BentSpoke Brewing Co
BentSpoke Brewing Co is a Canberra craft brewery known for bike-themed beers, its Crankshaft IPA, and an award-winning brewpub and commercial brewing operation.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
BentSpoke Brewing Co is an Australian craft brewery based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The company was founded in 2014 by brewers Richard Watkins and Tracy Margrain, initially operating as a brewpub in Braddon, a central Canberra suburb. The business subsequently expanded beyond its hospitality base with a commercial brewing and canning facility in the Canberra light-industrial suburb of Mitchell. This two-part operating model gives BentSpoke both a direct-to-consumer brewpub presence and the capacity to distribute packaged beer commercially. The brand identity is closely associated with cycling. The name BentSpoke and the visual treatment of its commercially available cans use bicycle-related themes, while several beer names reinforce the same motif. Its best-known product is Crankshaft IPA, a 5.8% alcohol-by-volume India pale ale. Crankshaft has been recognized repeatedly in the annual GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of the Year rankings. It placed third in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023, and reached first place in both 2020 and 2021. The beer has also been voted Australia's number-one IPA in the GABS results continuously from 2015, according to the cited reference material. BentSpoke's broader range includes Barley Griffin Canberra Pale Ale, Sprocket IPA, Red Nut Red IPA, Cluster 8 Imperial IPA, Big Nut Black IPA, and seasonal or specialty releases such as Flemm Flanders Red Ale and Descent Russian Imperial Stout. The range covers approachable pale ales as well as stronger, more specialized styles, including imperial IPA and a Russian imperial stout exceeding 15% alcohol by volume. Product naming, packaging, and beer-style variety are central elements of the company's market identity. The brewery has built a strong competitive reputation through domestic and international beer awards. In 2019, Barley Griffin won gold and Crankshaft won silver at the International Brewing Awards in London. Barley Griffin later received the competition's Small Pack Ale Champion's Trophy. BentSpoke is described as the only Australian brewery to win a champion's trophy at both the 2019 and 2024 International Brewing Awards. In 2021, Sprocket won the Best Traditional IPA Trophy at the Australian International Beer Awards. BentSpoke has also used brewing as a platform for experimentation and public discussion of sustainability. In 2019, it partnered with the Canberra Innovation Network to develop The Innovator, a beer brewed with wild yeast, pear juice, and dried edible insects including crickets and black soldier fly larvae. The project was designed to explore local and environmentally oriented brewing ingredients while drawing attention to innovation. Overall, BentSpoke is positioned as an independent Canberra craft brewing company combining a destination brewpub, canned beer production, recognizable bicycle-led branding, and a focus on innovative beer development.
History
BentSpoke Brewing Co began in Canberra in 2014, when brewers Richard Watkins and Tracy Margrain established the business as a brewpub in Braddon. The original model placed brewing and hospitality together, allowing customers to experience the beers at their source in a central Canberra neighborhood. The company's name and brand presentation adopted bicycle imagery, a theme also reflected in the names and packaging of its commercially distributed beers. As the brewery developed, BentSpoke added a separate commercial brewing and canning facility in Mitchell, a Canberra light-industrial area. The expansion enabled the company to support packaged beer production in addition to its Braddon brewpub. Its commercial range came to include beers across several styles, from the 4.2% Barley Griffin Canberra Pale Ale to stronger offerings such as Cluster 8 Imperial IPA and Descent Russian Imperial Stout. Crankshaft IPA became the brewery's signature product and one of the most highly recognized beers in Australian craft-beer competitions. It placed third in the GABS Hottest 100 rankings in 2017, 2018, and 2019, won the overall ranking in 2020 and 2021, and placed third again in 2022 and 2023. The reference material also identifies Crankshaft as Australia's number-one IPA in GABS voting continuously from 2015. These results helped establish BentSpoke's reputation beyond Canberra. The brewery gained further recognition at the International Brewing Awards in London. In 2019, Barley Griffin received a gold medal and Crankshaft received a silver medal. Barley Griffin also won the Small Pack Ale Champion's Trophy that year. BentSpoke was described as the only Australian brewery to win a champion's trophy at both the 2019 and 2024 International Brewing Awards. Sprocket IPA added another major result in 2021 by winning the Best Traditional IPA Trophy at the Australian International Beer Awards. BentSpoke has also pursued experimental and sustainability-oriented brewing. In 2019, it partnered with the Canberra Innovation Network to create The Innovator, using wild yeast, pear juice, and dried edible insects such as crickets and black soldier fly larvae. The project was designed to examine alternative, local, and environmentally friendly brewing ingredients. Through its brewpub, commercial canning operation, established core beers, and experimental releases, BentSpoke has developed an identity as a Canberra-based craft brewery with national competition visibility.
- 2024
BentSpoke secures another International Brewing Awards champion's trophy
[1]BentSpoke is reported as the only Australian brewery to secure a champion's trophy at the 2024 International Brewing Awards.
