Upcoming Events

On the day Rocky Ridge opened their Brunswick brewery, we were lucky enough to be able to bring 35 Cabal members along for the pre-opening drinks session, an event that allowed attendees to sample to their heart's content from the 30 taps.

If you're a Sydney-based member looking on and wishing you'd been there, we have good news: we've lined up something similar for you at Sydney Beer Week 2024!

On October 21, they're heading to the Hotel Sweeney's Rooftop for a 12-tap takeover and, from 6pm to 8pm, they'll be hosting a guided tasting featuring six of those beers on level 2 of the CBD pub.

Tickets for the tasting cost $30pp plus booking fee, but as a Cabal member you can gain access for just $10 – yes, a saving of two-thirds off the full price.

Back in May, Rocky Ridge raised the spirits of beer lovers with the news they'd acquired the former home of Thunder Road in Brunswick and would be turning it into their home on the East Coast.

They've since been beavering away, turning the brewery and venue into their own, running pilot brews, and preparing to reopen as Rocky Ridge Brunswick on September 13.

Doors will open to the public at 5pm but they're welcoming special guests a few hours earlier – and happily that includes Cabal members!

Yes, up to 40 Cabalistas can join their other invited guests from 2pm for beers, nibbles and a chance to look around the brewery and venue before doors officially open to the general public.

The Brunswick team will be on hand to chat all about their plans for the venue as well as the beers they'll be brewing here, while attendees will get to sample some of the first Rocky Ridge beers to be brewed in Melbourne.

And you can be part of the pre-opening party for just $10pp.

SALES NOW CLOSED

Few Aussie breweries focus as intently on classic European styles as King River Brewing, the family-run operation based in Victoria's King Valley.

Whether it's conjuring their take on classic German and Belgian beers or plucking styles from obscurity, they love introducing the old world to the new.

Whenever Oktoberfest comes around, they really up the ante too – so we thought that was the perfect time to invite them along for a chat with Cabal members.

We're heading back to Audacious Monk Cellars at 1pm on September 21 for an Oktoberfest-themed meet the brewers at which founder and head brewer Nathan Munt will share his story alongside four new limited releases.

We'll put on some suitably German-themed nibbles too, all for the price of just $25pp.

We're hosting another Bendigo On The Hop Eve event in 2024, this time celebrating 25 years of Holgate Brewhouse.

We'll be taking a trip down Memory Lane with brewery co-founder Paul Holgate and head brewer Chris Brady via both their beers and some that inspired Paul to start the brewery in the first place.

There's more info on the event at the Black Swan on August 30 here – and Cabal members can enjoy a special price of $25pp for them and their mates.

Bad Shepherd are embracing the dark side of winter with Dark Temptation, and they've invited a bunch of their indie mates along for the ride too.

The event on August 10 sees them tap nothing but dark beers – their own plus those of Deeds, Boatrocker, Stomping Ground, Molly Rose, KAIJU!, Westside Ale Works, Bodriggy and Bojak.

There's two ticketing options (General Admission and VIP), both of which get your unlimited samples of the 17 beers on offer. And, as Cabal members, you can save 10 percent on either option.

Crafty contributor Judd Owen is a two-time TV game show winner and is set to switch from guest to quizmaster at Take Down The Title!

The unique event at Working Title on August 1 will see guests test their wits against brewery co-founder and head brewer Mark Howes.

You can read all about it here – and if you head along as a Crafty Cabal member, instead of getting your first beer free as you prepare for the show, you'll get upgraded to a tasting paddle featuring any four beers you fancy.

All you need to do is choose the right ticket here (including whether you want to take part or just watch) and show staff you're a member on the night.

Game on!

FOUND. is one of the hottest names in the Aussie beer scene right now.

The WA operation only released their first beers little more than a year ago, yet they've already won plenty of admirers. Later this year, they'll open their HQ in Subiaco – a third venue alongside FOUND.Lab in Byford and their Maylands pop-up.

While the brewery is new, the people behind it bring a wealth of experience and decades of success to the party – and this event is your chance to hear all about it.

FOUND. instigator Steve Finney and head brewer Will Irving will join The Crafty Pint team for a Q&A plus guided-meets-blind tasting at FOUND. FRIENDS TAPROOM in Maylands on July 31. The evening will delve into their amazing backstories as well as their ambitions for FOUND. – all while enjoying great beers and pizza.

