Beer, Cider, Food and More at GABS Festival

In 2011 a new kind of brew was born… well, hundreds if we’re being specific. The hops enthusiasts behind The Local Taphouse, Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone, created a festival in celebration of all things beer, cider and gourmet food. Enter the annual Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular or GABS Festival for short.

This two day festival, which takes place in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, is an opportunity for the public to interact with the best brewers from around the world. With 120 unique ‘Festival Beers’ being brewed by the finest Australian and New Zealand artisans, it’s safe to say that no two pints will taste the same. Previous years of the festival have seen flavours like ‘Truffle’, ‘Banoffee Pie’ and ‘Taco Tale’ hit peoples palates, and this years festival promises nothing short of a taste explosion.
A little preview of this years brews sees flavours like ‘Jam Donut’, ‘Pork Roll’ and ‘Pavlova-Lova’ hit the taps.

The GABS Beer, Cider and Food Festival continues to spill over in popularity, with this years event featuring over 350 beers from 150 craft breweries for guests to enjoy. Highlights of this two day froth-fest will include the main beer hall, a silent disco, ‘Craft College’ educational seminars, and a gourmet food marketplace.
Whether you’re partial to a lager, stout, or ale, there’s no judgements at GABS Festival because it’s a learning experience for both the craft beer novice and connoisseur alike.
In preparation for GABS Festival, we’ve prepared some essential and ‘hoppening’ lingo to get you through the weekend:
Craft Beer – Any beer manufactured by a small and independent brewery. They also tend to employ traditional methods of brewing.
Fermentation – Fermentation is the main component in the beer-making process. It’s a chemical reaction which sees yeast convert glucose into alcohol and carbon dioxide (aka. beer and bubbles).
Hops – One of the main ingredients in beer, hops are female flowers from a hop plant.
Lager – Lager refers to a type of yeast which sinks to the bottom of the barrel. It has a lower alcohol level and is higher in carbonation.
Ale – Unlike it’s golden counterpart, the lager, an ale is made with top-fermenting yeast and tends to have a fruitier taste.
GABS Beer, Cider and Food Festival
Exhbition Hall, Australian Technology Park
2 Locomotive Street, Eveleigh
Fri 27th May 6.30pm – 11.30pm, Sat 28th 12pm – 5pm & 6.30 – 11.30pm
Tickets $36 + additional tasting paddles/packages available for purchase
For more information, visit the GABS Festival website.