Upcoming Events

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!

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.

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.

Bonehead are turning their Kensington brewery into a little Bavarian satellite when they celebrate Oktoberfest on October 1. 

It's a day that includes steins, traditional German-style beers and a Bavarian feast thanks to Houston's BBQ who are serving up smoked pork and sauerkraut, smoked chicken and gurkensalat, and smoked sausage in currywurst on potatoes.

You can read all about the event here and save 10 percent on your ticket as a Crafty Cabal member.

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 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.

Given how many new releases both put out, we're yet to finalise details of the event, but if this sounds like your jam you can register via the button below and we'll shoot you an email as soon as we've got tickets on sale to make sure you don't miss out.

Cheers!

The folks running Burnley Brewing cut their teeth in the world of brewing in Germany so it's little surprise they go hard when it comes to Oktoberfest.

For 2022, they're releasing no less than eight German-inspired beers, which will be hitting taps and appearing in mixed packs (which beer club members can also try to win).

Ahead of their month-long Oktoberfestivities kicking off at their Richmond brewpub, they've invited us to bring 30 Cabal members along for an exclusive tasting led by head brewer Michael Stanzel.

Attendees will get to sample eight different beers and enjoy some German style snacks too – all for just $15pp.

The event starts at 6pm on September 14 at their brewpub, 648 Bridge Road, Richmond.

The Killer Sprocket team are set to embark on a third collaboration with Tin Man Coffee Roasters.

And they're inviting guests along to join them on the day, with ticket packages including:

• Get up close and personal with the brewing process
• Brunch
• Coffee tasting and Q & A with Ben from Tin Man Coffee Roasters
• Brew & A session with Sean from Killer Sprocket covering everything from making beer to starting your own brewery

Once the beer is ready you also receive:

• Free pint of the finished beer for you and a friend
• Take home pack including 4 cans of Shiny, bag of coffee, beer glass and coffee mug

Tickets for the event on August 6 cost $119 and can be bought here, but they're offering Cabal members a 20 percent discount.

Keen to see how the best of the Sunshine State stands up against the rest of Australia?

Join The Crafty Pint and friends at Milton Common for another of our blind tasting events – but this time with a twist as we pit the brewers of Queensland against the rest of the country.

You can read all about the event here.

Tickets cost just $25pp for Cabal members – a saving of $24.

They gets you:

• a welcome beer on arrival
• 12 x tasting glasses of various IPAs
• nibbles during the tasting
• shared platters (once the scoring is done)

It kicks off at 2pm on September 10 in the Mezzanine at Milton Common.

Keen to see how the best of the Sunshine State stands up against the rest of Australia?

Join The Crafty Pint and friends at Milton Common for another of our blind tasting events – but this time with a twist as we pit the brewers of Queensland against the rest of the country.

You can read all about the event here.

Tickets cost just $25pp for Cabal members – a saving of $24.

They gets you:

• a welcome beer on arrival
• 12 x tasting glasses of various IPAs
• nibbles during the tasting
• shared platters (once the scoring is done)

It kicks off at 2pm on September 10 in the Mezzanine at Milton Common.

Bendigo On The Hop returns on August 27, taking over the regional city for another day of roving and sampling.

The night before it kicks off, we're pitting longstanding festival sponsors Holgate Brewhouse and Bridge Road Brewers against each other in a blind tasting battle in which you decide the winner!

Join The Crafty Pint team and the brewers at Hustler from 6.30pm and warm up for the big day as follows:

• Blind taste several rounds of beers featuring one beer from each brewer
• Pick your favourite in each round
• Tuck into some bitesize treats from the Hustler kitchen
• And enjoy a Q&A about the breweries, their beers, the festival and whatever you want to know, hosted by Crafty Pint founder James Smith

There will be prizes on the night too, and Crafty Cabal members can book tickets for the bargain price of $25pp, saving almost 40 percent from the full ticket price.

Spaces are limited so get in quick!

Bendigo On The Hop returns on August 27, taking over the regional city for another day of roving and sampling.

The night before it kicks off, we're pitting longstanding festival sponsors Holgate Brewhouse and Bridge Road Brewers against each other in a blind tasting battle in which you decide the winner!

Join The Crafty Pint team and the brewers at Hustler from 6.30pm and warm up for the big day as follows:

• Blind taste several rounds of beers featuring one beer from each brewer
• Pick your favourite in each round
• Tuck into some bitesize treats from the Hustler kitchen
• And enjoy a Q&A about the breweries, their beers, the festival and whatever you want to know, hosted by Crafty Pint founder James Smith

There will be prizes on the night too, and Crafty Cabal members can book tickets for the bargain price of $25pp, saving almost 40 percent from the full ticket price.

Spaces are limited so get in quick!

Wolf of the Willows and Lark Distillery are going big on the launch of their fifth collaboration.

There's three events – all of which you can find in The Crafty Pint Events Diary – including a launch party at their taproom.

