A Heavy Growth in Weird and Wonderful Events for 2014
The Good Beer Week 2014 program launched recently, showcasing the enormous variety of events in the nine-day festival, now in its fourth year. Beyond the highlight events involving a host of Australian and international brewers alongside some of our state’s top chefs and producers, the program also sheds light on some unique events with a focus on the weird and the wonderful. From one-off brews and peculiar food events to wacky brewers doing their thing, Good Beer Week 2014 promises to be like no other.
Oregon brewery Rogue’s beer and beard legend, John ‘More Hops’ Maier, heads a stellar lineup for a hilarious one-off “Beer’d” Competition in the band room of Brunswick’s Howler, and the competition is tough. For those not au fait with Maier, last year he released the aptly named ‘Beard Beer’ to the public, made with yeast cultured from the brew master’s very own facial hair. The event will present Rogue Ales to the soundtrack of a live band (most likely headed by a bearded front man).
Victorian locals Moon Dog will join Rogue for ‘GBW Presents The Masterclass of Madness’. It’s the third year running that Good Beer Week will put on a live brew, masterclass and feast event, following collaborations between Hargreaves Hill, Nogne O and Moylan’s Brewery (2012) and Mountain Goat and Brooklyn Brewery (2013). This year’s event invites guests to get involved in some out there brewing, enjoy tank tastings and experience an intimate Q&A at Moon Dog’s brewery before travelling in style to a wild beerified feast at Rockwell & Sons.
The Brewers & Chewers event at St Kilda’s The Local Taphouse combines elements of ‘speed dating’ with ‘meeting the brewer’ in a fun dinner party atmosphere, with leading local and international brewers, while The Brewin’ Transfer event at The Coopers Malthouse presents a light-hearted but hard-hitting panel discussion hosted by Peter Mitcham, with industry experts picking apart our favourite beer ads to expose what lies beneath.
These are just four of the 200 events that promise to make Good Beer Week the best yet, when it takes place from May 17 – 25. Described by international brewers as “the best beer week in the world”, the nine-day festival has grown almost 400 per cent since launching in May 2011. For all the details, visit www.goodbeerweek.com.au