Upcoming Events

Beer Fontaine is one of the most fascinating newer breweries in Australia, completing a trio of breweries based in Botany that make the Sydney 'burb one with an incredibly high density of great beer.

To find out more about their story, beers and future plans, we've invited them to join us for an evening at one of the country's pioneering good beer venues, Bitter Phew.

We're still working out the finer details of the format for the evening, but given it's taken about two months to find a date that works for everyone we thought we'd flag it up now.

It will take place on the evening of October 19 and we'll be back with more info and ticket sales ASAP.

For now, if you're keen, you can register your interest here and we'll shoot you an email as soon as tickets go on sale.

Cheers!

SALES CLOSED

It's been rather longer between Cabal events in WA than planned this year, but then again it's been one heck of a weird year and we're damn certain this has been worth the wait!

On September 20, we're delighted to have one of the country's leading beer experts and most respected judges joining us at The Dutch Trading Co (DTC) to deliver a delicious* double-header.

Clare Clouting (pictured on the right presenting a trophy at this year's Indies awards on the Gold Coast) has spent more than two decades working in the food and beverage industries here and overseas, including nearly seven years at Gage Roads.

Since leaving there, she's founded Athena Quality, through which she assists businesses in all things quality and innovation-related, while also training women as beer judges via the Pink Boots Society and much more besides.

Alongside The Crafty Pint's senior writer Will Ziebell (in Perth to judge at the WA Good Food Guide Beer of the Year) and our WA writer Guy Southern, Clare will provide attendees with:

• an introduction to sensory analysis via an Off Flavour Training session usually only given to industry professionals, featuring five common beer / brewing faults; and
• a guide to beer judging via some very different beer styles

The event kicks off at 6.30pm with a welcome beer from the taps in the main bar before the main session in the back room.

Tickets cost $50pp, which includes the welcome beer, all samples in Clare's session, and basic nibbles of the sort you'd have while in formal beer judging – ie nothing to hamper your sensory skills**!

But... Cabal members and their mates can enjoy a special price of just $30pp.

NB Just the Off Flavour Training element costs USD$55 when given to people doing the Cicerone course in the US.

A traditional German festival with a Sri Lankan twist? Yes, please!

The first-ever Oktoberfest at Two Rupees Brewing is taking place on September 16 and they'd love for you to be there. 

You can read all about it here – and as a Crafty Cabal member get tickets for $35 instead of $50.

Tickets include a limited edition beer glass filled with beer, plus a pretzel to snack on. Members can still claim a $10 tasting paddle while there too.

We've always aimed to educate as well as entertain and enlighten at The Crafty Pint, and it's something we often do via our beer club events.

Now, after a great evening with the sensory guru at Stomping Ground exploring off flavours in beer, we're planning something similar for September 20 in Perth.

Senior writer Will Ziebell will be over judging at the WA Beer of the Year awards, and will be joined by beer expert Clare Clouting (pictured), formerly at Gage Roads before launching Athena Solutions, for an evening exploring beer quality and how to assess beer flavours and aromas.

WA-based Crafty Pint writer Guy Southern will also be there in a co-hosting role when the event takes place at The Dutch Trading Co in Vic Park.

We're still locking in final details, including ticket price, but figured we'd get the word out early!

If you're keen to hear from us as soon as tickets are available, you can register via the button here. Otherwise, we'll be back with more info soon!

Bonehead and Sobremesa operate under the one roof, brew on the same kit, yet have wonderfully contrasting approaches to beer.

The former are very much of the modern craft beer world, punching out a wide array of styles with names and labels shot through with humour; the latter take inspiration from slower traditions of old world brewers.

Arguably most important, however, is that they do what they do very well. Which makes this Cabal event rather exciting.

They've invited us to join them for a special bottle share evening at which guests will get to sit with members of the breweries in small groups enjoying a selection of their barrel-aged beers with cheese platters, before signing off with a vertical tasting of the two vintages of Distraction Belgian Strong Ale.

As they put it, it's a chance to "talk all things barrel-aged and fermented." 

Guests will receive a pot of Bonehead core range beer on arrival while mixing and mingling before breaking out into tables of ten to go through four beers produced by the two breweries that have made their way to your glass via the barrel.

The event is on the evening of August 17, kicking off at 6.30pm, with tickets costing $50pp, which includes all the beers mentioned above plus cheese platters.

Lindsay Astarita oversees all things sensory and quality related at Stomping Ground, and the brewery's ongoing success at beer awards tell you she's part of a team that knows what it's doing.

She's also one of the lead figures in the country's Cicerone training program, and has been kind enough to offer her time and knowledge to Crafty Cabal members.

On June 29, Lindsay will host 20 guests for an Off Flavour session exploring six common faults in beer, so attendees head home with their ability to assess beers enhanced.

Not only that, but head brewer Ashur Hall will then take guests on a brewery tour and serve up tasters of some of their favourite Stomping Ground beers, with an area of the Collingwood brewpub reserved for guests who want to stay on afterwards.

