Social restrictions and closures led to a decline in over-the-bar craft beer sales during the pandemic, but quick thinking and an ever-increasing variety of brews helped the sector continue to thrive.
Hard times forced the industry to change tack, which meant a win for beer connoisseurs as brewers developed new flavours to grab their attention.
The variety of beers available is limited only by the imagination of those brewing them, according to Joy McConnochie, bar manager of Hobart's Boodle Beazley.
More people are drinking craft beer — on tap, in bottles and in cans — and the number of manufacturers has continued to rise, even during COVID.
The latest report from the Independent Brewers Association has put the number of excise-paying small brewers at 582 nationwide.
According to the association, income generated by the sector rose by 18 per cent in 2019-2020, with the sector securing an additional 14 per cent of revenue from the mainstream beer market.
Farms full of hops
The growth has also prompted big change for hop farms in Tasmania and Victoria.
Hop Products Australia [HPA] is the nation's biggest hop producer and has farms in both states, including at Bushy Park Estates, about 50 kilometres north-west of Hobart.
“I'd say the craft beer industry in Australia has been on the build for more than a decade now," Owen Johnston from HPA said.
It has also been planting different varieties, with eight main Australian cultivars that include exotic names such as galaxy, enigma and topaz.
“We were growing hops just for bittering … and the variety of hop itself was quite downplayed," Mr Johnston said.
"That has pivoted to eight varieties all purposely grown because of their diverse impact in beer flavour.
"Brewers are looking for big fruit, juicy, tropical flavours, really identifiable characters, and really high consumer preference flavours in that citrus space."
Adopting a can-do attitude
COVID-19 did see a dip in the sales of independent beers, particularly for brewers selling in bars, but many quickly adapted.
A canning machine saved the Shambles Brewery in Hobart.
“Even though everything had shut, bottle shops were still open so we still had somewhere to sell our own beer," the brewery's Cornel Ianculovici said.
"We didn't lose everything; we could switch to using more packaged beer.
When other small brewers reached out for help, Shambles Brewery obliged.
“We stuck our canning machine in a truck and drove around the state to various breweries and canned their beer for them, so they had something to sell,” Mr Ianculovici said.
Shambles Brewery continues to sell a lot of canned beer now that restrictions have eased.
“Having had our product out there meant more people were aware of it," Mr Ianculovici said.
"It’s completely flipped now; it's two thirds cans and the rest in kegs."
Women tap into brewing
The craft beer industry has been reporting non-stop growth and increasingly women are a part of that expansion.
But while they are still very much the minority there's a move to change that.
The Pink Boots Society is a national group supporting women in the industry, with about 20 women turning up to an annual brew event in Hobart.
Mimi McIntyre, assistant brewer, at Moo Brew — Tasmania’s biggest independent beer producer — is helping lead the brew.
"A portion from the sales of each can and keg is going towards the Pink Boots Society — an organisation that promotes education and scholarships for women in brewing.
"It's a cause these women think is worth a big shout."
