Radio Brews News

This week Radio Brews News interviews Micah Rees from Core Brewing Concepts. Two weeks ago website The Crafty Pint published a story titled Brewer Beware, outlining issues that a number of brewers have had with a brewing equipment supplier, Core Brewing. This followed a warning posted on social media by one of the brewers affected. We initially intended to run this podcast featuring interviews wit...

This week the Prime Minister celebrates our 50th Episode by skolling a beer to a chanting rugby crowd. Our guest this week is Derek O’Donnell, the general manger of the Australian Beer Company, the partnership between Coca Cola Amatil and Casella. In a wide ranging interview we look at whether Coke can make craft beer - or whether it's Coke's business at all - and what the Yenda range says about w...

With the Great Australian Beer Spectacular nearly upon us, we catch up with Steve Jefferies, the mastermind behind what’s now been called one of the top beer festivals in the world. We talk about changes to this years festival, if the tap rotation craze has had it’s day, and plug our own GABS 2015 event 'Brewin Transfer'. Also joining the program Tim Collin the co-owner and Jeff Wright the head br...

This week Matt flies solo from his holiday location to post an interview with Brad Rogers from Stone & Wood. Brad talks about the new brewhouse for the Murwillumbah brewery, how they are managing the Galaxy hops shortage, the next incarnation of their annual stone beer and he also takes us through the six beers in their Beer of the World release. Radio Brews News is hosted by Matt Kirkegaard and P...

In this very non-Easter but extremely good Radio Brews News we catch up with Mark Woolcott from beerbud.com.au who explains his company's latest beer crowd funding venture - and what’s really in it for the consumer. BeerBud's crowd funding page: beerbud.com.au/crowdfunding We then speak with writer Pete Brown who gives you the lay of the land for craft beer in the UK, explains why his attitude to...

This week you’ll find out why Stella Artois wants you to buy a lady from the developing world a drink.            Altruism or cynicism from Stella Artois? You’ll meet Brendan Varis who sits on the board of the Craft Beer Industry Association. He’ll talk you through the changes to this year’s conference.  And last, but certainly not least, Cam Pearce from Coopers joins the show. If you’ve ever want...

This week we welcome a new microphone for Pete, a new producer for the show and, most importantly, our guest influential Canadian beer writer Stephen Beaumont. Stephen has been writing about beer since the early 1990s and has written, co-written or contributed to a dozen books, including The Pocket Beer Guide (Pocket Beer Book 2014 in the U.K.) and  The World Atlas of Beer, both co-written with Ti...

This week we catch up with Tim Lord from Hop Products Australia about the 2015 hop harvest and what t means for the Australian beer industry. As often happens when beer is a conversation, some of the best discussion happened at the end of the interview. As we were saying goodbyes, Tim amplified some of the things we had discussed during the interview including how the Australian hop industry may n...

This week Matt & Pete quickly dissect the washup from the Hottest 100 countdown and then chat about the recent media interest in tp contracts. You can hear an older episode about tap contracts here You can read about tap contracts here We then play an interview Matt recorded with Anton Szpitalak from Brewpack last year. It's an interesting chat about the beer business and Anton's take on the craft...

The podcast of our first ever live broadcast, of the 2014 Hottest 100 Countdown. Broadcast from Queensland's Fortitude Brewing, Matt is joined by brewer Ian Watson with crosses to Pete Mitcham at the Local Taphouse St Kilda and guests Steve Jeffares from The Local Taphouse, publican Corey Crooks from Newcastle's Grainstore, brewer Dave Padden, Steve Finney from Feral and a surprise call from Feral...

This week we play part two of Matt's interview with CUB about the revitalisation attempts for the Crown brand and Tim Ovadia is joined by CUB's Chief Brewer Jaideep Chandrasekharan about the 2014 Crown Ambassador Reserve, the brewing process and Matt & Jaideep have the first public sampling of the vintage. Later they are joined by Crown's Marketing Manager, Scott Tindall. In the intro Matt & Pete...

In this episode of Radio Brews News, Matt & Pete discuss the recent controversies about craft beer getting big, hipsters and its growing pains. We also play an interview Matt recorded last year with Tim Ovadia, General Manager Insight & Marketing Capability with CUB. It concludes the stories that we have done in recent years about the true history of Crown Lager, and we discuss the way forward for...

