Melbourne's Good Beer Week Has Revealed Its Full 2018 Program
It features homebrew competitions, wild ale showcases and an all-you-can-eat meat fest.
Good Beer Week is back for its eighth year, taking over Melbourne and regional Victoria with a huge number of beer-related events running from Friday, May 11 through Sunday, May 20. It will all kick off with an opening party at the Beer Deluxe Federation Square festival hub and proceed on to the festival's craziest program yet.
If you attended the Showcase Gala, you'll know they've got some big acts in store. This year, the events have been subdivided into nine categories: Beer Lover, Foodie, Beer Geek, Beer School, Good Times and Good Beer Mates, along with Pint of Origin, Festival Hub and Trade Hub. On the docket are homebrew competitions, wild ale showcases and an all-you-can-eat meat fest, along with your requisite tap-takeovers, beergustations, happy hours and collab brews. Plus, beer school classes will run out of the festival hub all week, where you can train your palate to pick out beer faults, take a blending masterclass and learn about all things barreled-aged.
Yes, it's an overwhelming number of events and yes, we've got our shortlist right here.
First up, there's the biodynamics and beer dinner, hosted by acclaimed chef Paul Wilson (Wilson & Market). He's teaming up with Byron Bay's Stone & Wood to showcase a feast of sustainably-sourced seafood, ethically farmed meat and wood roasted veggies — all paired with brews, of course. Stone & Wood's head brewer Caolan Vaughan is also joining forces with Three Blue Ducks' Darren Robertson, and the two interstate heavy-hitters will also showcase sustainable produce in a six-course beer degustation at Vue de Monde.
Speaking of big name chefs, Blackman's Brewery is turning its Geelong restaurant over to Aaron Turner (The Hot Chicken Project, Igni), who will serve up a menu of his signature Nashville-style treats alongside the launch of a seasonal produce-inspired brew.
There's plenty of Japanese-influence on the menu this year, too. You've got the Japanese craft beer and dumpling dinner at Zhou Zhou Bar and an izakaya and beer dinner at Kumo, plus Moon Dog is bringing back its drunken beer ramen event at Shizuku. Pizza lovers shouldn't miss the 3 Ravens and Lazerpig quest to find the perfect pizza beer, either.
On the cultural side of things, Fempocalypse has made its way down south from Sydney Beer Week 2017 for round two, with Two Birds and Wayward Brewing showcasing women in the hospitality industries. Sydney's Wildflower Brewing & Blending will also head to Melbourne, taking over Richmond's Slowbeer for an unusual bugs and blending wild beer session.
Check out the full program here. As with previous years, many of the events are free, but ticketed events are selling out fast. Best get to scheduling out your week now — along with your pre- and post-festival detox sessions.
