A Golden Era For Pubs - But Can It Last?

“People attract people. It’s that simple. Nobody wants to sit in an empty room.” If you've visited The Lincoln – a 171-years-and-counting-old corner pub on the edge of Melbourne's CBD – at any point in the past decade, there's a good chance you'll have enjoyed the experience. After all, as we like to put it: they do everything excellently, all the time – and the team has a bulging trophy cabinet that suggests we're not alone. As they prepare to showcase the Tasmanian beer scene once again for the Pint of Origin festival, we sat down with Iain Ling, who bought the pub with wife Stella in 2014, for a chat about what goes into running a great pub and creating the sort of community that has evolved at The Lincoln. We also delve into the backstory of one of the Melbourne hospo scene's true characters – one that took in club promotion, fine dining and high-end retail in England before he moved to Australia, where he ran Movida Aqui prior to becoming a publican. It's a conversation that goes as deep as it does wide, covering Tetris ninjas, kissing frogs and the challenges of surviving and thriving in the industry on the one hand, to the joy that comes from packing a venue with punters in what he believes is a golden era for pubs, albeit one that's threatened by sky-high taxes and rocketing prices. Before Iain shares his hard-earned wisdom, Will and James reflect on the glorious career in beer of Evan Cray, who this month switched craft beer for Tabasco after being a central, yet humble, figure in the rise of beer in Melbourne since he was old enough to drink it. We also look forward to Pint of Origin, which launches on May 9, as well as the festival's "Pining for a taste of home" competition that started this week. Start of segments: 9:14 – Iain Ling Part 1 39:27 – Iain Ling Part 2 Relevant links: The Lincoln Pint of Origin 2025 Pining For A Taste Of Home Competition Craft Beer Heroes: Evan Cray Klippakan Nominate a good beer citizen Nominate a Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month To find out more about supporting the show or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].