Radio Brews News

Welcome to the first episode of The Antidote, Radio Brews News' daily check in with the Australian brewing industry to see how it is managing the current  coronavirus emergency. We hope our conversations will be your antidote to the uncertainty and isolation that current conditions can bring. In our first episode we chat with Bintani's Phil Meddings about maintaining ingredient supply at the moment, and also his first hand account of what's happening in the US. We also chat with Two Birds co-founder Jayne Lewis about how they are dealing with things at the nest. If there's interest, we will be recording these episodes live ever week day at 5pm AEDT (4pm AEST) and you can listen live and participate in the chat room on MixLR.  

This week we look at some of the positive changes businesses are making to adapt to current economic and social challenges. Read more about our biggest stories below.  Please subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcasting app. It costs nothing and helps other beer lovers discover the podcast! IBA asks for government ‘survival package’ CUB launches raft of traineeships for 2021 Our partners Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. We thank Rallings Labels and Stickers for sponsoring this podcast. Call Rallings on 1300 852 235 to discover a more efficient way to get your small batch canning labels done. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on iTunes or your favouri

This week, we continue our swing through the High Country Brewery Trail and return to Beechworth and Bridge Road Brewing. Bridge Road Brewery’s founder Ben Kraus has been a regular guest through the life of this podcast, but as we discussed last year he planned over a couple of years to set the business up so he and his family could move to his partner Maria’s home Austria and live there for two years. And this conversation is the first time we have spoken with with Bridge Road’s CEO Donald Mace. After our recent chat with Fermentum’s Ben Summons and Stone & Wood’s Nick Boots, business transition is something of a current theme on Beer is a Conversation, and in this conversation we discuss with Donald how Bridge Road managed the process of letting its founder step away from the business. We also learn a little more about Donald himself and discuss the importance of breweries such as Bridge Road to their community. Enjoy the conversation with Donald Mace from Bridge Road Brewers. Radio Brews News is proudl

On the Brews News Week podcast, small brewers are leading the way with innovation by being greener about their waste products and the COVID-19 virus causes the IBD convention to be postponed.  Please subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcasting app. It costs nothing and helps other beer lovers discover the podcast! IBD Asia Pacific postpones convention Startup aims to turn brewery wastewater into fuel Grainstone turns spent grain into flour Yulli’s Brews with smoke-tainted grapes CUB taps into small sports clubs Budweiser’s new beer is shaken like a whipped cream can Lion launches XXXX Dry The 26 page definition of a biscuit Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. We thank Rallings Labels and Stickers for sponsoring

This week, we return to the High Country Brewery Trail to visit Beechworth’s ‘other’ brewery Billson’s.  A recent addition to the Beechworth tourism scene, Billson’s is very much a labour of love for exercise physiologist-turned brand consultant-turned brewery owner Nathan Cowan. It is built above a natural spring, from which water is sourced for all the beverages produced on site. Operating as a brewery for almost 60 years Victoria's temperance movement saw it switch to cordials in the 1920s. Nathan Cowan has maintained the cordial business, and has returned brewing and added distilling to the beautifully renovated building. It was hard not to be caught up in Nathan’s enthusiasm for the story behind the business and the history of the brewery and the building it occupies. Enjoy this chat with Nathan and his brewer Tony Paull as we learn the Billson’s story. Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingr

This week, a warning for brewers thinking of using cartoons on their labels, and how the Coronavirus is affecting the beer industry. Please subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcasting app. It costs nothing and helps other beer lovers discover the podcast! Craft Brewers Conference issues coronavirus update Lost and Grounded Brewers disagrees with Portman Group finding Complaint upheld over brewer’s Instagram post NSW launches indie brewers ‘action plan’ Asahi offers to ditch brands for CUB deal New transparency laws in France From the makers of the world’s first stainless steel drainage system, Blucher, welcomes an entirely new range of hygienic and water saving products. Introducing HygienicPro. More information can be found at www.blucher.com.au or call 1300 4 BLUCHER. Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundatio

This week we speak with with Ben Summons and Nick Boots. Over the last few months Stone & Wood founder Jamie Cook has retired from the business and Ben Summons has stepped up from managing director of Stone & Wood into the role of CEO of the Fermentum group of companies, the overarching business. Nick Boots has in turn been promoted from Stone & Wood’s head of sales to General Manager. The changing of the guard comes at a significant time for the business, as the industry faces crowding at the smaller end of the industry, and takovers at the larger end. Overseas, the largest craft breweries have run into headwinds, the craft beer segment is fragmented with a rapid proliferation of styles and competition from other categories and new and emerging categories such as hard seltzer. As you’ll here both Ben and Nick have extensive careers in and out of the beer industry, including time at CUB overlapping with founders Brad Rogers, Jamie Cook and Ross Jurisich. All in all there was a lot to talk about including