It kicks off at 6.30pm, with full-price tickets costing $45pp and Cabal members and their mates enjoying a special rate of just $35pp.

Tickets include six beers plus pizza to accompany the chat.

Ahead of Perth's biggest beer festival join The Crafty Pint, Phat Brew Club and some of WA's favourite breweries as we go head-to-head, drink delicious beers and dine out on delightful dishes.

Over a four-course dinner, we're pitting Campus and Phat against Margaret River Beer Co and Beerfarm for a beer battle at which guests will enjoy two beers with each course and ultimately decide whether the City Slickers or the South-Westers are responsible for the great state's best beers. 

You can find out more about what's involved here, or if you'd like to save on a ticket, then you can enjoy an exclusive Crafty Cabal discount of $10. 

Beers Of The Burbs sees six Melbourne suburbs (by way of a top beer venue and its drinkers) go up against each other in a good ol' fashioned "Ours is better than yours!" beer competition where new beers are created, tasted, and the winner gets canned and distributed far and wide.

The 2024 event ramps up in early August and if you'd like to be part of a team we've got a special offer for you: grab three tickets and the fourth is FREE!

This year's suburbs and venues are as follows:

• The Local Taphouse representing St Kilda East
• Hopheads representing Yarraville
• Beneath Driver Lane representing Melbourne
• Carwyn Cellars representing Thornbury
• Beermash representing Collingwood
• Miss Moses representing Brunswick

Tickets cost $90pp, which includes:

• Brewstorm at your chosen venue over a beer w/ Molly Rose brewers
• Brew your winning beer at Molly Rose w/ dinner & beer
• Pours of all 6 beers on winning night at Molly Rose and a token to vote for who you think has brewed: 'The Beer of the Burbs'

FOUND. is arguably as close to a supergroup as you'll find in the Aussie beer world.

The brainchild of former Little Creatures, Feral, Gage Roads and Otherside man Steve Finney, who's been joined by former Feral brewer Will Irving and other industry leaders, the brewing company opened their first venue in Byford (FOUND.Lab) in 2023, have since opened FOUND. & Friends in Maylands, and are turning the former Golden West brewpub in Subi into their own place.

It's a great story, they're great folks, and they make great beers – and we'll be joining them for an event featuring all three on July 31, ahead of the 2024 Indies, taking place in WA for the first time.

We're still to lock in exactly what it will look like (they've been a bit busy taking over venues...) but if you'd like to hear about it first once tickets go on sale, you can register your interest now.

Plenty of people in the Australian beer world will know Ian Watson and Rocky Reed, especially those in and around Brisbane.

And now the pair are set to launch their own beer brand, one that celebrates their love of Belgian beer styles.

The new operation goes by the name La Petit Rocher and Ian and Rocky will be debuting their beers at Saccharomyces Beer Café as part of the bar's epic Belgian Beer Week.

The launch event, part of Bloody Bonza Belge which also features a bunch of other great Belgian style beers from Aussie brewers, is on July 17, kicking off with a guided tasting and Q&A with LPR's founders from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

And we've lined up a special ticket prices of just $10pp for Crafty Cabal members and their mates.

This gets you four tasters, a chance to hear about their inspirations, and to fire some questions at them.

3 Ravens have thrown some wild parties at their Thornbury home over the years, but this looks sure to raise the bar ever higher.

Their 2024 winter solstice event Dark Mass has so much going on, we're best off sending you straight to the full event listing.

But let's just say it features a feast created by Northern Git's Michael Slade adorned by Los Tres hot sauces and an after-party featuring multidimensional live performances at a brand new venue hosted by the wild minds at Sickest House.

You can choose to attend the feast (which includes entry to the after-party) or just the party. And if you fancy doing the whole hog (literally unless you're vego) then we've got a limited number of discounted tickets for Cabal members and their mates.

When La Sirène debuted Praline, it was a beer unlike anything else they'd put out yet quickly went on to become something of a cult classic for the brewery.

It's been released many times and in many iterations since – and in 2024 the brewery team are taking things to another level with Praline Day.

The main event at their Reservoir home will feature several different variations of Praline on tap to pair with Southern-Euro inspired dishes from the kitchen, and head brewer Costa on hand for a chat. More here.

If you're planning to head along, you could do so with a bonus: $50 to spend at the bar.

