In previous years, there have been Good Beer Week events that have taken guests by boat around Port Phillip Bay, on Puffing Billy around the Dandenongs and by tram around the city. Heck, last year, the guests at the Masterclass of Madness got picked up by hot pink pole dancing bus from Moon Dog (at which point the driver took a wrong turn, ended up in a dead end and had to undertake an Austin Powers-esque 25 point turn...).
This time around, while there's some mountain bike action on the Mornington Peninsula, the surfboards and steam trains are taking a year off. There's still plenty on offer for those who fancy hitting the road as part of their Good Beer Week experience, as highlighted in the Crafty Six below.
You can check out our other themed previews here.
Click on the event titles to view their full listing on the festival website.
Moo Brew Beer Hall at Burnham Beeches
Burnham Beeches, Sherbrooke – May 22
$99pp (including return transport from Vue de monde Rialto)
Shannon Bennett's Vue group has long been a part of Good Beer Week, hosting a series of events at its various venues as well as the festival's headline Beer Lover event, Brew vs Cru, for the past two years. Its latest venture is found in the Dandenong Ranges, where the Burnham Beeches mansion and estate (pictured above) is being developed into a cafe, kitchen gardens and more including, we believe, a brewery from Moo Brew. You can check it out by hopping on a bus from the CBD for an afternoon of Aussie BBQ and beer action while enjoying games on the Piggery Cafe lawns.
The Crafty Crowd Pleaser
Departing from The Botanical – May 24
$65pp
After taking over the Colonial Tram in 2014, the Colonial Brewing crew from WA this time are embarking on another tour of Melbourne venues. Join them for a leisurely cruise of five of their pubs and bars, sampling a different beer and food pairing at each. Knowing them as we do, expect much shenanigans along the way...
Central Vic Brewery Tours
Departing Melbourne CBD – Various dates
$155pp
Victoria is home to the most microbreweries of any state in Australia and you'll find several of them in the Central region. Thorno's Brewery Tours is inviting you to join them for a day touring three microbreweries, ion what looks like a great way for interstaters to see that there's more to Good Beer Week than Melbourne.
Ale School Excursion
Little Creatures Geelong – May 20
$80pp or $95pp including bus from Melbourne
After a sellout success in 2014, Good Beer Week's Beer 101 partners are running their Ale School Excursion to the brewery in Geelong. Hop (sorry!) on a bus from Melbourne, help brew a batch of Pale Ale, enjoy lunch with the brewers, sample some beers, then head home happy and knowing soon people will be drinking beer you brewed!
The Cavalier Brewery Open Day 2015
Cavalier Brewery – May 16
$74.99 including return bus from Melbourne
The "throw absolutely everything at it" (and then a bit more) open house fun day returns to Cavalier on the festival's opening day. They'll be filling their Derrimut home with brewers who brew there – plus some who used to – and lining up DJs, food, giant Jenga, table tennis, pool and more.
The Bus That ROCKS
Departing Edinburgh Castle – May 16
$95pp
The Rocks Brewing crew bring their event from Sydney Craft Beer Week to Melbourne for a bus tour of many of their favourite joints. Six venues, beers and food along the way, door prizes and the company of some big, hairy men – what a way to spend a Saturday! NB Just two tickets left at time of writing.
We'll be publishing more of these themed previews every Monday, Wednesday and Friday up until Good Beer Week. In the meantime, you can check out the five event streams below and all regional events here:
You can see where The Crafty Pint will be appearing (as well as see what's sold out) in our Event Diary listing here. We'll also be doing everything we can to ensure you know about all the pop-ups and meet the brewers taking place at the Pint of Origin venues too.
