Think you’re a craft beer connoisseur? Then test your palate with some of the quirky brews featured at Australia’s leading craft beer festival – the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular (GABS) which include all manner of ingredients from figs and fennel to strawberry jelly.
Held in Melbourne in May, GABS is an annual festival for the true craft beer enthusiast, where around 120 creative and modern artisan brews are made specifically for the event with nothing off limits on the ingredient list.
This year’s event will see brews incorporating peanut butter, rice, spiced rocket leaves, blueberries and apricots and toasted coconut; all released for the first time at GABS and served from shipping containers converted into bars inside Melbourne’s historical Royal Exhibition Building.
Held from 23 to 25 May in 2014, as part of Good Beer Week, the event is expected to attract around 12,000 people, and will feature a total of more than 250 beers (including the 120 brand new creative one-off releases) from 130 breweries over three days, as well as a gourmet street food, a fromagerie, entertainment, brewery and industry stands and educational seminars.
Specifically for the foodies – two hat restaurant Stefano’s is doing a pop-up event on the balcony inside the Royal Exhibition Building during the event on Friday night.
Stefano’s head chef Jim McDougall will showcase his cuisine which will be expertly matched with craft beers from Mildura Brewery and other renowned breweries from Australia and abroad, providing a rare opportunity to be able to taste his much sought after cuisine without leaving having to make the long journey to the Mildura restaurant.
GABS co-founder Steve Jeffares says it’s a coup to have Stefano’s on board, and the event perfectly complements the festival.
“Foodies and craft beer enthusiasts are increasingly realising the vast opportunities available when pairing food and craft beer. Having cuisine from Stefano’s at GABS matched with the specialty beers we feature will challenge and excite the palates of these discerning attendees.”
http://instagram.com/gabsfestival
Tickets via: http://gabsfestival.com.au