Entries are Open for the Annual Beer Festival’s Home Brew Championship

Think you're a bit of a home brewing legend? If you've enjoyed all the matey backslaps for your latest backyard-created 'Smithy's Pale Ale', there could be some bigger accolades in store for you — the Home Brew Championship wants your mad hop-lovin' skills.

Running as part of the 10th Annual Australian Beer Festival from October 17 – 19 in The Rocks, the Home Brew Championship invites punters to put their home creations in front of a select panel of beer experts and super tasters. The winners will be announced prior to the festival on Monday, September 15 and will take home some pretty sweet prizes — first prize includes flights and a VIP tour of Tasmania's Cascade Brewery, plus a VIP package for the winner and a bud at this year’s Beer Festival with a night at the Shangri-La in The Rocks (so you can faceplant on a nicer, closer mattress post-festival). Second prize ain't too shabby either; be a brewer for the day at Murray’s Brewery, Port Stephens, plus a Beer Fest VIP package. That's just for being top notch at brewing at home, which you'd most likely be doing anyway on your own steam.

Celebrating ten years of golden goodness with its regular stalltacular and a hub at the Australian Heritage Hotel, the 10th Australian Beer Festival expects over 12,000 punters to attend The Rocks' staple event; with 28 stalls of local, interstate and regional NSW beer and cider brewers (and all the gourmet BBQs, oyster shucking stations and pigs on spits that go with it). You're looking at three days of blind tastings, Meet the Brewer sessions, live music, beer gardens and over 130 different Australian beers and ciders to try — not a bad way to toast the warmer, outdoorsy weather heading our way soon (so very, very soon).

Beer festivals aren't entirely cheersworthy without special edition beers, so the Australian is celebrating its 100th birthday with a special Rocks Lager. Let's hope no one tries a Centurion drinking game to mark the occasion. Nope, don't even think about it. Animals.

The 10th Annual Beer Festival runs October 17 – 19 (around the same time as Sydney Craft Beer Week). Entry is free and tasting cups are $5. Tasting tickets are $25 for 10, available on the door or pre-purchase at www.australianheritagehotel.com.

To enter the Home Brew Championship, contact Matt Denholm on 02 9247 2229 or email [email protected]. Entries close Thursday 11 September and winners will be announced on Monday 15 September.

Image: The Australian Heritage Hotel.