Good Beer Week has been celebrating local and independent producers of beer since 2012.
Taking place on 20-27 May this year in Collingwood, VIC, Good Beer Week has partnered with Point of Origin, GABS Melbourne and the Australian International Beer Awards for this program. Take your taste buds on a journey based on your beer experience through the four streams that the festival offers; Foodie, Beer Lover, Beer Geek and Good Times. There is also the Beer School to educate festival-goers and enrich their brewery experiences.
Presented by the Independent Brewers Association, the purpose of Good Beer Week is to “promote and encourage the appreciation of good beer to a wide audience, educate the public about good beer, and more importantly, independent beer,” as well as to “increase the market for good beer and support local and regional producers of good beer and the venues that support them.” Pull up a chair at one of the many events across Victoria and reserve your spot for a great beer-tasting experience now.
Experience new beers and make new friends at Good Beer Week. Image supplied.
Top festival picks
There are many events over the week, which provides many different perspectives and experiences with beer tasting. Several notable events include the Creation Story Feast with Mabu Mabu’s Nornie Bero at Stomping Ground Brewery; Beef, Beer and Barley at Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters; The Floating Swine goes to Hepburn at The Surly Goat; and Great Deeds Bakeoff at Deeds Taproom & Kitchen. There are also fun events like the Good Beer Annual Scavenger Hunt at The Fox Hotel, a scavenger hunt for beer.
At the Creation Story Feast on 23 May, founder and head chef of the Mabu Mabu restaurant and Stomping Ground Brewing Co, Nornie Bero, will tell a Creation story through Torres Strait Islander dishes and performance, alongside a special beer for the evening made from Indigenous ingredients.
Also on 23 May, attendees have the opportunity to experience the five-course menu from The Floating Swine and The Surly Goat. The Floating Swine is a semi-permanent pop-up restaurant that has paired with The Surly Goat for this year’s Good Beer Week, and is prepared to wow with its collaboration and the surprises they have in store.
Enjoy a wide array of beer and food at Good Beer Week. Image supplied.
On 24 May, join Good Land Brewing and Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters with a night of beef and beer. With the opportunity to meet Good Land Brewing’s head brewer, taste and learn about the wide range of unique beers they have on the menu to pair with the Gippsland cattle beef.
Get creative with the Great Deeds Bakeoff at Deeds Taproom & Kitchen on 23 May. Whether it’s in the batter or the icing, use the beer to your desire within a cake recipe and post your cake to social media for the public to vote. The top six entries will submit their cakes and recipes to have their cakes recreated by head chef Roger van den Bogaert for the panel of judges. Should you come out on top, you will have the opportunity to turn your cake into a beer at Deeds Taproom & Kitchen plus a $500 bar tab and two cases of your new beer.
Be prepared for the Good Beer Annual Scavenger Hunt on 25 May. Form your team and solve the mysteries of the evening for the chance to get beer from all of the best brewers in Melbourne. With lots of prizes, giveaways and beers along the way, don’t miss the chaos, clues and craft beers of this race.
Bring your dog to Zymurgy to share the Good Beer Week fun. Image supplied.
Brews and best friends
Want to bring along your furry friend? On Saturday, 20 May from 12pm-9pm, Hop Nation Brewing Co. is hosting Dog Nation at Zymurgy so your dog can join the fun too.
Providing a 100% natural and Australian made bone broth for your pup, all dogs are welcome to join the party.
To find out more about Good Beer Week, visit here. To find out more about Dog Nation, visit here.
For more restaurants in Melbourne to explore, check out these places.