Matt & Pete finally catch up to discuss the year that was, and also play an interview recorded earlier in the year with the Editor of All About Beer magazine, John Holl. We discuss with John the idea of what would beer look like if it was only invented today...

Over the past 6 months Brews News has received at least one request to promote a crowd funding scheme covering everything from a "precision tool for your perfectly crafted beers" aka a bottle opener to "a draft system that serves any beer, fresh from the tap, anywhere you want it". We also recently received a release about the "world’s first smartphone-controlled home-brewing machine". Today we re...

In this episode we catch up with Mr Crafty Pint, James Smith, to discuss his new book 150 Great Australian Beers, as well as Mr Young Henry, Richard Adamson, to talk about his plans for gin. Being Radio Brews News, and beer being a conversation, we talk about these things and many, many more, including Good Beer Week, tap contracts and Crafty's mum. Got some thoughts on this episode? You can post...

Welcome to Radio Brews News. This is a slightly shorter podcast with one interview, this time with Jack Mesley, Marketing Manager with XXXX. While for many breweries changing their label may not have huge repercussions, when you have a beer that makes some claims to be Australia’s biggest beer…at least in terms of volume sales, the move can be fraught. XXXX last week announced it was rebranding an...

Despite the title, we're getting kind of regular here at Radio Brews News. Once again Matt is not joined by usual co-host Pete Mitcham. Pete’s on a family holiday in Europe. We will try and touch base with him at some stage to find out about his trip and get an update on what he's been drinking over there. You can follow Pete's travels on Twitter. We do however have Kevin Hingston, Communications...

In Episode Two of the current season, Matt flies solo and catches up with Dave Bonighton, chair of the Craft Beer Industry Association, about the new definition for craft beer, and the soon-to-be-released consumer website. Matt also catches up with Paul van de Walle from ABInBev to discuss the challenges of making beer consistent around the world and looks at what is involved in an Australian brew...

As some special bonus content, Matt & Pete snatched some time to catch up over a beer between sessions of last weekend’s Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular. Don’t expect insightful interviews, just Matt & Pete chatting about Good Beer Week, Matt almost apologising for dissing Warnie and the Australian International Beer Awards, including Matt eventually bringing the conversation around to his Aus...

Welcome back to Radio Brews News after our very long hiatus. Pete Mitcham and I see the podcast as one of the most important things we do through the site, able to discuss the big issue in Australian beer. Time and resources have always been an issue as the show is time consuming to present. However, thanks to a couple generous sponsors we are back and - hopefully - regular. In our first episode b...

Chuck Hahn is back – and Matt Kirkegaard has the same question he’s been asking since January. Kosciuszko Pale Ale is one of the best-known ‘regional’ craft brands in the country. It’s also brewed entirely at Malt Shovel in Sydney, with Lion’s name nowhere on the label. Hahn defends the brand’s authenticity, acknowledges the labelling is changing, but won’t concede the current wording misleads any...

It's great to be back with Pete and in this episode we record live at the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular. While Pete was busy hosting the Craft Beer College, Matt caught up with a range of brewers and beer identities to get their thoughts on Good Beer Week, GABS and life in general. Apologies in advance for the sound quality, this was recorded on the floor at GABS,. Apologies too for the repe...

In a special edition of Radio Brews News, we catch up quickly with Guy Greenstone live at the Great Australian Beer Spectapular....

This week we catch up with Mr Crafty Pint, James Smith, and his Good Beer Week colleague Miro Bellini. Planning for Good Beer Week 2013 is well underway and it for venues and breweries wanting to get involved, now is the time to get your nominations in. James and Miro talk about the back ground to Good Beer Week and look ahead to next years event. more information and details: www.goodbeerweek.com...

This week we catch up with Steve Brockman, co-head brewer at The Monk in Fremantle, and Education and Events Officer at the Western Australian Brewers Association. We talk about all things Western Australian Beer including Western Australia Craft Beer Week. This week's episode is brought to you by Monday2Sunday Brewhaus.