Shapeshifter & Their Fun, Hoppy, Modern Beers

"I think we got tagged early on as a hype brewery. We're not afraid to say that we were."

In the words of Willie Nelson, we’re on the road again for this episode – or at least we were – as our chat with James McCall and Carla Naismith of Shapeshifter Brewing is the last of the shows we recorded in Adelaide at the tail end of 2024.

James founded the brewery with Kevin Mulcahy after the pair met on a brewing course run by SA legend Stephen Nelsen. They launched their first beers before opening a brewery and quickly made a name for themselves on the back of some banging oat cream IPAs.

These days they brew and welcome punters to their brewpub home in Findon – part of a brewery circuit in Adelaide’s west – and continue to experiment with new styles, techniques, and ingredients, with a particular fondness for hops.

As well as delving into their stories and the evolution of Shapeshifter, we discuss some of the issues still impacting many in the beer and hospitality negatively, as well as steps that can be taken to make it a more inclusive and welcoming industry.

Prior to the main interview, Will and James discuss the week’s news, including Sydney Brewery’s acquisition of Rocks Brewing from liquidators, the inspiring tale of the mates behind Auslan Beers, and the continuing mainstream media coverage of the unfair excise tax system and its impact on brewers, venues, retailers and drinkers alike.

Funnily enough, it was podcast regular Craig Williams – back here with Hendo for some more Rockstar Brewer Academy advice – who landed on the TV news and Sunrise off the back of a viral video he shot about beer’s “fifth ingredient” with his Blackflag Brewing hat on.

Don’t forget to get your nominations in for the Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month and, if you’re in Sydney on February 26, James is hosting an Ale Trail Blind Tasting Face-Off at Hopsters. Just ten tickets left when this show was uploaded – ticket link below.

Start of segments:

• 10:12 – James & Carla Part 1
• 32:13 – Rockstar Brewer Academy
• 38:21 – James & Carla Part 2

Relevant links:

• Shapeshifter Brewing
• Brew & A: Carla Naismith
• Sydney Brewery Take Over Rocks
• Auslan Beers
• Beer Tax on TV
• Ale Trail Blind Tasting
• Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month
• The High Country Hop
• Rockstar Brewer Academy
• FOBOH

To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].