Tickets are now on sale for Australia’s leading celebration of the best of the local and international beer world. The official program for Good Beer Week 2014 went live this morning. The fourth running of the annual festival sees 200 events taking place at 160 venues across Melbourne and Victoria. It runs from May 17 to 25, with the exception of the official Opening Party, which is being held on the evening of May 16.
Print programs are now available at all participating venues and will be appearing elsewhere across Melbourne and Victoria too. The official program launch takes place this evening and tomorrow at Ormond Hall, part of Village Melbourne, in St Kilda Road, Melbourne. This Good Beer Week Gala Showcase features 25 Australian brewers, free Masterclasses (including some run by The Crafty Pint) and casual beer and food pairings. There will also be a stand for the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular (GABS), which this year runs on the final weekend of Good Beer Week as part of the official program.
As in 2013, the program has been split into five streams, although these have been tweaked slightly for 2014. They are Beer 101 – presented in conjunction with Little Creatures, Beer Lover – presented in conjunction with BWS, Beer Geek – presented in conjunction with Bintani, Good Times – presented in conjunction with Time Out Melbourne, and Foodie. For more on what each of those streams represents, we have reproduced the festival’s guide to them below. There are more than 60 events with free entry this year too.
The Pint of Origin returns, presented once again by The Crafty Pint. As ever, there are venues are dedicated to each Australian state. And, for the first time, we have responded to the popularity of the Pint of Origin concept by welcoming the rest of the world into the fold. As such, there are now four international venues.
Closer to the event, you will be able to check what is pouring at each venue via the festival’s website as they will be out of update their tap lists online live. For more, head here.
Limited tickets are still available for the Good Beer Week Gala Showcase. They can be purchased here and there may be some available on the door both this evening and tomorrow. They cost $30 plus booking fee per person for which you receive 20 tasting tokens for beer samples and a voucher to try four different food pairings prepared by the chefs at Village Melbourne.
Tickets for Good Beer Week itself are also on sale via the festival website. Dive in, take a look around and get excited. We are!
The Good Beer Week 2014 Streams
Beer 101
The place to go if you are new to good beer, keen to learn the basics or just want to have some simple educational fun with top notch tipples in your hands. Beer 101 is presented in conjunction with Little Creatures, who are turning their Dining Hall in Brunswick Street into Good Beer College for the week. This is your chance to turn yourself from a beginner to a pro. Heck, there’s even going to be a Graduation Ceremony at Good Beer College for star students.
Beer Lover
If you’ve already embraced good beer and know what you’re looking for, then Beer Lover has heaps of events to satisfy your every beery whim. There are unique cask ale showcases, copious chances to meet brewers from home and abroad, delectable beer and cheese and beer and tea evenings and much more. The headline Beer Lover event could even be the festival’s most spectacular yet: Brooklyn Brewery’s brewmaster Garrett Oliver going head to head with Martin Spedding, owner of five star Mornington Peninsula winery Ten Minutes By Tractor, in a beer versus wine battle at Melbourne’s iconic Vue de Monde.
Beer Geek
Where would Good Beer Week be without the beer geeks? They’re the faithful who are always on the hunt for something new, never shy with their opinions and allow us to be daring with our programming, pushing the boundaries of where beer events can go. Alongside the third Good Beer Week live collaboration brew, this time the Masterclass of Madness featuring Moon Dog and Rogue, there are chances to get involved in brewing, sour beers, spirits and a banquet based around Russian Imperial Stouts.
Foodie
At the first Good Beer Week, there was a running joke that every beer dinner had to feature pork belly. It makes the evolution of the pairing of good beer and fine food within the festival quite remarkable. In 2014, the Foodie stream is the biggest, crammed with events that elevate the concept of beer and food pairing to new heights and prove that good beer, presented in the right manner, is the match for any beverage in any establishment. The Mega Dega returns too, this time with Matt Wilkinson of Pope Joan heading up an all star team of beer-lovin' Melbourne chefs alongside six Australian and international brewers.
Good Times
The popularity of events at the 2013 festival at which entertainment came first, such as a Secret Cinema, Rockstar Brews at Cherry Bar and a boat trip of the harbour, led to the creation of the the Good Times stream, presented with Time Out Melbourne. The festival kicks off with a spectacular opening night party featuring live music, awesome beers and star guests and takes in shows at the Coopers Malthouse, beer cocktails, the Blues Train, Puffing Billy, barbecues, live music, comedy, board games – even a workout in Flagstaff Gardens (followed by beers, of course).
