Around 250 beers and ciders will be on offer, including those from local breweries such as Bent Spoke Brewing Co, Capital Brewing Co and 3 Sons Cider. Photo: File.
Canberra’s beer and cider brewers are welcoming back a bigger and better Canberra Craft Beer & Cider Festival in 2022.
Utilising the Mercure Canberra grounds and the adjoining lawns of Batman and Gooreen Streets in Braddon, the 15th edition of the festival is set for Saturday, 19 March.
Mimicking last year’s model, the day will be split into two ticketed sessions – one running from 11 am to 2 pm and the other from 3 pm to 6 pm.
Bent Spoke Brewing Co, Capital Brewing Co, and 3 Sons Cider are among the local breweries involved in this year’s festival, while renowned interstate breweries such as Mountain Goat Beer, 4 Pines Brewing and Stone Dog Meadery will also be in attendance, contributing to the approximately 250 beers and ciders on offer.
In total, more than 50 breweries have committed to the festival as well as a wide range of local food, including Bare Bones BBQ and Jacko’s Pizza, and live entertainment, including the very popular woodchopping competition.
Co-founder and managing director of Capital Brewing Co, Lawrence Kain says the festival is a fun and enjoyable way to connect with the local community of beer-lovers.
“It just helps the independent brewing industry as a whole,” he says. “I think it gets more people interested in craft beers that are Australian-owned rather than drinking a multinational beer, which is a good thing.
“We don’t notice a specific increase in sales, but I’ve got no doubt that it helps.”
Mr Kain believes events like the Canberra Craft Beer & Cider Festival are essential to allow the region to capitalise on both the growing beer tourism industry and the quality offerings available in the ACT.
“Beer tourism is pretty big. You can see that in Bright, in Beechworth, and in Marrickville, it’s massive,” he says.
“I think the more events like this that we have in Canberra, the better because then we’re getting people travelling into the city to come and enjoy the day, staying in hotels and eating at restaurants.
“It’s really important to have these things to show the rest of the country that we’re a pretty progressive city where interesting things happen.”
Attending the festival for the third time is 3 Sons Cider, which is brewed in the garage of a home in Aranda. Owner/brewer Doug (surname withheld) says it’s all about exposure.
“More so exposure to the Canberra populous because a lot of people don’t realise that we’re the only cider-makers in the ACT,” he says.
Canberra Craft Beer & Cider Festival organiser Jenny Farrell says the new-look 2022 event should signal “a major renaissance for large-scale public events” and a “tremendous showcase for Australia’s best brewers”.
“To have such easy access to 50 craft brewers and three hours of entertainment for as little as $20 entry provides a perfect opportunity for both serious lovers of beer and cider and those who just want to enjoy a fun, family-friendly event in a really attractive venue,” Ms Farrell says.
“Canberra is the perfect place for a long weekend, so we will be expecting a large number of visitors who want to combine the festival with visits to the many other nearby attractions.”
The festival is raising funds for the Rise Above Capital Region Cancer Relief which supports more than 950 cancer patients across the Capital region.
All tastings (100 ml) will be available for $2 each. Tickets can be purchased in advance through Moshtix for $20 per person or on the day for $30. Children are free with their parents.
For more information, head to the Canberra Beer Festival website.
Original Article published by Max O’Driscoll on Riotact.
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