It's effectively a double release party, thanks to the Barrel Exchange Program that first sees an imperial version of the brewery's Johnny Smoke Porter aged in empty Lark whisky casks before those casks are returned to the distillery where they're filled with single malt whisky and the ensuing spirit is released as The Lark Wolf.

You can read all about the event on August 12 here and also save 15 percent on tickets as a member of The Crafty Cabal.

The Crafty Pint is heading back to The DTC for another blind tasting – but this time with a twist!

Each flight of IPAs will feature two of the best from the West vs two from elsewhere in Australia. And you get to decide who brews the best of them.

You can read all about the event here – and book your spots for the event starting at 6.30pm on August 18.

Tickets cost just $25pp for Cabal members ($49 full price), which includes welcome drink, three flights of IPA samples, shared platters, enlightenment and entertainment.

The Crafty Pint is heading back to The DTC for another blind tasting – but this time with a twist!

Each flight of IPAs will feature two of the best from the West vs two from elsewhere in Australia. And you get to decide who brews the best of them.

You can read all about the event here – and book your spots for the event starting at 6.30pm on August 18.

Tickets cost just $25pp for Cabal members ($49 full price), which includes welcome drink, three flights of IPA samples, shared platters, enlightenment and entertainment.

Westside Ale Works was already one of the most prolific breweries in Australia, regularly filling 20 of the 30 taps at their South Melbourne brewpub with their own beers.

Then they embarked on Ida Pruul – a wild ale and barrel-aged beer joint venture with brewing offsider Ben Sewell – and added even more to their already-colourful lineup.

If you'd like to learn all about the two operations, sample some of their beers, and enjoy some pizza at the same time, you can join them for a Crafty Cabal member event on August 4.

Kicking off at 6.30pm upstairs at their brewpub, Westside founder Casey Wagner and Ben will share some of their favourite beers and give you an insight into their ethos and plans for the future.

Tickets cost just $15pp and will include a launch night taste of The Pint of Origin PoO-totype – a beer we were originally hoping to brew for Pint of Origin (#PoO22) venues before running out of time.

The concept was to create something that represented every PoO region in some way or another, which led to a beer featuring:

• Malt from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK
• Hops from the USA
• Kveik yeast from Europe
• Yuzu juice from Japan

It's being launched on the night before, hopefully, sparking a series of future PoO beers in years to come.

Right then... here's hoping the phrases "third time lucky", "three is the magic number" and "third time's a charm" actually have some basis in reality.

After two aborted attempts to put together an event with Botany neighbours Slow Lane and One Drop, we're hopeful there will be no more lockdowns or mega-COVID waves to prevent us going ahead this time around.

We've locked in October 8, 2022, and have some very exciting plans for the double-header event.

We'll be kicking off late morning at Slow Lane before heading to One Drop around lunchtime. There will be food, beer, enlightenment and excitement at both legs. But aside from that, well, we're keeping it a secret until the day!

Let's just say it's going to be special and the sort of event you'll be telling your mates about for ages afterwards.

Spots are very limited and cost $30pp, which includes beer samples and food at both breweries. And this is a strictly member-only event too – no plus ones.

Good Land Brewing Co are celebrating their first birthday with a festival at their brewery on July 23.

There will be eight new beers on tap, including collabs with 2 Crows (Canada), Carwyn Cellars and Sailors Grave, plus live music.

You can read all about it here – and if you're a Crafty Cabal member save on tickets too.

Moffat Beach Brewing Co is the little brewery that can.

Since launching with a tiny brewpub kit in a café overlooking the beach on the Sunshine Coast, the brewing company has grown into one of the best stories in Aussie beer.

In May, they added three more trophies – including Champion Small Australian Brewery – to their outrageous haul from recent years at the AIBAs. Better still, Shaz and Matt are bloody lovely folks too.

If you'd like to taste some of their beers and chat to them about their remarkable rise, how they're expanding their Sunny Coast operation, and how Matt turned blunt feedback from beer judges into some of the highest-rated beers in the country, you can join us at Brewski on June 23 at 6.30pm.

Tickets for Cabal members cost just $10pp – and you can bring a mate for the same price too. That includes beers and nibbles.

See you there!

Moffat Beach Brewing Co is the little brewery that can.

Since launching with a tiny brewpub kit in a café overlooking the beach on the Sunshine Coast, the brewing company has grown into one of the best stories in Aussie beer.

In May, they added three more trophies – including Champion Small Australian Brewery – to their outrageous haul from recent years at the AIBAs. Better still, Shaz and Matt are bloody lovely folks too.

If you'd like to taste some of their beers and chat to them about their remarkable rise, how they're expanding their Sunny Coast operation, and how Matt turned blunt feedback from beer judges into some of the highest-rated beers in the country, you can join us at Brewski on June 23 at 6.30pm.

Tickets for Cabal members cost just $10pp – and you can bring a mate for the same price too. That includes beers and nibbles.

See you there!