Time to gather your drinking buddies because world renowned beer festival GABS (otherwise known as The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular) is less than a month away.
Set to take place at Melbourne’s stunning Royal Exhibition Building, GABS will run all weekend from Friday the 17th of May through to Sunday the 19th 2019.
Boasting a line up of supreme Aussie and NZ breweries, GABS promises to be a fun-filled celebration spreading the love of all things craft beer and cider.
A whopping total of 170 beers and ciders will be showcased at this year’s specTAPular with diversity, creativity and quality at the heart of each recipe. Attendees should expect the unexpected with some of the most exotic beer infusions taking centre stage at GABS. Ingredients like bacon, Tim Tams, popcorn and even edible green ants serve as inspiration for some brewers’ recipes at this year’s event..
GABS provides the perfect opportunity for collaboration so its no wonder many of the creative minds behind the brews have teamed up with coffee roasters, tea houses, whisky distillers and the like to explore unique flavour combinations. Wayward Brewing Company’s collab with Toby’s Estate Coffee and Grumpy’s Donuts is an homage to coffee and donuts: a silky blend of milk stout and gently roasted coffee beans where actual donuts have been used in the fermentation process. Or if cider’s more your thing, give the smoked maple cider from Twisted Sister a go. They’ve teamed up with Footscray barbecue joint Up In Smoke to produce a deliciously intense blend that’s sure to be a crowd favourite.
Of course beer and cider are the stars of the show, but GABS is perhaps just as well known for putting on a showstopping event, complete with circus entertainment and performances from the incredibly popular ‘house band’ The Ale Capones. Melbournites can even catch a ride on the giant indoor Ferris Wheel before trying their luck in a competitive scavenger hunt with friends.
There’ll be live DJ’s among other highlights including crazy mini golf and haybale bowling, Stomping Ground’s very own silent disco, an indoor roller derby and so much more. Punters can even swing for glory at the giant beer can piñata, just remember to put yourself in queue via the app to avoid missing out on all the fun.
The fun doesn’t stop there with some of the city’s best eateries and food trucks set to feature at GABS. The likes of 400 Gradi, Leonard’s House of Love, 8Bit, Milk The Cow and the exceedingly popular Donugs (a food truck dedicated to crafting XL chicken nuggets in the shape of donuts) are just some of the delicious eats on offer to aid your beer-induced hunger.
Five 5-hour sessions are happening across the weekend: 11:30 – 4:30 Fri-Sun as well as the evening 6:30-11:30 session on Friday and Saturday.
So come hungry and forget the cash because GABS 2019 will be a cashless event. While driving isn’t recommended, you can find parking at the Melbourne Museum underground car park.
For all public transport options and more information click here.
When: Friday 17th May – Sunday 19th May
Where: Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton
Price: Tickets from $33
By Jenn Roper
