Chat On Tap

We knew there were a few breweries on the Central Coast. We didn't realise there were this many! We're heading north for a beer fuelled road trip, visiting four breweries in one day and discovering a craft beer scene that's well worth exploring. Cecilia is back too, as we head to 🍺 Six String Brewing 🍺 Hawkesbury Brewing Co 🍺 Central Coast Brewing 🍺 Goons From tropical pales and...

Think you need to head to Marrickville for a great craft beer? Think again. Tucked away in the Maker’s Dozen building at Darling Park, right in the heart of Sydney’s Darling Harbour, Batch Brewing has brought its award winning craft beer to the city. Think of a food hall where you can grab everything from Chinese food and burgers to sandwiches, pasta and bubble tea, then pair it with a cracking cr...

Sydney Beer Week is about to kick off, and David sits down on the Hotel Sweeney’s rooftop with the man running it, Pete Anstey. Pete is the General Manager of Hotel Sweeney’s and Managing Director of Sydney Beer Week. He’s fresh off Oktoberfest in Munich, wearing lederhosen, and pouring fiestbiers on tap. Pete explains how he and his partner Josh run a 10 day festival around full time jobs and you...

Coopers Vintage Ale is made every year with one simple challenge: make the best beer the brewing team can make that year. But what happens when you put five years of it side by side? For this one I brought along an older vintage of myself… my dad. Together, we cracked open 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022 Coopers Vintage Ale for a proper vertical tasting. Five vintages. Five different years. Five v...

Weihenstephaner has been continuously brewing beer since 1040 — and David wants to know how you keep a brewery going for almost a thousand years. In this bonus episode of Chat On Tap, David chats with Marcus, Vice President of Weihenstephaner, during his visit to Australia. They talk about the brewery's monastery origins, the evolution of brewing, yeast, the German Purity Law, experimentation...

A month without beer? For three people who spend most of their time talking about pubs and craft beer, that was always going to be a challenge. This week I'm joined by Dwayne from Build & Brew and Disco Dave as we reflect on taking on Dry July together as part of the Frothy Moco crew. We chat about how our relationship with beer changed over the month, the hardest moments of giving up alc...

It is Dry July this month on Chat on Tap, we're putting the drinks aside for a cause that's become one of Australia's great fundraising success stories. Adam Spencer is one of Australia's best known broadcasters, mathematicians, authors and comedians. But for nearly two decades, he's also been one of the driving forces behind Dry July . What started with one text message h...

Last week, Tim Allan from The Local explained why country pubs matter. This week, he tells the stories that prove it. In Part 2 of our conversation, Tim takes us across Australia through some of the most memorable pubs, characters and moments he's encountered while documenting regional pub culture. We visit Birdsville, Betoota and Marble Bar, meet legendary locals, and hear stories that range...

Can a country pub save a town? This week on Chat On Tap , I sit down with Tim Allan , founder of The Local , a platform dedicated to telling the stories of Australia's pubs, the publicans who run them, and the communities that keep them alive. We chat about why country pubs are so much more than somewhere to grab a beer, the challenges they're facing, and the incredible characters Tim ha...

After promising it way back in Episode 10, we're finally pulling up a stool at Snitch's Bar. Long-time mate and returning guest Michael Snitch joins me for a conversation fuelled by some of the strangest spirits in his collection, including Italian amaro, Brazilian aphrodisiac liqueur, Greek kumquat liqueur and Chinese baijiu. We also talk about the evolution of Chat On Tap, why the show...

In this TAP Classic (aka one from the archive), David Lennon catches up with legendary brewer Dr. Charles "Chuck" Hahn and his son Scott Hahn at their new brewery, Chuck & Sons, in St Peters, Sydney. Chuck's impact on Australian beer is difficult to overstate. From Hahn Super Dry and James Squire to Kosciuszko Pale ale and countless innovations that helped shape modern brewing i...

Craft beer is often about the beer. This episode isn't. On Wildflower's final day in Marrickville, Chat On Tap headed down to one of Australia's most beloved breweries to find out what happens when a venue becomes something more than a place to grab a drink. As hundreds of people packed the brewery and spilled out into the street, Dave handed the microphone to the people who knew Wi...

Craft beer doesn’t just need better beer anymore - it needs better storytelling. This week on Chat on Tap , David sits down with Stephanie Grant from She Loves Craft , a brewery social media strategist helping breweries actually connect with modern drinkers. If you're wearing all the hats in the brewery, there's no marketing person to fall back on and fear hitting post because it might f...

