Beer Fest will stimulate the senses

Geelong’s Great Australian Beer Festival (GABF) will celebrate its 6th anniversary this Saturday February 17, with organisers guaranteeing the event will stimulate more than just tastebuds.

Attend free beer and food matching seminars, visit brand experience areas and enjoy mingling with the brains behind 37 different breweries.

Gourmet food producers will be plating up a tasty selection of meals and snacks, while barbecues will be cooking up plenty of meat and seafood too.

Still need tempting? Add in great live music featuring Kingswood, Vaudeville Smash, The Go Set and 15 other live acts.

The famous wacky races will be back with bigger and better prizes up for grabs this year, including return flights to Balter Brewing on the Gold Coast, an afternoon with the Barrow Boys, a brewery tour, lunch for six people and four cases of award-winning Cockies Beer.

Hosted by industry stalwart Prof. Pilsner, (aka Pete Mitcham) and held out on the Geelong Racecourse’s official track, beer lovers can enter races to win great prizes.

Festival director Kieran Blood said the races were created to engage with festivalgoers and create a fun day out.

“We trialled a few last year and it was a great success,” Kieran said.

“This year we’ve got Balter, Barrow Boys, Yenda, Cockies and even Cryer Malt on board to sponsor a few races with great prizes on offer.

“The Balter prize will definitely be sought after, with a return trip for two to the Gold Coast, a brewery tour with head brewer Scott Hargrave and a $200 voucher to sample the rest of their brews or pick up a piece of merch.”

The Barrow Boys are offering up their afternoon to take the winner and three of his or her friends on a tour around Melbourne venues that stock their tasty ales and lagers.

After catching a giant Cockie, the winner receives a brewery tour, gourmet lunch for six people and four cases of award-winning Cockies Ocean Road Pale Ale.

Not to be outdone, the brewers will also get in on the action as they compete for bragging rights in the fourth annual keg rolling championship. Last year’s winning brewer was Leigh Bridges from Little Creatures, who was awarded the gold trophy and a free site at this year’s event.

Organisers have also enticed two of Geelong’s leading entertainment and hospitality entrepreneurs to take part in this year’s festival.

Andy Pobjoy, creator of Geelong’s and Victoria’s only dedicated piano bar, and Gorge Camorra, who recently opened his 1920s-themed The 18th Amendment Bar, will both be involved at this year’s festival.

According to festival co-director Michael Ward, a designated piano and beer cocktail bar will be set up in a cool shady and central location to provide a unique sensory experience not seen at any beer festival in the country.

“This will be a great addition to the festival; imagine sampling some of the best beers in the land while singing at the top of your lungs to songs you never knew you remembered the words to,” Michael said.

“What Andy and the team at Piano Bar have created is fantastic and they’ll be a huge hit on the day; it’s a privilege to have them involved in this year’s event.”

Back for a second year, cocktail king and hospitality veteran Gorge Camorra will again delight festival goers with a delicious range of beer cocktails. They were so popular last year that Gorge sold out on two occasions and had to replenish stock to cater for the high demand.

The Great Australian Beer Festival will run from noon-8pm with shuttle buses operating between South Geelong railway station and the festival during the day.

For more information on the races, live acts, seminars, breweries or to pre-purchase tickets, head to gabf.com.au.