On this episode of The Crafty Pint Podcast, Will’s joined as co-host by Luke McCarthy, editor of our fledgling sibling publication, The Full Measure.

It’s a fitting week for Luke to join too, given we ran a story on Steve Brooks’ decision to retire and sell Captain Bligh’s, which makes whisky and other spirits alongside beer in Hobart.

Will and Luke also thoroughly enjoyed Neil Richardson’s story about Newcastle’s legendary local, Jaci Lappin, who took over the Carrington Bowling Club in 2008 when it was $300,000 in debt and turned the space into a community hub with a wholehearted embrace of craft beer.

We’ve also reveal the dates for next year's Pint of Origin Festival, look ahead to the excellent Made In The Inner West Festival in Sydney next week, and reflect on the decision by the team behind Crafted to call off the Newcastle leg of their 2026 series due to slow ticket sales as they switch focus to their Melbourne debut on November 21.

Also on the show, Will chats about meeting the team behind Elwood Brewing and the EBCo Taproom, who have turned a longstanding tiki bar into a craft venue. Looking ahead, Crafty Cheer will return to Molly Rose on December 2, when the Crafty and Full Measure crew will be joined by Victorian brewers and distillers to kick off the festive season. Grab your tickets here.

Start of segments:

• 0:16 – Stompo Street Fest
• 1:10 – Weekly News Part 1
• 9:57 – Beer30: Your Mates
• 11:00 – Weekly News Part 2

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“If you don’t want to fail, then don’t do anything.”

We've swapped the somewhat risky task of recording our weekly news show from the stage at an awards night for the safe surrounds of our regular podcast studio this week – albeit still playing with the format a little.

In the first half of this week's show, Will and James look back on their experiences at Grainstock in the Riverina, as well as what may come from the event. They also discuss the articles to have hit the site since their return – articles full of insight, tips and lessons learned from the folks at two breweries at very different stages of their journeys: Stomping Ground and Black Match.

They also shout out some of the "friends of the show", as Will puts it, who received recognition at this year's Beer & Brewer Awards, taking place as part of the ongoing Sydney Beer Week.

After the break is a delightful bonus recorded at Grainstock. One of the guest speakers was Matthew Evans, better known as the Gourmet Farmer, who joined James and Luke McCarthy – editor of our sibling publication The Full Measure – for a chat about the ways in which both the brewing and distilling industries can better tell their stories, and the story of their product's connection to land.

*Start of segments:*

* 00:18 – Stompo Street Fest
* 01:12 – Weekly News
* 12:04 - The Beer Championships Promo
* 12:35 – Beer30 Insights
* 13:21 – Matthew Evans - The Gourmet Farmer

We’re back at Grainstock for another special edition of The Crafty Pint Podcast, featuring a lineup of guests offering a cross-section of the topics covered at the Voyager Craft Malt-curated industry gathering.

First up in the Lallemand-sponsored podcast studio at the Whitton Malt House is event founder Stu Whytcross, providing an update on all things Voyager, including their altered trajectory, international interest, maturing projects, and their excitement for a new malted rice product.

There’s more international flavour next, as Katelyn Grajewski, AKA That Malt Girl from the USA, drops in to share some insights from the world of US craft beer and malting, including how the industry there is trying to remind consumers of why the pint matters.

Back on home soil, we have Mark Brain and Matt Stitt from Broulee Brewhouse on the NSW South Coast. The brewpub in the coastal village has been punching above its weight since a few locals decided to give the area a community hub, focusing on the importance of creating an experience for everyone that visits.

Before we wrap up, Lallemand technical director Richard Chamberlin enters the host seat straight from his presentation for an update from the studio sponsors.

We’ll have more from Grainstock too, including a chat with Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans on the next weekly news show and an in-depth interview with Jervis Bay Brewing co-founder Oisín Sweeney in the coming weeks.

• 0:00 – Intro
• 3:43 – Thanks to Lallemand
• 4:01 – Stu Whytcross, Voyager Craft Malt
• 16:32 – Katelyn Grajewski, That Malt Girl
• 35:12 – Beer30 Insights
• 35:57 – Mark Brain & Matt Stitt, Broulee Brewhouse

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.