Are cans really greener than bottles? The team discuss this and much more on Brews News Week. Please subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcasting app. It costs nothing and helps other beer lovers discover the podcast! HPA marks first phase completion of $35m expansion Gage Roads signs on with Western Bulldogs Divided opinions over online alcohol study How to go green for CO2 recovery Beer is a Conversation: Bale Breaker Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. We thank Rallings Labels and Stickers for sponsoring this podcast. Call Rallings on 1300 852 235 to discover a more efficient way to get your small batch canning labels done. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show

This week, we continue our series featuring breweries of the Victorian High Country Brewery Trail affected by the January bushfires, visiting Wangaratta and chat with Grant Jones from Malt Shed Brewing. We learn of the background of the business as three mates, lovers of all things malt, decided what the community needed was a brewery. You’ll hear the origin and focus of the brewery, the challenges and the achievements in a small town and also how the friends, having taken it as far as they can while working full time, have decided to put the brewery up for sale for new owners to the to the next level. Our late January visit was through this part in Victoria, it was just one of the regions directly affected by fire damage or by loss of tourism. Just today an article was featured in the News Limited travel sections ran articles about another region, the Adelaide Hills, that was urging visitors to return as towns reopen. There were many communities deeply affected by loss and will take a long time to recov

Jimmie Gold guest hosts the podcast with Matt and Pete to discuss the news of the week.  ‘Disproportionate’ warning labels to cost $100 million Electronic nose identifies beer quality More than 200 brewers join Resilience Beer efforts Sydney’s All Hands sold for $20m Royal QLD Beer Awards Festival 7 March The Dorito Effect Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. We thank Rallings Labels and Stickers for sponsoring this podcast. Call Rallings on 1300 852 235 to discover a more efficient way to get your small batch canning labels done. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on iTunes or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts All let

This week, we start a series that is very close to the hearts of us here at Brews News. Late last year and through January the country experienced catastrophic fires. The response from both here and abroad has been - and continues to be - incredibly generous. However, the impact on the communities involved is often hidden, especially in areas not directly damaged by flames, but were still very affected by the fires. In late January we visited the Victorian high country and spoke to a number of the brewers that make up the high country brewery trail. During our trip we didn’t see a single singed tree, but we did hear about the devastation that the fires wrought. One of these things that we can all do to help, in addition to making a donation to a fire charity or drinking a resilience beer, is to get out and spend with them and fill an empty esky. The chats you will hear over the next few weeks won’t be labouring the fires - they will be like any other Beer is a Conversation learning the story of the brewer

The whole crew is together this week as Matt, Pete and Clare discuss all the big stories for the week:  Dismay over Pirate Life’s inclusion in local festival Trade mark cancelled after Melbourne brewers’ legal battle IBA increases focus on traineeships South Australia funds brewing traineeship pilot Hawker’s equity crowd fund Flagship February Matt’s essay £96 a bottle: the exotic beer that is as expensive as vintage wine Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. We thank Rallings Labels and Stickers for sponsoring this podcast. Call Rallings on 1300 852 235 to discover a more efficient way to get your small batch canning labels done. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on iTunes or you

This week Matt chats with Sam Holloway, the Bay Area Distinguished Professor of Management & Entrepreneurship at the University of Portland. He is also a beer lover and in addition to being on the board of a brewery, developed Crafting A Strategy an online, digital curriculum that gives brewing entrepreneurs the tools, wisdom, and knowledge to go out and improve the world, one community at a time, one craft beer business at a time. He’s in Australia and next week, on February 19th will be presenting an IBA Mash Up in Sydney at Wayward Brewing. We caught up with him by phone before he left to discuss the challenges facing small breweries and how they can adapt to the rapidly changing industry. Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt is dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. If you like what we do at Radio Bre

This week Pete is joined by Brews News Senior Journalist Clare Burnett, and there's lots to cover.  Jamie Cook steps down as IBA chair ATO figures reveal brewers’ tax contributions Entries now open for AIBA 2020 Registrations open for WA Beer Week 2020 Gage Roads ‘changing gears’ in 2020 as revenues rise ABAC dismiss trio of complaints Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. We thank Rallings Labels and Stickers for sponsoring this podcast. Call Rallings on 1300 852 235 to discover a more efficient way to get your small batch canning labels done. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on iTunes or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thou

