Cracking cold ones on back-to-back weekends

BENDIGO beer lovers are in for a treat, with two consecutive weekends of beer festivals next month.

After announcing they will host two events this year, Bendigo On The Hop, postponed from August last year, takes place on Saturday, 19 March across multiple venues.

One week later, the Bendigo Craft Beer and Cider Festival takes place at Tom Flood Sports Centre.

BCBCF organiser Darrell Billett said ticket sales are going strong, just over six weeks out from the event.

“It’s usually the last couple of weeks where things get hectic, but things are going along pretty well,” he said.

Twenty-two craft brewers, five cideries and one seltzer producer will take to Tom Flood for the day, including Footscray’s Hop Nation, the new St Andrews Beach Brewery, and GABS Hottest 100 winner for their Crankshaft IPA, Bent Spoke Brewing.

“The craft beer industry has grown quite a bit over the last couple of years,” Mr Billett said.

“It’s good for them to be able to come up and showcase their beers and its good for the people of Bendigo to be able to get out and see those beers.”

Bendigo On The Hop consists of a roving festival set-up, with many Bendigo venues such as Hustler, Hotel Shamrock, the Cambrian Hotel and Hargreaves Wine Bar helping host the festival.

Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival is ensuring that beer lovers have plenty to listen to across both festivals, with full line-ups of local musicians to be announced in the lead up to next month.

Tickets are limited, head to bendigobeer.com for Bendigo On The Hop tickets, and bendigocraftbeerfestival.com.au for tickets to BCBCF.