The ticket price is a mere $20pp so with just 20 spots available you'd best get in quick!

It all kicks off at 5.30pm.

For their May Beer Geek Out session, Working Title are going big on barrels, with no less than 12 barrel beers on the lineup plus sensory kits and samples from the barrels for full geekery.

You can read all about it here – and save 10% on the $60 tickets as a member of The Crafty Cabal.

Darker Days is Bright Brewery's annual midwinter celebration of all things dark and decadent with a focus on dark beer and live music.

The 2023 event takes place from June 16 to 18, with the main festival on June 17, headlined onstage by the Pierce Brothers and with Bright joined by Sobremesa, One Drop, La Sirène and CoConspirators.

You can read all about the festival here – and put your hat in the ring to try to win one of the $55 tickets for the Saturday that we've lined up for Cabal members via a competition detailed here.

If you've any beer-loving mates who aren't yet a Cabal member, send them here to grab a ticket as a welcome gift. And if you'd like to save 10 percent on tickets, you can do that too!

Bad Shepherd and CoConspirators have joined forces to create a pair of collabs and, to celebrate their arrival, they're putting on brewery tours at both of their venues as well as buses to get you between the two.

You can read more about this day filled with beer, brewing knowledge and, well, buses, here.

Thanks to the two breweries, our Crafty Cabal members can save $15 when you buy a ticket.

Anyone that pigeonholes Banks Brewing as purveyors of hoppy beers and little else would be doing them a disservice.

They've put out a number of quality lagers, headlined by their Foam Pilsner, and turn heads with their pastry stouts too. Yet it's also fair to say that Chris Farmer and his team know their way around hops.

So we asked if they'd share some of their knowledge – and beers – when it comes to all things hazy with Cabal members. And they said yes!

It's taking place on April 27 at their Seaford brewery, kicking off at 6.30pm, with guests getting to sample a range of Banks' hazy beers – both old and brand new, pick the brains of the brewers, and check out the gear on which they've been brewing them.

We'll also dig into the Banks story and serve up pizza along the way. All this for just $15pp too!

If you'd like to be there, make sure you book a spot fast as spaces are limited.

See you there!

The IPA Blind Tasting Championship has become a fixture of Pint of Origin over the past few years – and it's back at The Palace Hotel in South Melbourne on May 17.

We'll be lining up 16 IPAs from around the planet and inviting you to decide which will be crowned champion using nothing more than your senses.

You can read more about the event here – or get your hands on a discounted ticket as a member of The Crafty Cabal.

Want the opportunity to not only see how beer is made, but to help make it?

We're giving Crafty Cabal members the chance to be part of an intimate behind-the-scenes brew day at Helios Brewing.

A group of six Cabalistas will get their hands dirty brewing an autumn seasonal beer with head brewer Jake Harrison. As well as learning about the brewing process, you'll get to experience it with your senses: put in the work, watch the steam, taste the malt, smell the hops, and sample the wort. And, of course, no brew day is complete without getting to taste some beers...

Arrive at Helios from 6.40am on April 15 to begin mash-in at 7am sharp. A light breakfast is included, and the brewery taproom and food truck are open from midday. The brew day will be done when the beer goes into the fermenting tank at approximately 1.30pm (but you're not obligated to stay that long if you'd like to leave earlier).

A brew involves periods of work and periods of down time, so there'll be plenty of opportunity to chat, ask questions, and hang out.

Tickets cost just $10pp which includes a brekkie of croissants, fruit and cold brew coffee. There's only six spots available, so grab one while you can!

Are you ready for an exclusive, sneak-peek event to celebrate the grand opening of Local Brewing Co's first taproom in Clifton Hill? Join us for an unforgettable evening of beer, food, and laughs you won't find anywhere else.

As a Crafty Cabal member, you'll get to enjoy a tasting paddle from the new taps and a chat with the socially-minded brewers to learn about their journey.

It takes place at 6pm on March 30 before they open to the public at 3 Hilton Street, Clifton Hill.

This is a night not to be missed with limited tickets available at just $15pp, which includes pizza. Reserve your spot now and be among the select few to experience this exclusive event.

It's fair to say the beer scene south of Sydney is on the up – there are breweries to be found pretty much all along the coast to the border with Victoria.

And Wollongong, in particular, has become something of a hotspot in recent years, with Seeker Brewing one of the most exciting and colourful new openings around the city.

Last month, they did their bit to both shine a light on the area's beer scene and give Gong locals a taste of beers from further afield with Collabruary: they brewed beers with 11 of their mates along the East Coast and tapped them all at the same time.

Now they're heading to Sydney for a showcase of some of those beers at the Union Hotel, Newtown, where guests will also be able to hear the founders' awesome story: one that involves identical twins, touring indie bands, and their evolution from Grassy Knoll to becoming brewery owners at Seeker.

