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| Steve Jeffares Guy Greenstone |
An
idea brewed up by two Aussie mates, who met over a few pints, has lead
to the largest craft beer festival of its kind in this country,
featuring some of the world’s leading brewers and creating a following
of thousands.
Some
ten years ago filmmaker-turned-bar owner Steve Jeffares and actor Guy
Greenstone met at Steve’s local pub in Melbourne aptly named The St
Kilda Local, and after several years formulated a plan to re-develop and
re-launch the pub into what is now known as The Local Taphouse, a
multi-award winning specialty beer venue.
Re-creating
their idea in Darlinghurst (and after pioneering dozens of small scale
events to promote the increasing diversity in craft beer) the pair
master-minded a plan for a unique craft beer festival –asking some of
the best brewers across Australia and New Zealand to create one-off,
creative brews specifically for a three day event in Melbourne.
The result? Sixty
brewers from across Australia and New Zealand created unique beers with
ingredients such as chocolate, chilli, Ethiopian coffee beans, Earl
Grey tea, rose petals, watermelon, rum and beetroot… and the Great
Australasian Beer SpecTAPular (GABS) was born.
The inaugural event was a hit with beer lovers too, with a crowd of close to 11,000 attending.
One year on, and the event has almost doubled in size – with more than 100 exclusive, new release brews at GABS 2013 in May.
This
year there will see an even stronger Australian contingent with as many
as 80 breweries showcasing their own creative brews including Feral
Brewing (WA), Mornington Peninsula Brewery (VIC), Bridge Road Brewers
(VIC), Murray’s Brewery (NSW) and Wig & Pen (ACT).
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| Royal Exhibition Building |
The
Kiwi brewers, Yeastie Boys, who took out the People’s Choice Best Beer
Award last year are also planning a come back, along with 8 Wired and
the Garage Project to name but a few. In
what Jeffares says is one of the most exciting developments this year,
some of the most renowned craft breweries in the world will feature
including Sierra Nevada Brewing Co (USA), Brooklyn Brewery (USA),
Thornbridge Brewery (UK), Birra del Borgo (Italy), Mikkeller (Denmark),
Camden Town Brewery (UK), Baird Brewery (Japan), Nøgne Ø (Norway) and Moylan’s Brewery (USA).
“This
year will see a ‘Beer Market’ for the first time, where up to 60
breweries and industry related businesses can showcase their products
and visitors to the event can meet and talk to some of the brewers
behind the beers. It also means another way to access a great beer,
minimising waiting time at the main shipping container bars, which have
also been re-designed.”
Greenstone
says the hall itself, with a setting for up to four thousand people per
session, also offers a new experience this year.
“We’ll
be transforming the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building
into a grand beer hall again, but with the addition of the bustling Beer
Market and food stalls now coming inside there’s even better ways of
sampling and appreciating all the beers with your partner, friends or
family.”
Craft
Beer Industry Association chair Brad Rogers says events like GABS play a
key role in showcasing the variety of Australian craft beers now
available in this country.
“Events
like GABS not only offer a unique consumer experience to see the
quality and diversity of Australian craft beer now available, but it
also encourages people to travel and engage with their own local brewery
or bar whether that’s in the regions, or their own city.”
That’s something Jeffares is hoping will transpire from the more than 12,000 people expected to attend this year’s event.
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| chalk & paddle |
“We’ve
been really humbled by the response both from industry and those really
passionate about great beer and hope to continue to grow the event, but
importantly for us we really want to champion the incredible scope of
what many independent, passionate, localised microbreweries are doing
with high quality ingredients.”
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