The Cool Room The Cool Room

Duncan from Hop Nation joins Warren and special guest host Travis for a discussion about all the latest news and views from the brewery.
You can taste along with the beers discussed in the podcast by grabbing a tasting pack from our online store here: https://the-coolroom-podcast.myshopify.com/products/hop-nation-8-pack
Duncan explains where the idea for Hop Nation came from and what it was like when the brewery started out, as well as his own journey from wine maker to brewer.
We learn how old favorites like the J Juice have changed over time [and what's changed back] his approach to collaborations with the likes of Wildflower and the hops that inspire him.
And of course we get some inside scoops on what's planned for the Carwyn/Coolroom Black Box, their visit to Bright Brewery's Darker Days Festival and the imminent release of this year's Kalash Imperial Stout

It's the Hair of the Dog Breakfast at Beer Deluxe in Fed Square and accompanied by some amazing food from Telina Menzies we share some amazing brews and some great stories with 4 fantastic brewers.
We kick off with Ed and Fiona from Dollar Bill who have some fantastic news to share [no spoilers - but it involves local government talk!] We learn what new trophies they have on their sideboard and the inner-Bendigonian in Davydd comes out as he discusses Lake Wendouree.
Then it's on to Nick from Local Brewing Co who tells us all about the beers they've brought to the breakfast and how they've just passed 400,000 meals donated to Second Bite. We learn how they source their ingredients and some of the special measures they need to take when using them.
Then Coconspirators return and after a rather confusing start we establish when they started to brew the legendary Matriarch and how many versions they've brewed [and what's planned for the future]. Then Olmo reveals the secrets of making the very special beer that we enjoy with dessert.
We finish off with Ashley from 2 Metre Tall in an interview that you're not going to want to miss. We learn why tigers at the zoo aren't really wild, all about the early feedback emails he received and why he believes we've hit peak glad wrap...

For the first time ever a Japanese Brewery, Black Tide, joins us for our Thursday night Meet the Brewers Series - and there's some fascinating stories to share!
You can grab the beers we discuss in this episode from our online store here: https://the-coolroom-podcast.myshopify.com/products/black-tide-mixed-4-pack
If you're quick you can also head down to Benchwarmer Bar in North Melbourne and find them on tap - a big thanks to Locky from Benchwarmer [who pops up in the podcast a couple of times] for all his help in making this episode happen!
James from Black Tide has an amazing story to share starting in a home-brew store in Portland Oregon and leading to running a brewery in a Japanese fishing town with lots of lessons and insights along the way.
We find out what he's learned from internships at Japanese breweries, the similarities and differences of how things are done compared to the US and how the Japanese craft beer market is faring generally.
There's a detailed discussion about the amazing art that appears on Black Tide cans and of course there's a coolroom experience or two to share - and did Locky really dress up a couple of kegs in a trench coat to get them through a Japanese airport?

It's the second half of our interview with Evin from Bright [and also the Independent Brewers Association] as we delve into the story behind the North East Victorian IPA.
We get the lowdown on the upcoming Darker Days festival where the Coolroom will be the guest podcaster alongside some great brewers and musical guests The Delta Riggs - you can grab your tickets here: https://darkerdays.com.au/ - don't forget to use the codeword Coolroom10 for a nice discount!
We also get some insights into this year's hop harvest and the close links between the local suppliers and Bright, as well the latest part of the Bright Brewery family - Infinite Barrelworks.
We finish off with a chat about last year's Black Box beer "Mushroom Bear" and get a tiny preview of what they are planning for this year's contribution - we even get a little behind the scenes story of the chaos caused when Tito from Carwyn last visited the brewery. Don't forget you can get your 2024 Black Box here: https://the-coolroom-podcast.myshopify.com/products/2024-carwyn-coolroom-black-box

Evin Craney from Bright Brewery is a regular visitor to the Coolroom and he returns with the Puteketeke Pilsner [thanks John Oliver] under his wing for a chat about all that's happening in the Australian Craft Beer scene.
Before we get to Evin there's a quick chat out at Deeds Brewing where some lucky listeners got to join the brew team, Davydd and Tito from Carwyn Cellars to help blend their contribution to this year's Carwyn/Coolroom Black Box.
Obviously at the time we didn't know that Deeds would be announcing just a couple of days later that they were ceasing operations and we again want to pass on to the Deeds team our thanks for some awesome beers over the years and wish them all luck in their future endeavours.
If you'd like to purchase one of the black boxes including the beer we created at Deeds you can do so here: https://the-coolroom-podcast.myshopify.com/products/2024-carwyn-coolroom-black-box
We recorded with Evin before the news about Deeds came out but with his Independent Brewers Association hat on we still got to chat about the challenges that he sees for the industry at the moment but also the things that make him optimistic for the future.
There's plenty of market and design chat, commentary on the work of our friend Mr Pocket Beagles and a special code word to help you get 10% off your Bright Brewery Darker Days Festival tickets!
Look out for Episode 227 coming soon with the second half of our chat with Evin!

Brendan and Geoff from 3 Ravens join the Coolroom crew for a chat about some of their amazing beers and everything that's happening in the Australian craft beer scene.
If you want to taste along with the beers the guys are chatting about then you can grab them from our online store here: https://the-coolroom-podcast.myshopify.com/products/3-ravens-4-pack
A lot has changed since the guys first met in Perth at Phoenix beers but that means they are uniquely placed to talk about how the beer scene has evolved, what trends they see emerging and what makes them feel positive about the future.
We sip and discuss a sour beer, an oatmeal stout, a dark chocolate old ale before finishing off with the James Bean, a 13.6% barrel-aged barley wine made for last year's Carwyn/Coolroom Black Box.
Will we get an insight into what they're contributing to this year's Black Box? You'll have to listen in to find out - and to make sure you don't miss this year's Black Box here: https://the-coolroom-podcast.myshopify.com/products/2024-carwyn-coolroom-black-box