On March 23, they'll be there for a Meet The Brewers at which guests will enjoy:

• 5 x 200ml pours of Seeker beers
• Nibbles
• Q&A co-hosted by The Crafty Pint's Judd Owen

Rather than make it members-only as with past events at the Union, we're opening it up to the public too, but with bonuses for Cabalistas: you'll save $5 on tickets and get a bonus can of one of the Seeker IPAs filled from the Union taps after the event to take home. Nice.

You can book your spot here, or if you'd like to bring mates along you can book extra tickets via the link below. They'll enjoy the discount and get a bonus IPA too so you'll look like one heck of a mate!

The team at Felons has been developing a range of barrel-aged beers on the banks of the Brisbane River since opening their Barrel Hall – and they're set to debut in bottles in the second half of March.

Better still: they've offered to host ten Cabal members for a brewery tour and guided tasting of the new beers before they're released to the public.

At 7pm on March 15 – the eve of the launch – the lucky few will be able to join the brewery team for the following:

• A glass of Felons' Barrel-Aged Lager and brewery walkthrough
• Tasting of four new barrel beers paired with cheese in the small bar in the Barrel Hall

And if that isn't exciting enough, the cost for all of this is just $10pp!

Most people look forward to some downtime when they're on holiday with family, but not The Crafty Pint!

Nope, we're putting on another of our blind tastings when we hit Busso in January 2023 – pitting the best of the South West against the best of the rest of WA.

We'll be at Rocky Ridge's TapHouse with special guests on January 13 to see who gets local bragging rights to kick off the new year.

You can read about the event here and, as a Crafty Cabal member, save $20 on tickets ($45pp for everyone else) too.

Most people look forward to some downtime when they're on holiday with family, but not The Crafty Pint!

Nope, we're putting on another of our blind tastings when we hit Busso in January 2023 – pitting the best of the South West against the best of the rest of WA.

We'll be at Rocky Ridge's TapHouse with special guests on January 13 to see who gets local bragging rights to kick off the new year.

You can read about the event here and, as a Crafty Cabal member, save $20 on tickets ($45pp for everyone else) too.

Few breweries put out as many barrel-aged beers as Hawkers, and few do it as well.

They've released imperial stouts, barleywines, wheat wines, old ales and far more over the years, using everything from whisky and bourbon barrels to those that once housed aquavit.

On November 18, ahead of our All Back To Hawkers event for Cabalistas, brewery founder Mazen Hajjar will be pulling out some of his favourites for an intimate masterclass with just 20 of you.

We'll put on some tasty cheese & charcuterie platters too – and attendees get to stick around for the later session without having to pay an extra fee.

It kicks off in the brewery at 5.30pm, with barrel-aged beers, platters, and entry to the All back To Hawkers beers, tour and pizza session all included for just $50pp.

In a blaze of hops and glory, the fourth iterations in Wolf of the Willows' Vision Series beers are about to be unveiled. 

If you want to fully immerse yourself in Inner Vision (a Strata hazy IPA) and Double Vision (a microdosed hazy double IPA), then head to their taproom on October 21 when Wolf head brewer Josh Kendal hosts a hop-focused masterclass.

You can read all about it here, or save 15 percent on tickets as a member of The Crafty Cabal.

One of the earliest events we put on for Crafty Cabal members was an end-of-year gathering at Hawkers.

Founder Mazen Hajjar guided us all through the brewery, filled a giant grain bin with ice cold cans, and attendees ate enough pizza to keep a small army going through winter.

As 2022 draws to a close – and with Hawkers having enjoyed a great year in which they claimed the Champion Large Brewery title at the Australian International Beer Awards – we're heading back to Rezza.

Much has changed at the brewery, not least that it's waaaay bigger and they now brew a whole bunch of different beers.

We'll be meeting there from 7pm on November 18 for another evening where attendees will get a tour of the much-expanded operation, beer and pizza. And if you fancy something extra special, check out the pre-tour Barrel-Aged Masterclass we're hosting for 20 members beforehand... UPDATE: Sorry – Masterclass sold out in 48 hours!

Working Title and Bracket Brewing are two of the most talked-about brewing companies on the East Coast right now, and we're bringing them together for an exclusive Meet The Brewers event for Crafty Cabal members on October 26.

We'll be back at the Union Hotel in Newtown with Judd Owen in the MC role as the brewers serve up samples of a few of their beers, including their upcoming collab.

Attendees will get to try five beers – two from each brewery plus their new collab – which will be served with some nibbles from the Union kitchen too. And all that for just $25pp.

Working Title and Bracket Brewing are two of the most talked-about brewing companies on the East Coast right now, and we're bringing them together for an exclusive Meet The Brewers event for Crafty Cabal members on October 26.

We'll be back at the Union Hotel in Newtown with Judd Owen in the MC role as the brewers serve up samples of a few of their beers, including their upcoming collab.

Attendees will get to try five beers – two from each brewery plus their new collab – which will be served with some nibbles from the Union kitchen too. And all that for just $25pp.