buzz out of looking at flavours and the way things interact with each other.”

If you’re a consumer of beer, rather than someone working in the industry, there’s a fair chance you won’t have heard of this week’s trailblazing guest. After all, Tina Panoutsos doesn’t own a brewery, brew beer, pour beer, sell beer, or run a festival. However, over more than 35 years in beer, she’s become one of the key figures in the Australian industry and an inspiration to many.

We caught up with Tina at Melbourne Showgrounds ahead of this year’s Australian International Beer Awards judging, where she’s once again taking a lead role – as she has at countless beer competitions both here and across the planet – to look back over an extraordinary career.

Since joining CUB in 1989 – “a short little Greek girl”, as she puts it, with a chemistry degree and post-grad in teaching – Tina has transformed the world of sensory analysis, smashed through glass ceilings, and helped make the beer world an increasingly diverse space.

Over the course of our chat, we dive deep into the worlds of sensory and beer judging, discuss cellar palates, super tasters and standout beers, learn how small breweries can set up their own sensory programs on a tiny budget, and explore ways in which beer can reach new audiences.

There was plenty to discuss in the intro too: the results of the 2026 Perth Royal Food Awards – Beer; what One Drop’s OG brewer Nick is doing in Singapore; new owners with a new vision for one of Australia’s first craft breweries; a funding boost for Victoria’s indie brewers; ten years of one of the country’s most colourful craft beer pubs; and our second Pints of Origin preview.

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 12:18 – CoConspirators & 10 Toes on their #PoO26 collab
• 17:06 – Tina Panoutsos Part 1
• 42:19 – Tina Panoutsos Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

"We never stopped experimenting. That's in our DNA.”

Stone Brewing are one of the biggest names in American craft beer: a bold, brash brand with a fondness for IPA that helped drive the rise of the industry in the US and played a key role in the growth of the San Diego scene.

So we jumped at the chance to sit down with Jeremy Moynier when he was in Beechworth recently to deliver the keynote speech at The High Country Hop. He’s now more than two decades into his time at Stone, where he’s focused on new releases, pilot brews, quality and sensory, among other things.

He was in Australia wearing two hats as Jeremy is also currently chair of the Hop Quality Group, whose work – and recent success in bringing new public hop variety Thora to the world – is part of our chat.

As well as hearing about his career, from arts degree to wine to beer, and his experiences as both Stone and beer in San Diego were exploding, we explore the brewery’s approach to hops and experimentation, navigating the ups and downs of the beer world, reworking the iconic Stone IPA to feature Aussie hops and more.

It’s worth noting that this was recorded before Stone’s recent sale to Firestone Walker and Duvel USA. As such, we’ve cut the parts of the interview covering the brewery’s prior sale to Sapporo without losing any of the insight and considerable charm Jeremy brings to the show.

Before we get to Jeremy, Will and James celebrate yet another World Beer Cup medal for TWØBAYS, discuss Spinifex Brewery’s innovative new wastewater pilot project, part two of Will’s reworked Crafty Crawl along The 86 Tram, and the impending arrival of Pint of Origin 2026.

If you enjoy the show, be sure to like, subscribe, rate, review and tell your beer-loving mates so we can reach more people. Cheers

Start of segments:

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 13:41 – Jeremy Moynier Part 1
• 32:18 – GoTab on maximising taproom revenue
• 42:09 – Jeremy Moynier Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].

“I do still wake up at night and think of beer recipes and beer names and what I could do with certain hops.”

Time for the last of the interviews recorded while we were in New Zealand for hop harvest in March. And, while Kelly Ryan works for Freestyle Hops, the reason we were keen to chat with him wasn’t so much to pick his brains about his current role as to enjoy time in the company of one of the beer world’s most gracious and charismatic figures.

Prior to swapping the mash tun for the hop bine, Kelly enjoyed a fine career in brewing. It started out at DB Breweries – one of New Zealand’s largest – before he spent a few years in the UK, most notably at Thornbridge in the brewery’s earlier years, where he worked alongside BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie as the unique, game-changing operation transitioned from a tiny space in an outbuilding of a 14th century mansion to their current production facility.

Back in New Zealand, he burnished his reputation as a brewer at the likes of Epic, Good George, Fork & Brewer and Boneface, while his finely-tuned palate saw him invited to judge across the globe.

As thoughtful and engaging as anyone you’ll meet in beer, our conversation travels far and wide to the extent that we could probably have recorded a six-part series with him and still not come close to exhausting his breadth of knowledge or anthology of anecdotes. He’s simply a delightful human so we’re sure you’ll enjoy the chat.

There's a bit of a difference to this week's intro, as it features snippets of a chat between Will and two of the collaborators on a beer debuting at this year's Pint of Origin: Jack from Mr West and Chris from Banks Brewing, who've created a new IPA with the UK's Cloudwater. It formed the basis of article one in a new series, The Pints of Origin, highlighting some of the key beers appearing at May's festival.

Other new stories to hit the site this week include features on the Gold Coast's newest brewery, Padre, a Canadian brewer who recently joined Ocean Reach on Phillip Island, and a piece on serving beer which will hit the site before the weekend.

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty Part 1
• 2:57 – Banks & Mr West on their Cloudwater Pint of Origin collab
• 6:16 – The Week On Crafty Part 2
• 16:04 – Kelly Ryan Part 1
• 44:06 – Entering the Royal Adelaide Beer & Cider Awards
• 45:35 – Kelly Ryan Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].