We recently saw the GABS Hottest 100 beers of 2019 revealed. It was the biggest year yet for the national poll, but as it has grown, so has the discussion and debate about the results. This year seemed to see the antipathy towards the results reach new levels as many of the social media beer cognoscenti decried what they regard as pedestrian beers gaining high positions in the results. Another bugbear for some were little known breweries - at least little known to them - triumphing over beer known breweries or more widely distributed beers. Bearing the brunt of a lot of the attention and criticism was a little brewery on the Sunshine Coast that had the temerity to reach the top 5. As a brewery with next to no footprint outside of its home on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Your Mates results - with 4 beers in the 100 and the top 5 finish - have been held up as showing the poll is flawed or can be gamed. To others, it was proof that the lack of a marketing budget and national distribution didn’t count against a

Coming to you from the road this week, Matt and Pete debrief the hottest 100 countdown. Pacific Ale back on top in GABS Hottest 100 Australian Brews News visits Victorian High country breweries Ryefield Hops rallies industry after drought devastation Brewsvegas 2020 launches Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. We thank Rallings Labels and Stickers for sponsoring this podcast. Call Rallings on 1300 852 235 to discover a more efficient way to get your small batch canning labels done. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on iTunes or your favourite podcasting service Emailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts All letter writers will receive a Brews News bottle opener

While he wouldn’t be known outside of his home town, this week’s guest is something of a Brisbane beer identity. Since starting in craft beer about a decade ago, Jimmie Gold has worked at some of the city’s pioneering beer venues and craft breweries. Over that time he has really come to impress with his thoughtful approach to hospitality and also managing the challenges that come in working in the alcohol and hospitality industries. He’s also a central figure in the community around craft beer in the city. With hospitality becoming an increasingly important element of the business of craft beer, and mindfulness around alcohol an issue for all of us, it was a great opportunity to sit and chat with Jimmie about that. Enjoy the conversation. Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt is dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of B

Over the next three hours - yes, it’s a long one - you will hear Pete Mitcham and Matt Kirkegaard, joined by Hemingway’s Brewing head brewer Anthony Clem and Cryer Malt’s Queensland & Northern Territory Sales Manager, Fergus Seppanen reveal the results live. We chat with a cavalcade of brewery representatives, including Brendan Varis and Will Irving from Feral, Scott Hargrave from Balter, Nick Boots from Stone & Wood, Christen McGarry from Your Mates and Mazen Hajjar from Hawkers as well as GABS new owner, Mike Bray and the man who pulls it all together, Craig Williams. We sincerely thank our presenting partners Cryer Malt, Yakima Chief Hops and Barrett Burston Malting. without whom we could not have gotten the team in one room to create the show. Yakima Chief Hops; a 100% grower-owned global network of family hop farms, known for their innovative products, including Cryo Hops® Pellets, the concentrated lupulin of whole leaf hop cones, processed at sub zero temperatures! Now available through their supply

This week Matt and Pete are joined by Australian Brews News Senior Journalist Clare Burnett. Make sure you tune in live for our countdown of the GABS Hot 100 on Saturday.  GABS Hot 100 Countdown Registrations open for GABS 2020 Craft Beer & Cider Festival Beer InCider taking expressions of interest to sell the event. Email: martin@beerincider.com Alcohol advertising watchdog reports record number of breaches with social media the key culprit Jetty Stout Pies on Qantas Beer is a Conversation with Calvin McDonald Rebecca Newman director of quality at Lagunita’s Brewing Company is talking all things connectivity at IBD Perth 2020 Conference. Early Bird rates extended till 24th Jan. More details at www.ibd2020.com.au. Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. W

This week we catch up with BrewDog's Australian top dog Calvin McDonald. Regular listeners will know that BrewDog has been a close study for Australian Brews news and on this podcast as we watched the business explode and try to match the hype and the antics with the output and the execution of what is a global craft beer phenomenon. As you'll hear, the hospitality side of the venue has exploded over the last few months, being one BrewDog's most profitable venues in the world over that period. And now, brewing has finally started at the facility. Enjoy the conversation. Radio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt is dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by: Sponsoring the show Reviewing us on iTunes or your favourite podcasting service Emailing