Thong throwing, competitive pie eating and 200 drinks to choose from at Canberra Beer and Cider Festival

The Canberra Beer and Cider Festival returns for another glorious day of booze, bites and beats in March.

The festival, now in its 19th year, has become a staple on the calendar for lovers of craft beer and cider. And the line-up of breweries, distilleries and food trucks sets the stage for another brilliant festival.

Stallholders range from the super local – Capital Brewing, Cypher Brewing and Bentspoke will all be at the festival – to those much further afield like Wheel Line Cider, an American cidery based in Washington State. Other Australian beverages include Carbon 6 Brewing from Queensland and Spreyton Cider Co from Tasmania.

Sherri Dill is a brewer with Capital Brewing Co and told Region that festivals like these were a great way to connect with the communities of beer lovers and brewers.

“The festival has really grown over the years and that’s really exciting to have breweries coming from all over to little Canberra,” she said.

Capital Brewing Co will be showcasing a range of its specialty beers and giving punters a sneak peek into what they can expect at the soon-to-be-opened Lager House.

“We have been working so hard on a lot of specialty beers that are different to our core range. Obviously a lot of lagers are on the way, but there will also be a few different fun colours: red ales and Irish stouts,” Sherri said.

“I feel like we’re starting to pull away from extreme and crazy flavours. We’re not out to shock people, we’re interested in making different styles of beer with a wider range of flavours that people will want to drink and maybe have a few.”

For non-beer drinkers, there will also be a range of spirits, wine and non-alcoholic drinks on offer. Sydney distillery Unexpected Guest will be bringing its range of award-winning gins to the festival with cocktails and tastings.

MXTology will be selling its range of cocktails on lanyards which are perfect if you’re planning to boogie down to the live music sets at the festival (no more sticky spillages!)

DJ Big Deck will start off the day with laid back grooves before local acoustic duo Luca & Lije showcase their sunny session vibes. The festival will finish with a set from local soul and funk outfit SEAN and The H‑Cee Family.

Children can attend for free (but still need to have a ticket) and there will be face painting and balloon animal activities to keep them entertained.

Of course a boozy festival needs some stomach-lining food to go along with the bevs and there’s a killer line-up of food trucks set to keep everyone well fed. Local favourite Ban Me will have its Vietnamese charcoal BBQ banh mi and Sydney-based Spanish caterers Vamonos will be cooking up some epic paella.

Pizza will be hand-crafted by renowned chef and pizzaiolo Giovanni D’Agostino from Wild + Sour and there will also be snacks from Wild Goose small goods and Jono’s Jerky.

Participatory events during the day will include a thong throwing competition and a pie and pride eating contest.

Perhaps head to the axe throwing before you’ve sampled too many beverages, but putt-putt challenges can be enjoyed all day long.

“My favourite part of the festival is walking around and gas-bagging with all the different breweries. It’s about reconnecting, that’s really the spirit of it,” Sherri said.

“We’re really excited to have a festival like this in our own backyard.”

The Canberra Beer and Cider Festival will be held on March 21 from 11 am to 6 pm outside Hotel Mercure, accessed via the corner of Batman Street and Limestone Avenue, Braddon.
Tickets include entry to the festival and one free drink. Children attend for free but must register. Follow The Canberra Beer and Cider Festival on Facebook or Instagram.

Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.

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