The big, bold and beautiful Froth Town returns to the Claremont Showgrounds in Perth on August 23 and 24 for three sessions of beer, spirits, ciders, seltzers, wines, cocktails and good times galore.

The 2024 festival will feature more than 75 booze vendors, a massive food court, silent disco, live music, DJs, a driving range, carnival rides, fun competitions, live wrestling, karaoke and much more – see here for details.

Tickets are on sale now, and as part of our partnership with the festival team (which will be very apparent when you arrive at the gates!) we've got some double passes to give away to Crafty Cabal members.

Brewmanity have spent years using good beer to do good deeds, with the brewing company created to raise much-needed funds to fight Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Their launch in 2015 came about as Melbourne Demons captain David Neitz watched his old coach, Neale Daniher, battle the disease.

This year, that mission has got that much better thanks to the arrival of their long-planned brewery. 

And what a venue it is, with the South Melbourne brewery a multi-level space featuring a beer hall, rooftop beer garden and dozens of taps. 

Since the doors opened, head brewer Tim Miller has been hard at work filling those many taps and Brewmanity are eager to welcome our beer-loving Crafty Cabal members in to sample them on May 1.

Kicking off at 6pm, we'll dive straight into the brewhouse (not literally) to enjoy some unreleased beers straight from the tank before heading upstairs to chat with founders David Neitz and Jamie Fox about the brewery's story to date and their plans for the venue. The evening event will roll straight into trivia too so if you want to test your knowledge, plan ahead and hit the books (and book a table for 7pm to be safe).

Tickets cost just $10pp which includes all beer tastings and, due to how tight the brewery floor is, spaces are limited. 

One of the first Crafty Cabal events we ran in Sydney was at Wildflower.

Back then, in June 2017, the Marrickville brewers and blenders hadn't even opened to the public, inviting us along for a preview tasting.

Much has happened since, with Wildflower becoming one of the country's most respected and lauded breweries, exploring new techniques and ingredients, and forging relationships around the world.

So you can guarantee there will be plenty to talk about when we return on April 4, 2024, for an evening of beer, cheese and chat. 

It will be a chance to learn more about their blossoming relationship with Mountain Culture, whose beers now pour at Wildflower's home and with whom Topher and team have commenced a new lager program, as well as the latest evolution of this pioneering operation and Goldstreet Dairy, a micro-cheesery situated next door.

Tickets cost just $25pp, which gets you:

• Two Wildflower beers
• The new Mountain Culture / Wildflower Mirror Image collab
• A Mountain Culture beer
• A serve of cheese

The event runs from 6.30pm to 8pm, with places strictly limited.

Holgate Brewhouse mark 25 years of beers later this year, and they're filling 2024 with heaps of limited beer releases: some old recipes reborn, some new, some collabs with past brewers.

They'll be showcasing five of them at The Fox in Collingwood on March 22 at the Like It's '99 Party (they released their first beers in 1999).

The event also features a happy hour, Pop Culture Trivia and giveaways including a weekend stay at Holgate in Woodend.

What's more, if you're a Cabal member, you'll get a bonus pot of your choosing!

Watts River Brewing are the very definition of a hidden gem, brewing a range of delightful beers at their home in the Yarra Valley.

In 2023, they released a series of beers inspired by Belgium that we included in our Best Of Beer roundup for Victoria – and they're doing it again in 2024.

They're offering Cabal members a chance to taste this year's vintage first at Audacious Monk Cellars in Preston from 2pm on the afternoon of April 20.

The beers will be paired with a cheese and charcuterie platter from the Yarra Valley as the team takes you through their story, their fondness for such styles, and anything else you'd like to know.

Tickets cost just $25pp for all beers and matched foods presented at the event.

Are you eager to learn about terpenes and find out why they're making their way into your beer?

The Crafty Pint and Wolf of the Willows are hosting an esteemed panel at the Cherry Tree Hotel on February 28, where they will unpack how brewers use terpenes, their connection to hops and cannabis, and what's going on in this area in the USA. 

You'll also get to enjoy some of Wolf's terpene beers, with full details of the event here. 

Better yet, as a Crafty Cabal member, you can secure tickets for the special, half-priced rate of $10+BF.

Watts River Brewing are the very definition of a hidden gem.

