Chris Shanahan: Canberra’s beer day out

Tickets now available

Tickets are now available for Beer Day Out, Canberra’s annual celebration of beer and cider. The event runs from 4pm to 9pm on Friday 6 November and noon til 6pm, Saturday 7 November at the former transport depot, Wentworth Avenue, Kingston.

Organisers expect over 30 craft breweries to attend and sell their products, though beerdayout.com.au lists 22 brewers and one cider maker at present.

Three of Canberra’s four brewers – BentSpoke, Zierholz, and Pact Beer Co – will be there, but not our original brewpub, the Wig and Pen. A spokeswoman for the Wig and Pen said they’d be offering in-house events as part of Canberra Beer Week, the broader craft beer festival that includes Beer Day Out.

Beer Day Out will include food offerings from local restaurants and producers and live entertainment. For details and ticket purchases via Moshtix see beerdayout.com.au.

Beer reviews

4 Pines West Coast Red Rye IPA 500ml $9
4 Pines’ latest jaw-dropper combines turbo hopping (around three times the bitterness of VB) and high alcohol (7.3 per cent) in a distinctive brew made from equal portions of rye and barley malt. The brew starts with powerful, resiny, citrusy hops aroma. These flow through to the brisk, spicy-malty palate and give a lingering, bitter–sweet finish.

Bright Brewery Hellfire Amber Ale 330ml $4.30
Bright’s Hellfire emulates full-bodied English ale styles, using English crystal malt to deliver the caramel- and toffee-like characters displayed in the aroma and on the palate. After the initial hit of smooth, sweet, caramel flavours, hops kick in with a mild bitterness that offsets the malty sweetness.