It’s been another big week for Australian Brews News. Among the highlights has been the announcement that long-term contributor James Davidson has been announced as the recipient of our latest beer writing bursary, this time sponsored by O-I Glass. It follows previous bursaries sponsored by Cryer Malt and Hop Products Australia.

Also this week, after considerable badgering from Australian Brews News, CUB has announced that it is reviewing its claims about the history of Crown Lager.

While the two events may not seem it, they are related.

Australian Brews News is what it is, and that’s probably best described as something of a loose cannon. Unlike publications that dare not risk upsetting advertisers, we ask questions, we poke fun at po-faced marketers and we sometimes ruffle feathers including, occasionally, those of our sponsors. But through it all we love beer and we want more people drinking it, and we don’t care whether it is Corona, Crown Lager or some barrel-aged hop monster. Beer genuinely is a conversation and we want to air both sides of that discussion and make sure the information is there for people to make informed beer drinking decisions.

In taking the risk of upsetting people, or calling advertising into question, it makes it very hard to sell traditional advertising. Funnily enough, businesses don’t want to advertise if you reciprocate by questioning the advertising claims they are making. That businesses such as our bursary sponsors are willing to come on board and sponsor emerging beer writers, and that these companies together with our other sponsors do so without putting qualifications or limitations on what we cover or how we cover it, is a positive reflection on them. Their willingness to sponsor us also makes Australian Brews News possible.

This week’s Crown Lager stories just highlights how poorly serviced beer drinkers are by the drinks media. We need for more beer writers and more independent beer publications for them to have their work published. The more critical analysis and questioning that we have of beer and the brewing industry, as well as the more cheering we have for beer itself, the better serviced and better informed Australian beer drinkers will be. Of course, this needs more companies willing to sponsor independent beer writing.

We don’t often do it, so grant us the self-indulgence of the above comments and in thanking those businesses that support us and make Australian Brews News possible. In doing so, I believe that they mark themselves as businesses that are genuinely interested in a strong and vibrant brewing industry:

Bursary Sponsors:

Hop Products Australia
Cryer Malt
O-I Glass

Site Sponsors

Stone & Wood
Brewers Choice
Mountain Goat
Burleigh Brewing
The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide
The Albion Hotel, Newcastle
Bridge Road Brewers
Beer Diva
Premier Stainless
Bintani Australia
Birra Italiana