Even though they brew their beers in the popular Yarra Valley town of Healesville, their humble, laid-back approach means you tend to have to find them rather than them coming to find you.

They brew a range of delightful beers, from a tight core range to plenty of barrel-aged beers and those that celebrate their love of all beers Belgian.

In 2023, they released a series of beers inspired by Belgium that we included in our Best Of Beer roundup for Victoria – and they're doing it again in 2024.

When they're ready, they'll be showcasing them at an event for Cabal members at Audacious Monk Cellars in Preston on the afternoon of April 20.

We're still finessing details and will put tickets on sale once everything is locked in, but if this sounds like your jam, you can register your interest and we'll flick you an email as soon as tickets go on sale.

Bridge Road Brewers have long been advocates for the Aussie hops grown in their part of the world: the Victorian High Country.

For many years now, they been celebrating hop harvest with a festival in their hometown of Beechworth, which now features a technical symposium for the beer industry too.

The High Country Hop returns to Beechworth's Historic Precinct Reserve on March 23, 2024, featuring brewers, local winemakers, distillers and an inspired musical lineup.

Local brewers will be joined by some stars of the craft beer game both nationally and internationally, with a selection of wholesome eats on offer too.

Tickets cost $75pp but we've got some to give away to Crafty Cabal members.

New Zealand is home to a mighty fine beer scene, and if you're keen to discover and taste what it's all about, there's a tour taking place in March and April 2024 that will be right up your alley.

The Ultimate Craft Beer Tour Of New Zealand is curated and hosted by avowed craft beer lover and travel manager Bryce Read: a ten-day exclusive taking in visits to the likes of Liberty, Hallertau, 8 Wired, Sawmill, Brewaucracy, Bootleg, Croucher, North End, Double Vision, and Garage Project before rocking up to Nelson Marchfest at the height of hop harvest.

Along the way, as well as the beers, tours, and insight from brewers, there are inclusive lunches, beer dinners, a tour of Nelson's famed hop region, tastings and activities that step outside beer – axe-hurling, anyone?

You can read more about it here – and Cabal members can save $250 if they book before December 15, 2023.

To take advantage of the discount, just make sure you let Bryce know you're an active Cabal member, providing your membership number, at the time you make the booking.

Late last year, Hawkers founder Mazen Hajjar invited us to bring Cabal members to his Reservoir brewery for a journey back in time through their library of barrel-aged beers.

It was such a hit, he promised to do it again, so that's what we'll be doing on December 15.

Kicking off at 6.30pm, he'll guide attendees through a dozen big beers, mostly drawn from this year's series of barrel-aged releases. There will be a flight of barleywines, a flight of off-kilter releases, and imperial stouts too.

We'll put on cheese platters as who doesn't love big beers paired with delicious cheeses?

There's just 30 spots available so we're only opening the event to members. If there are any spaces left nearer the time, we'll allow members to buy tickets for guests.

Tickets cost $70pp, which includes all beer tastings and accompanying cheeses.

Molly Rose are one of the breweries looking to change perceptions around beer, especially the way it is viewed in relation to food and dining.

We've started exploring its place alongside great food in The Matchmakers series, and now they're looking to showcase just how well food and beer pair with the unique Smile, Enjoy! festival.

Taking place at their Collingwood brewery venue on November 12, they've invited five of their brewing mates – Loophole (SA), Range (QLD), Bruny Island (TAS), Noodledoof and Black Arts (both VIC) – to put forward two beers. Each brewer's beers will then be paired with a delicious dish.

There's more info on the event here – and if it sounds like your jam you can save $20 on tickets as a member of The Crafty Cabal.

The Bract Programme from NZ Hops is one of the ways they bring new hop varieties to market.

They send the most promising of their experimental varieties to select breweries around the world and invite them to use them as they see fit. The beers provide them with feedback on which hops to bring to market.

If you'd like to sample some of their latest great green hopes, New Hop Drop is the place to be as Moon Dog gather the Bract Programme beers from ten Aussie and Kiwi breweries in the one place.

It's on November 18 and you can read all about it here.

We've got $78 Primo passes to give away to Cabal members, which get holders tasters of all ten beers, plus three 100ml serves of event-exclusive NZ beers, priority access to a masterclass, a Moon Dog branded Birrateque glass, a Superdelic or It’s All Hazy Baby baseball cap, and an NZ Hops sticker pack.