Part two of the Hop Harvest Fest crawl sees Boyd Robson back on the Inner West Ale Trail, tackling the final five breweries of Sydney’s freshest beer festival. With higher ABVs, bigger crowds, and a few curveballs (including a sold-out festival beer), this episode dives deeper into the culture, community, and chaos of chasing fresh hop beers across Sydney. From tiny taprooms punching above their w...

What is Hop Harvest Fest, and what happens when you try to take on all 9 breweries in two days? This episode drops you right into the chaos of the Hop Harvest Fest on the Inner West Ale Trail, chasing some of the freshest beer you’ll ever drink. Fresh hops picked in Victoria, driven straight to Sydney, and brewed within hours. The result? Limited, once time beers across nine breweries in Marrickvi...

What is Hop Harvest Fest , and why are Sydney brewers and beer lovers treating it like Christmas? Recorded at Mixtape Brewing in Marrickville, David sits down with Jason Treuen from the Inner West Ale Trail to break down one of the most unique beer events in Australia, a celebration of fresh hop beers brewed within hours of harvest . From brewery passports and cult t-shirts to the logistics of get...

Looking for your next great beer? In this bonus episode of Tapped In, Bev shares five must-try craft beers that are easy to find, full of character, and perfect whether you're just getting into craft or deep in the game. From creamy stouts to hazy IPAs and even a wild sour bonus pick this is your cheat sheet for what to drink next.   Why Batch Elsie Milk Stout stands out as an all-time favour...

Beers, Brotherhood & Building Community with Bevan Giffin In this episode of Chat on Tap , host David A. Lennon sits down with beer reviewer and community builder Bevan Giffin at the Pyrmont Point Hotel for a deep dive into craft beer, content creation, and the power of connection. From tasting notes to mental health, this episode explores how a shared love of beer can turn into something much...

What if you could find the perfect sunny spot for a beer anywhere in the world? This week on Chat on Tap , David sits down with Richard Hatcher - the creator of Sunny , a web app designed to help you track down pubs with beer gardens, outdoor seating, and even plan your next pub crawl. From a throwaway idea in London to building a working app using ChatGPT (with zero dev background), this is a sto...

In this Chat on Tap Bonus Pour , we chat to Beau Curtis who is the founder and head brewer of The Social Brewers in Mortdale, Sydney, for a guided tasting of the core lineup. From crisp lagers to hop loaded limited releases, this episode is a walkthrough of what’s pouring at one of the St George region’s most exciting breweries .  The philosophy behind a great “gateway beer” lager and why simple d...

What happens when a corporate marketer decides to open a brewery in a part of Sydney with no craft beer scene? And what does it really take to keep it alive? In this episode of Chat on Tap , Dave heads to Social Brewing in the St George area to sit down with founder and head brewer Beau Curtis. What starts as a conversation about beer quickly turns into a deeper chat about risk, resilience, and bu...

In this Chat on Tap bonus episode , David sits down with Kirk from 2 Halfs Brewing & Distilling to dive into one of Belgium’s most iconic beer styles — the Tripel . Fresh off the previous episode with Matt the Craft Beer MC, this chat explores how Tripel Day came about, what makes the style so unique, and why it’s often called the “king of beers.” Despite sitting around 8% ABV , Tripels are kn...

What happens when a Newcastle beer fan becomes the Australian ambassador for International Tripel Day ? And what exactly IS a Belgian Tripel? Don't worry, David didn't know either until today.  In this episode of Chat on Tap , Dave sits down with Matt Chester “Craft Beer MC” at Two Halfs Brewing in Alexandria to talk Belgian Tripels, the global craft beer community, and how an Instagram...

Chat On Tap is back for 2026, and it makes perfect sense to kick off the year with  co-host Cecilia Hollins and a cracking NZ Red IPA in hand. Host David A. Lennon dives straight into the big beer conversations shaping Australia right now, from the fallout of GABS to Australia’s soaring beer prices and the eternal craft vs macro debate. Recorded at the unofficial “Mazza Hotel” in Marrickville, thi...

Surprise! One last episode for 2025, and it's a Christmas Special! We are joined by fan favourites Cecilia Hollins and Matt Baseley for a festive natter about what makes an Aussie Christmas what it is. When does Christmas actually start? From Thanksgiving traditions in the US to the first Test match signalling Aussie summer. The summer of cricket Learning cricket as an adult, Test vs T20 vs O...