It might be six months away, but already the biggest week for craft beer in the Australian calendar is taking shape. Good Beer Week submissions are closed and being shaped into a nine-day bonanza and now the call has gone out to brewers wanting to take part in the 2014 Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular.
As in the previous two years, this will take over the Royal Exhibition Building from May 23 to 25, combining its famous container bars featuring scores of brand new beers with a Beer Market (featuring brewer and non-brewer stalls), a Craft Beer College, food stalls and entertainment. There are a few new things planned too, but we’re pretty sure that if we told you, we’d have to kill you.
Anyway, here’s their shout out to brewers wanting to take part:
After a hugely successful event in May, the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular (GABS) will be returning to the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne next May 23 – 25, now as part of the 2014 Good Beer Week.
With a strong emphasis on innovation, education and appreciation, GABS 2013 attracted almost 12,000 people over three days. While the âfestival beers’ and exhibitor stands at the Dan Murphy’s Beer Market were the highlights for many, others included the Matilda Bay Craft Beer College educational seminars, high quality food stalls, live entertainment and games.
With planning well underway for GABS 2014 and many exciting new ideas fermenting, the festival organisers are now putting the call out to Australian breweries to get involved by brewing a festival beer and/or booking their own exhibitor stand.
Many of the best breweries from Australia and a small number of invited international breweries released 89 brand new festival beers at GABS 2013. Most were one-off beers while others were a new seasonal or core range beer. All were sampled for the first time ever by eager crowds at GABS. Limited extra tap spots have been made available for next year’s event and GABS is now seeking Expressions of Interest from breweries keen to offer up something new and special.
The âMarket’ at GABS is for breweries or related businesses to showcase their products to a large number of craft beer enthusiasts at their own exhibitor stand. In 2014, the Market will be relocated and have a changed configuration to create a more bustling environment.
Ben Kraus from Bridge Road Brewers is one brewer already signed up for GABS 2014. âGABS takes large steps towards bringing a broader audience to craft beer. The event pushes some real creativity from brewers and lifts the industry in many waysâ, he says. Renowned Italian craft brewer, Leonardo di Vincenzo, from Birra del Borgo is another brewer eager to return declaring GABS âthe best beer festival I’ve ever attended.â
To receive the GABS 2014 Brewery & Exhibitor Information Kit, please email gabs@thelocal.com.au.
