By Bob Anthony
Are you curious or confused when confronted by a growing wall of craft brews?
There seems to be a new drop appearing daily from craft brewers, each trying to outdo each other for a small slice of the market.
For beer drinkers, this can present either a wonderful challenge or a daunting decision making process.
There may be help at hand in the form of the Great Australian Beer Spectacular (GABS) which is returning to Brisbane on Saturday, June 10.
As the name suggests, GABS is a beer lover’s delight, though it does also cater to cider drinkers as well, and the odd wine buff.
The day long festival, held at the Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre at South Bank, features more than 60 exhibitors offer tasters of more than 120 brews.
The GABS organisers also through down the challenge to brewers to create a unique drop for the festival which challenges the brewers to think outside the box to come up with something “different”.
The festival provides the perfect opportunity to meet with brewers, find out about their beers and what goes into the development of their products.
From overseas guest brewer Sierra Nevada to craft brewers from around the country and even a stand for home brewers to gain some tips, GABS is as educational as it is fun and entertaining.
You can taste the different styles of beer, learn about the processes involved in creating them and hopefully take away any confusion you may what about craft beers.
You may also find out just what type of style of beer suits you which will make life much easier in the craft beer section of the bottle shop.
GABS offers much more than just beer and cider tasting – there’s live music, a host of different food outlets, pop-up bars, plenty of different beer-related activities and games and the opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow beer lovers.
And for those who aren’t into beer but want to soak up the atmosphere, there will be a wine bar, cocktail bar and whiskey bar – but really folks, this is a beer spectacular so bring a thirst and an open mind.
The day is broken into two sessions – the first session goes from 11am to 4:30 pm and the second session is from 6pm to 11:30pm.
A tip for the wise – don’t try to do both.
The Brisbane GABS is the last of the GABS festivals which are held annually in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Whether you are seasoned expert on craft beers or someone who just like a cold brew on a hot day, set aside this “Disneyland for beer lovers” on your calendar, I’’ see you there (I’ll be the one with a beer in my hand).
And for those of you who can’t make the Gabs festival in Brisbane this year, there is
always the opportunity to sample some the more unique beers through one of the
various beer packs available on the GABS website.
They have again launched their annual Australian Invitational Craft Beer eight Pack which features offerings from eight craft breweries from across the country.
These brews aren’t readily available, and the pack offers a varied range of brews aimed at testing your palate (and that of your mates) in more ways than one.
The packs can be ordered online at https://www.gabsfestival.com/2023-aus-invitational-8-pack or they are available for a limited time at selected First Choice, Vintage Cellars and Liquorland outlets.
For more information and tickets, visit www.gabsfestival.com/brisbane-home
