Tasmania, its many independent breweries and its people are more accustomed to isolation than most so it seems fitting the island state would become home to an Isolation Beer Festival. Responding to the rapidly-developing COVID-19 crisis, on April 4 and 5, Tasmania’s beer drinkers are being asked to grab a local beer and post images of them enjoying it with the hashtags #tasindiebeer and #keepinglocalalive.
The online beer festival is the work of Jon Burridge, from ingredients supplier Cryer Malt, and Van Diemen Brewing’s Will Tatchell, with the former explaining how it came about.
“The first one is that obviously during these tough times we want people to be buying Tassie independent beer,” Jon says. “Don’t go to the bottleshop and buy three cases of Heineken.
“The second part is that we want to still engage with our customers and if they can’t come to the beer then the beer needs to come to them.”
He says anyone keen to be part of the festival simply has to grab some takeaways from their local brewery, venue or bottleshop, either online or in person. And the silver lining, he says, is that Tasmania’s cold weather and rain won't be able put a dampener on the celebration.
“From the comfort of their own home people will be able to post a photo of them enjoying a beer while breweries will be posting content,” he says.
In total, 22 of Tasmania’s independent breweries are taking part in the weekend-long festivities, which will feature a diverse mix of events to connect with beer drinkers and help them connect with each other at this time when we need to remain apart.
“I’m expecting a couple of online virtual brewery tours, breweries doing shoutouts and giving people an update of what they're doing these tough times,” Jon says.
"Plus there will be tasting sessions, where a brewery grabs a beer out of their core range and goes through what makes that beer that beer."
To join up with the celebration, head to the festival's Facebook page. And when it rolls around, use the hashtags #tasindiebeer and #keepinglocalalive.
As part of the #keepinglocalalive campaign we hope to run a Postcards from the Edge story every day, highlighting the ways in which people are adapting to survive. If you've got a story you think is suitable – or have something to add to the campaign resources – drop us a line.
Photo at top of article by Van Dieman.
Will Ziebell is a history graduate who knows more about The Wire than he does about beer. He was awarded the AIBA Best Media trophy for 2018; HBO have told him to please send his fan mail elsewhere. He can be found on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
The beer(s) or moment(s) that turned you on to good beer:
Spending time living in the UK (and backpacking across Europe) when I was 21 certainly gave me a better understanding of the beer and different styles of the world. But I'd say it was a holiday to the High Country a little while later when lunch and a tasting paddle at Bridge Road Brewers created an obsession with Australian breweries and locally made beer.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
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Boatrocker's Miss Pinky: It's a raspberry-packed Berliner Weisse that neither looks or tastes the way many people conceive of beer.
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Bad Shepherd Hazelnut Brown: A luscious mix of chocolate and hazelnut that can appeal to the sweet tooth within us all.
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Stone & Wood Pacific Ale: As the father of my oldest friend once said to me: "It's the perfect refreshing pint that smells like they've loaded it with the God's herb."
The last beer you enjoyed:
Garage Project's DFA while sitting at the bar at Miss Moses as the sounds of The Rolling Stone drifting in the background.
Three things that represent you:
- Bruce Springsteen
- Ken Burns
- The State Library of Victoria
