Five Things to Eat, See and Do at Sydney's Three-Day Gin and Tonic Festival
Make the most of the food, drinks, entertainment and masterclasses on offer at this weekend's G&T fest in Centennial Park.
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Not that we need it, but here's the perfect excuse for enjoying a cheeky springtime G&T this Friday afternoon: the Fever-Tree Gin & Tonic Festival is taking over Centennial Park's Rose Garden this Friday, September 27. So, after you knock off from work, you can head here to sample more than 100 different gins from more than 40 distillers, paired with tonics from the Fever-Tree range. Plus, you can score $20 off your entry ticket — read on for more details. And, if you want to keep the fun going right across the weekend, the festival will be sticking around right through till Sunday, September 29 (although Saturday's session is now sold out).
But this massive tasting event isn't just dedicated to the classic tipple, either. Alongside the pop-up Gin Village, the festival offers live music, masterclasses and Sydney's best food trucks. Here's exactly what to expect from the opening night and beyond.
FIND YOUR NEW FAVOURITE GIN
First, wander through the Gin Village, where you'll have the chance to sample from 40 distillers. The ticket alone includes a whopping six mini G&Ts, with local fan favourites like South Australia's award-winning Never Never Distilling Co, Victoria's Four Pillars and local favourite Archie Rose all in tow. But there'll be heaps more boutique distillers that you might not have heard of, including Central Coast's Distillery Botanica, Tasmania's Hartshorn sheep whey distillery and international drops like the Pink Pepper Gin from French distillery Audemus Spirits. And each will, of course, be matched with Fever-Tree tonics.
HAVE A BOOGIE
Once you've tasted a gin or two, there is a full lineup of live entertainment to enjoy each day of the festival. Expect DJ sets from the likes of London's DJ Chopper Reeds (Fat Freddy's Drop) on Friday and a special set by Mike Dotch, with percussion by Paul Chennard, on Sunday. For live acts, the festival has nabbed Melbourne-based electronic producer and vocalist Milan Ring (Saturday) and jazz-disco musician Loure (Sunday). And this is to name just a few. The stage will host acts from 4–10pm on Friday, 2–9pm on Saturday and 2–8pm on Sunday, so you can groove along at any point with a G&T in hand.
LINE YOUR STOMACH
Now, considering it's a minimum six G&Ts you're looking at throwing back, don't forget to line your stomach for the day. The festival has you covered there, too, with a wide range of food trucks on site to assuage a tipple-induced hanger. You'll find everything from hearty tacos and burgers to organic, vegan and gluten-free options from the likes of The Nighthawk Diner, Taco Hawk and Agape Organic. Keeping with the theme, Four Pillars Gin will be hosting Sydney's first Gin Pig sausage sizzle. If you'd rather someone else make the tough choices for you, nab a gourmet picnic hamper packed with seasonal and locally sourced produce. There are plenty of desserts on the docket as well, including a limited-edition G&T-infused frozen treat from Mr Goaty Gelato — it'll use Distillery Botanica gin and Fever-Tree's tonic flavours.
HONE YOUR NATIVE BOTANICAL SKILLS
To delve deeper into the wonderful world of gin, a range of masterclasses will also run alongside the Gin Village. We're especially keen to check out 'The World of Native Australian Ingredients', which will run on Friday from 4.30–5pm and Sunday from 4.10–4.40pm. This masterclass is led by Brookie's Gin head distiller Eddie Brook, who will explore the finest bush food and native ingredients used by Australian producers. The $25 ticket includes one gin and tonic and a Brookie's jam jar to take home. Each session must be pre-booked, which you can do when securing your festival entry here.
HONE YOUR GIN AND CHEESE PAIRING SKILLS
Another masterclass that you cannot miss is 'Cheese and Gin and Tonic — A Match Made in Heaven', hosted by Melbourne's Caroline Childerley, also known as The Gin Queen. She will demonstrate how to pair cheese and other pre-dinner bites with summertime G&Ts — two mini cocktails and cheese nibbles are included in the $25 ticket. Luckily there are three chances to catch this one, as it's running Friday from 7.50–8.20pm, and 2.30–3pm on Sunday.
Alongside the ticketed masterclasses, the festival is throwing in a complimentary discovery series so you can level up your gin and tonic knowledge without splashing extra cash. The short and sweet sessions are run throughout the festival on a first-in, best-dressed basis, so be sure to check out the on-site timetable early.
The Fever-Tree Gin & Tonic Festival will be at the Centennial Park Rose Garden from 4–10pm on Friday, September 27; 2–9pm on Saturday, September 28;and 2–8pm on Sunday, September 29. For more information and to purchase tickets, head this way. Fever-Tree is also offering Concrete Playground readers $20 off the ticket price for Friday night tickets — just use code: CPFRI.
