"That's what it's about at the end of the day: connections, community and people.”

What is the essence of good hospitality? What is its purpose, and how do you give people what they want in 2026?

As they set out to reimagine Mr West in Footscray – complete with transforming the downstairs bottleshop into a new drink-in space called The Cave – we invited Josh Hodges and Jack Roebuck on to the show to find out what they’ve learned across their careers in beer, bars and beyond.

We delve into the reasons behind their decision to refresh Mr West, their belief that the guest experience is all, the soaring success they’re enjoying at Bar Spontana in Brunswick, and their respective backstories: Josh taking inspiration from parents who played a key role in giving craft beer a foothold in Melbourne; Jack’s journey from First Choice Liquor to Left Handed Giant in Bristol then back to Melbourne.

For The Week On Crafty, James is once again joined by Luke McCarthy, editor of our just-launched sibling publication The Full Measure. We discuss Moon Dog’s plans to take their Wild West concept to Geelong, the sad news that much-loved High Country brewery King River has gone into liquidation, Woopi Brewing’s fifth anniversary, and the launch of Detective Nic Amaro – a collab brew between Molly Rose, Proud Mary Coffee and our Crafty Cabal beer club members.

• 0:15 – The Week On Crafty
• 13:29 – Grainstock 2026
• 14:17 – Jack & Josh Part 1
• 34:15 – Get a free Packpal sample
• 35:19 – Jack & Josh Part 2

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

“It’s still fun. That’s the best part.”

CoConspirators are in the midst of a year of tenth anniversary celebrations – and approaching five years at their Brunswick brewpub – so we figured it was a fine time to invite the two couples behind the brewery on the show.

It gave us the chance to do things a bit differently too: interviewing the couples separately – while aiming to keep the questions as distinct as possible. James chatted to Jacqui and Tim, Will to Maggie and Deon, and between them they painted a rich picture of their story to date.

We go back to early beers as homebrewers and their Merri Mashers days, cover their transition from brewers without a home to owners of an ever-evolving brewpub, delve into their favourite beers and events, the challenges they’ve faced along the way, and their plans for the next decade of CoConspirators.

With Will in Italy on his honeymoon, Luke McCarthy from our new sister publication, The Full Measure, stepped into co-hosting roles for The Week On Crafty, which covered James’ entry into the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Legends hall of fame, Village Days moving into Wildflower’s old home, Mildura’s new brewery Sunneva, our listing for Last St Brewery and some upcoming events and special offers for our Crafty Cabal beer club members.

If you enjoy the show, please like, subscribe, rate or review – and if you’re into spirits, make sure you take a look at The Full Measure, which comes with its own podcast.

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 15:03 – Get a free Packpal sample
• 16:08 – Price Screen & Digital
• 17:09 – Tim Martin & Jacqui Sacco (plus Bingo)
• 39:33 – Bintani Brewery Boosters – Simplifying The Brew Day
• 43:21 – Deon & Maggie Smit

To find out more about partnering with The Crafty Pint or The Full Measure, contact craig@craftypint.com.

“I hope everybody snacks. If you don't snack, fix that.

Lindsy Greig’s career in craft beer saw her depart New Orleans for New Zealand before jumping across The Ditch to brew in Australia.

After arriving on these shores, Lindsy brewed for Stomping Ground then worked in brewery management software with Beer30. These days, she is HPA’s sales rep for New Zealand. It’s a role that sees Lindsy travel frequently to New Zealand to help brewers become better acquainted with hops from Australia's largest grower.

As well as discussing her career in beer – right back to its earliest days – and her take on the world of beer marketing, the Certified Cicerone shares her love for beer and snack pairing, something she does online, as part of her job, at beer festivals and, as of now, on The Crafty Pint Podcast.

Before the main interview, Will and James chat about the launch of The Crafty Pint’s sibling publication, The Full Measure, which has set out to cover the Australian spirits world in the manner we’ve now been covering beer for 16 years.

They also discuss Will’s article on two new sales businesses in Australia, in which he picked their brains on the current state of sales and the golden rules that never change, as well as a couple of listings fresh on the site: Saltline Brewing in Dunsborough and the gluten-free The Freehouse from TWØBAYS in Collingwood.

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 8:59 – Grainstock 2026
• 9:47 – CIBD Asia Pacific Convention 2027
• 10:50 – Lindsy Part 1
• 31:30 – Get a free Packpal sample
• 32:35 – Lindsy Part 2

To find out more about partnering with The Crafty Pint or The Full Measure, contact craig@craftypint.com.