Independent Brewers Association

30/10/2026

The IBA is always thrilled to follow along with the success stories of great indie breweries, like long time IBA supporting , who recently celebrated 10-years of their Healesville operation.

The Crafty Pint highlighted their story and successes over the years, with Watt's River co-owners Ben & Hanna Hamilton discussing the importance of being a brewery for locals.

"We are first and foremost a local brewery. We have a very loyal, local following who let us know what they love most and what they love less. The feedback we get from our customers has helped us to shape our b**rs, our hospitality offer and how we go about our business."

"We support local musicians who play on Friday nights, bringing in both our local customers and weekend visitors, and we took part in the Victorian Government’s 10,000 Gigs Program over the past 12 months.

Furthermore, we actively contribute to our local traders association, Healesville Traders, we have formed a fantastic partnership with other drink producers in our neighbourhood known as the Healesville Makers Quarter and we support local events, clubs and people in need."

"We’re proud to contribute to the Healesville Bowls Club, the Healesville Futsal Club, Healesville Cricket Club, and we make donations for many local schools and community groups as well as raise funds for the local CFA annually."

More than a decade ago, Lion announced that Healesville would no longer be the home of White Rabbit. Little Creatures' littler, funkier sibling would move to Geelong and, while it might have been good news for the regional city, the wine-soaked Yarra Valley looked set to lose out. But ten years on,....

29/10/2026

This week, the IBA has updated and revised our B**r Labelling Guidelines, and they are now available to all IBA members. This resource helps members ensure that b**r packaging is compliant, responsible and retail-ready.

We know how valuable this resource is to brewers of all sizes who package their b**rs, and we urge all members to use them.

The latest updates are the first in several years, with an improved, easier to read layout, additional information on retailer requirements, and everything brewers need to know on Energy Labelling Requirements as per The Food Standards Australia Guidelines.

In the coming weeks, the IBA will host a webinar covering the updates to the IBA B**r Labelling Guidelines and the Food Standards Australia Guidelines.

The IBA also reminds members that this resource is owned by the IBA and is a member benefit, so cannot be shared outside of your IBA member login or organisation.

Please reach out to us if you need a refresher on your member login at [email protected] in order to access resources.

B**r labelling guidelines are an IBA member-only resource designed for pre-packaged b**r, covering mandatory label requirements.

28/10/2026

This month in Canberra, the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia released its 2026 State of Small Business Report.

The headline statistics aren’t great.

-2 in 5 owners are working more hours than a year ago;
-1 in 4 are paying themselves more than a year ago.
-Around 25% of owners say they could absorb a 20% rise in demand with their current people and systems.

If you couple that with data from the IBA’s own economic contribution report in December 2024 – it paints a grim picture for just how hard small businesses are doing it.

Read on for IBA CEO Sabrina Kunz thoughts, a link to an opinion piece from COSBOA Chair Matthew Addison, and some national television coverage on the issue.

Last week in Canberra, the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia released its 2026 State of Small Business Report. The headline statistics aren’t great. If you couple that with data from the IBA’s own economic contribution report in December 2024 – it paints a grim picture for just...

27/10/2026

"A craft brewery is not an abstract line in the national accounts. It is a father-and-son operation on the south coast that built a following from Newcastle to Canberra, employs locals, sponsors clubs and gives a region a product and a place to stop - precisely the kind of small enterprise examined in these pages earlier this year. When such businesses fold under indexed excise and market lock-out, the loss is measured in closed venues, redundant tradespeople, and towns that lose another reason for visitors and residents to linger."

"The major brands will still pour; the distinctive local ones will not. Independent breweries, many of them regional, contribute billions in economic activity and a disproportionate share of sector employment relative to their volume. Their attrition is not costless."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is rarely far from a b**r. Cameras have caught him chugging one in the crowd at a Gang of Youths concert in his home city, pouring at Gage Roads in Fremantle, or tu…

26/10/2026

It's always great to see and hear about the wins of IBA members across news and social media - like , who took out the title of Best Small Brewery at the Inaugural **rchampionships, alongside another fantastic IBA member in .