- 2021
Crankshaft repeats its GABS Hottest 100 win
[1]Crankshaft IPA takes first place again, giving BentSpoke consecutive wins in the cited 2020 and 2021 rankings.
- 2021
Sprocket IPA wins at the Australian International Beer Awards
[1]Sprocket IPA receives the Best Traditional IPA Trophy.
- 2020
Crankshaft IPA tops the GABS Hottest 100
[1]Crankshaft IPA wins first place in the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of the Year.
- 2019
BentSpoke receives major International Brewing Awards recognition
[1]Barley Griffin wins gold, Crankshaft wins silver, and Barley Griffin receives the Small Pack Ale Champion's Trophy at the International Brewing Awards.
- 2019
The Innovator experimental beer is developed
[1]BentSpoke and the Canberra Innovation Network collaborate on an experimental beer using wild yeast, pear juice, and dried edible insects.
- 2017
Crankshaft IPA places third in the GABS Hottest 100
[1]Crankshaft IPA records its first cited third-place finish in the annual Australian craft-beer ranking.
- 2014
BentSpoke is founded as a Canberra brewpub
[1]Brewers Richard Watkins and Tracy Margrain establish BentSpoke Brewing Co, initially operating a brewpub in Braddon's central Canberra area.
Products and positioning
A Canberra craft brewery positioned around bold, award-winning beers, bicycle-inspired branding, brewpub hospitality, and experimental brewing.
India pale ale
Crankshaft IPA
A 5.8% ABV India pale ale and BentSpoke's signature beer. Crankshaft has achieved repeated recognition in the GABS Hottest 100, including first place in 2020 and 2021 and several third-place finishes. The beer is also associated with the brand's continuing recognition as a leading Australian IPA.
Canberra pale ale
Barley Griffin
A 4.2% ABV pale ale named for Canberra's local identity. Barley Griffin won a gold medal at the 2019 International Brewing Awards and subsequently received that competition's Small Pack Ale Champion's Trophy, making it one of BentSpoke's most decorated packaged beers.
India pale ale
Sprocket IPA
A 6.7% ABV IPA that extends BentSpoke's cycling-oriented naming system. Sprocket received the Best Traditional IPA Trophy at the 2021 Australian International Beer Awards, adding a major award to the brewery's portfolio beyond its flagship Crankshaft release.
Red IPA
Red Nut
A 7.0% ABV Red IPA in BentSpoke's commercially available range. It represents the brewery's use of stronger, malt-forward IPA variations alongside its pale ale and more conventional IPA offerings.
Imperial IPA
Cluster 8
An 8.8% ABV Imperial IPA designed for drinkers seeking a stronger and more concentrated interpretation of the IPA style. It sits toward the high-strength end of BentSpoke's core-style range.
Black IPA
Big Nut
A 7.0% ABV Black IPA combining the stronger profile of an IPA with a dark beer presentation. Big Nut demonstrates the breadth of BentSpoke's packaged range across both pale and dark interpretations of hop-focused beer.
Flanders red ale
Flemm
A seasonal Flanders red ale listed at 5.0% ABV. Flemm illustrates BentSpoke's seasonal program and its willingness to produce styles outside the brewery's best-known IPA and pale-ale focus.
Russian imperial stout
Descent
A high-strength Russian imperial stout exceeding 15% ABV. Descent is a specialty seasonal-style release aimed at consumers interested in intense, cellar-worthy beer formats rather than sessionable everyday drinking.
Experimental sustainable beer · 2019
The Innovator
An experimental 2019 collaboration with the Canberra Innovation Network. The beer incorporated wild yeast, pear juice, and dried edible insects, including crickets and black soldier fly larvae, to explore innovative and potentially more environmentally oriented local brewing ingredients.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019The Innovator
Australia
BentSpoke partnered with the Canberra Innovation Network on an experimental beer project using wild yeast, pear juice, and dried edible insects. The initiative used brewing to examine innovation and alternative local ingredients with an environmental focus.
Outcome. The project produced The Innovator and served as a public demonstration of experimental brewing and alternative ingredient use.
Brand decisions
2014
Establish a brewpub-led businessStrategyBackground
The founders began BentSpoke as a brewpub in Braddon, Canberra, combining beer production with an on-site hospitality venue.
Action taken
BentSpoke launched its initial operation around a central Canberra brewpub rather than beginning solely as a packaged-beer producer.
Aftermath
The brewpub remained one part of a later operating model that also included a commercial brewing and canning facility.
- Expand into commercial brewing and canningStrategy
Background
The company developed beyond its original brewpub format and required a separate production base for commercially available canned beer.
Action taken
BentSpoke established a commercial brewing and canning facility in Mitchell, Canberra.
Aftermath
The company operated both a Braddon brewpub and a commercial production facility, supporting packaged distribution alongside venue sales.
Sources1 sources
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