The lineup for the inaugural Local Beer Day is now live, with events taking place across Australia on February 24.
The nationwide celebration is designed to showcase the breadth and diversity of the local beer community, while bringing good vibes to beer and hospo businesses after years of unprecedented challenges.
Beer lovers can look for their nearest event via an interactive map on the Local Beer Day website. Already, more than a hundred events have been registered, with breweries, bars and bottleshops adding more every day.
They range from beer launches and masterclasses to bus tours and community festivals – with some more unusual offerings on the lineup too: Deathmatch Downunder wrestling at Tallboy & Moose; a train ride alone the Busselton Jetty with Shelter Brewing; and an attempt to run Australia's biggest ever sack race in Queensland.
In the lead-up to the event, we've also been celebrating some of the people who make the local beer world what it is in the Local Beer Legends series.
VIEW THE LOCAL BEER DAY LINEUP
Local Beer Day was conceived by The Crafty Pint team as a means of injecting some positivity into the local beer community after years impacted by fires, floods, lockdowns, rising costs and reduced consumer spending. We invited all beer businesses across the country to take part, leaving them free to decide how to celebrate the day, then encouraging consumers to head out and get behind these small, independent businesses.
"Australia's beer culture has been transformed over the past couple of decades," The Crafty Pint's founder James Smith says. "There are breweries producing a kaleidoscopic array of beers all over the country, each with their own story and personality, often acting as a hub for the local community in their suburb or town.
"The challenges of the past few years have seen some close or enter administration, others put up for sale, and many more forced to make cuts to survive. We know better times will return but, in the meantime, we wanted to give beer people – those who make, sell and drink it – a reason to get together and have some fun with a beer in hand."
The event is supported by the Independent Brewers Association (IBA), which works on behalf of the country's indie brewers. They've been encouraging their hundreds of members across Australia to get involved.
IBA CEO Kylie Lethbridge described Local Beer Day as "a fantastic initiative that holds even greater significance amidst the challenges currently faced by independent breweries around the nation."
She adds: "This event serves as a powerful platform to unite our community and express unwavering support for an industry that has truly captured the hearts of Aussie beer fans."
Events take place across Australia on February 24. You can keep updated on the latest via The Crafty Pint's Facebookand Instagram. And if you can't wait until February 24 to grab one a local beer, head to askforindiebeer.com.au to find your nearest IBA member brewery.
STILL WANT TO TAKE PART? YOU CAN!
The full Local Beer Day website might be live, but that doesn't mean it's too late for your brewery, bar or bottleshop to get involved. We can take event registrations pretty much right up to the day.
To Host An Event...
- Register your business here
- Follow the prompts to create an event
- Download the promotional assets and off you go!
NB If you're a beer lover and your local brewery or venue isn't taking part yet, let them know about Local Beer Day!
Photo at top by Manda Ford. Supplied to The Crafty Pint by Molly Rose Brewing.
