The Great Craft Beer Taste Off

When it comes to rugby union, cricket and netball, Australia and New Zealand enjoy a fierce and continued rivalry. And now, tension is brewing in the world of craft beer: will it be the great land of Oz or the home of Middle Earth who will prove supreme ruler over the keg and bottle? On Saturday, 29 August, the two nations will settle the dispute when Australia and New Zealand go head-to-head at The Great Craft Beer Taste Off.

Organised by Forester’s Hall and Icy Wingz, The Great Craft Beer Taste Off puts craft beer appreciation on the social map. For an industry that has gained considerable attention over the past few years, an event like this is a nod to the talent of all those involved in creating unique and memorable beers.

The inaugural event will see beer-loving fans and craft beer aficionados evaluating 34 of the two nations’ best beer offerings. Popular Australian breweries Two Birds Brewing – known for their Golden and Sunset Ales in Abbotsford – and 4 Pines Brewery – known for ‘handcrafted beer brewed naturally’– are just two of the main contenders. Other notable mentions, Stone & Wood, Mornington Peninsula and Hawkers, round out the Aussie team.

Sobering up our zealous confidence is the Kiwis’ impressive arsenal of brewery labels from across the ocean. Big contenders Tuatara Brewing – one of the leading lights in the craft industry – and rising star Altitude Brewing – founded in 2014 and revered for sourcing Kiwi-only ingredients – lead the charge. Other breweries vying for the ‘best beer ever’ award are Renaissance, Sprig & Fern and Dale’s Brewing Company, just to mention a few.

What you need to do:

Assemble at Forester’s Hall in Collingwood from 12 noon on 29 August. Accept the challenge put before you. Annihilate the blind tasting. Assign each beer with a score of 1–5, judging on the taste alone.

If your thirst for beer multiplies significantly over the course of the tastings, your ticket allows you to purchase discounted beer. A feast of food options will keep you classy.

At 4.30pm, the judging retires and the top five beers in the Trans-Tasman region will be announced. Do the Wallabeers have the home advantage or will the All Hops triumph? Put The Great Craft Beer Taste Off on your calendar, because it is one Saturday sesh you would hate to miss.

Cheers!

The Great Craft Beer Taste Off
Foresters Hall, 64 Smith Street, Collingwood
Saturday August 29, 12pm-6pm
forestershall.com.au/BookingRetrieve.aspx?ID=50044