Smile, Enjoy! Festival

Overview

There is no better feeling than a crisp sip of cold beer on a late spring afternoon. Pair that with a bite of some of Melbourne's finest eats and you've got yourself a recipe for a good time. And in good news for pretty much everyone, Molly Rose has taken this feeling and turned it into a brand new festival.

On Sunday, November 12, the brewery's sprawling beer garden in Collingwood will host a curated lineup of founder and brewer Nic Sandery's top brewery buds from around Victoria and Australia. Here's the best part: each brewery is pairing up with chefs and restaurants to concoct the ultimate beer-food pairing.

So, whether it's a tangy brew from Range Brewing met with a spicy bite of a Ca Com banh mi, a sip from Black Arts Brewers and Blenders paired with a sweet treat from T.Cavallaro & Sons Pasticceria, or a dreamy southern Tasmanian combo of Bruny Island Beer Co and Bruny Island Cheese Co, your tastebuds are in for a wild ride.

Now, the festival isn't just about indulgence. It's also about treating our home planet right. Thanks to a partnership with Plumm glassware, attendees will swig brews from special festival glasses. At the end, you can either buy the glass for $15 or return it for reuse next year. There's more. Festival tees made by The Common Good Company can only be preordered, which means no more forgotten or unwanted 'free' tees turning into wardrobe waste.

Punters can choose from a day session running from 11am–3pm, or a twilight session, running from 3pm–8pm. Tickets will set you back $130, and will include two 150-millilitre beers from six different brewers, along with a food pairing for each.

And if you're itching to delve deeper into the beer-food pairing universe, Molly Rose and The Crafty Pint are hosting a masterclass lunch the day before the festival, on Saturday, November 11. Seats cost $150 and are limited, but the experience promises to be unlimitedly delicious.