These kinds of awards demonstrate that these indie brewers are leaders when it comes to quality. But with award winning b**r comes great venue experiences, innovative brewing, community engagement and of course, hardworking and dedicated people that ensure indie b**r is the best b**r!

This is the story of many indie brewers, and the IBA is incredibly thankful to all of our members who work tirelessly for the industry while supporting the IBA to ensure a strong future for all Australian, independent brewers. Cheers to that.

The brewery’s Launch L***r was also named Champion Australian L***r…

22/10/2026

This week in Sydney, among the celebrations of Sydney B**r Week, Australia’s brewing community gathered for the 2026 **randbrewer Awards, which recognise the people, suppliers and venues that have made a positive impact on Australia’s brewing industry over the past 12 months.

The IBA is proud to support the B**r & Brewer Awards, with Membership Engagement Officer Jono Outred presenting the award for Brewpub of the Year to Stomping Ground Brewery & B**r Hall - Collingwood

The awards saw indie brewers receive plenty of recognition, including IBA Board Member Faith Wignall (The Grifter Brewing Company), who took out the People's Choice Award.

Congratulations to those who took home an award - read the article for the full list of winners.

Members of Australia’s brewing community gathered at Mountain Culture in Redfern this week for the 2026 B**r & Brewer Awards.

22/10/2026

When the conversation is happening on morning television talk shows, you know the message is spreading and the people are talking.

Effie Zappa is on the money - how do we get here? And the economy is out of whack!

The IBA believes that Australian owned, independent brewers and those who choose to drink indie b**r deserve total alcohol tax reform. The media is talking, MP’s are talking, punters are talking. And parliamentary decision makers must listen.

15/10/2026

Members! We are doing a call out to all our indie brewers for updated content to help showcase you; photos and videos that we can use to show consumers all the reasons to choose indie b**r.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

-A great shot from the outside of your venue – so people know what it looks like from the street.
-An aerial shot, or anything that shows the landscape your brewery or venue is in.
-Pictures of your brewers or your teams – working or posed.
-What does your venue look and feel like for visitors – a great interior shot.
-What makes your venue unique? A kids’ play area; pets allowed, a great band or an amazing menu.
-Shots of consumers or folks enjoying time in your venue.
-Your branding or experience at charity or community events.

We know that Indie breweries are backbones of communities across Australia and make cracking b**r. So we want to share that with as many people as we can.

Visit the link below to submit content:
https://independentbrewers.org.au/2026/10/14/iba-content-call-out/

15/10/2026

Congratulations to all of the trophy winners of **rchampionships last night! It was fantastic to see every trophy taken out by an indie brewer, with 6 of 7 categories won by IBA members!

It again shows that it is indie brewers who are pushing innovation and quality in b**r, and we're proud to see so many Australian owned, independent brewers contributing to competitions across the country.

Congratulations again to all of the IBA members who took home a trophy, see below for the full list:

CHAMPION LOWER ALCOHOL - , Tasmania
CHAMPION DARK - , Victoria
CHAMPION IPA - , Victoria
CHAMPION PALE - @.barrel, Victoria
CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN PALE - , Queensland
CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN L***R - , Tasmania

14/10/2026

New South Wales! We are heading to Sydney for an event with a heap of trade suppliers to talk all things b**r as part of **r_week, on Monday the 19th October, 2-6pm.

This is going to be a stacked afternoon with an opportunity to hear an update from the IBA, catchup with your fellow brewers and hear from industry supplies on their products, innovations and what's happening in the world of b**r - all of this over a couple of b**rs and some light snacks .

Tickets are just $10 with food and drink included.
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/iba-sydney-b**r-week-trade-event-tickets-2000812316499?aff=oddtdtcreator