Australian Beer Festival 2019

Overview

There are two types of beer festivals: the kind you throw for yourself when you're having a few brews with your friends and the ones that pubs put together with plenty of painstaking planning. A mainstay at The Australian Heritage Hotel, the great Australian Beer Festival falls into the latter category. Luckily, come October, the pub's huge three-day street party is back for its 15th year.

The Aussie has always been a proud supporter of local brewers, stocking a small-run Australian brews and launching the Annual Australian Beer Festival back in 2004. So, the place knows what it's doing.

Across the weekend, expect more than 130 Australian beers and ciders from over 30 different breweries, including Modus Operandi, Grifter, Six String and Balter. You'll also find gourmet food stalls, an oyster bar and blind tastings aplenty. Plus, you can learn all about your favourite ale at 'Meet the Brewer' sessions or simply kick back to some live tunes. Or, watch the Rugby World Cup on the huge outdoor screen thanks to Feral Brewing. It'll be on for the entirety of the beer fest, so you can sit on a bean bag or hay stack and watch away (with a beer in hand, of course).

Whilst entry is free, drinks can only be purchased with vouchers. So, if you're looking to skip queues and get your hands on some beer-themed merch, you can grab early bird packages ($20–65) here.

Consider yourself a bit of a brewer? In conjunction with Australian Beer Festival, the pub hosts a home brewing competition. If you take out the top gong, your beer will be produced at Akasha's brewery in Five Dock, then later sold on tap at the Aussie. Registrations close Monday, September 30. To sign up, head here.

Australian Beer Festival 2019 will take place on Friday, October 11, from 4–10pm; Saturday, October 12, from 12–8pm; and Sunday, October 13, from 12–9pm. Entry is free, but to skip the queues, you can pre-purchase beer vouchers here.