Newcastle Craft Beer Week Guide
Thursday 20th February
Official Launch Party @ The Grain Store
Featuring a celebration of local craft brewers & the first taste of some new release beers from the local lads!
The Launch Party will feature brewers from each of our local breweries; Murrays Craft Brewery, Hunter Beers Co., Grainfed Brewing Co., Six String Brewery, River Port Brewing Co. and Lovedale Brewery will join the Grain Store
Ticket price includes 2 x 200ml glasses from each brewery & canapés
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:30PM
Friday 21st February
BBQ Brew Breakfast @ Albion Alehouse
Lachie from Grainfed Brewing will be doing a brewing demonstration along with a bbq.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 10:30AM
Feral Friday @ The Hop Factory
For the first time ever in Newcastle we will be showcasing 16 different Feral Brewing beers on tap. This event will be all day (or until the beers run out)
Tickets: Free
Mad Brewers @ The Squire’s Maiden
In celebration of Newcastle Craft Beer Week we will be hosting the national release of the latest Mad Brewers’ release: Garden De Paradisi. Tickets will include beer tastings and canapés and the mad brewers themselves from Malt Shovel Brewery will be there to tell you all about it.
Tickets: $15 from venue (02) 4929 7790
Time: 6:00PM – 7:00PM
Saturday 22nd February
Blind Beer Long Lunch @ The Hop Factory
Hosted by Keith Grice (Hunter Beer Co Brewer) & Shawn Sherlock (Murray’s Brewer) this event is sure to please. This will be an informal & educational afternoon with lots of beer discussion whilst enjoying 12 different beers that will be hand picked by Keith & Shawn. There will be 4 styles of beers with 3 of each that will be matched to the 4 course lunch. Catch is no one knows what the beers are but Keith & Shawn
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 12:30PM
‘Ram Landing’ @ The Fire Station Hotel
Join Uralla’s New England Beer Co for a tasting event featuring four of their beers and tasty lamb on the spit. Guests will also take home a long neck of NEB Co beer.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 2:00PM
Brewers’ Tap Takeover @ The Albion Alehouse
The 12 breweries include Balmain, Hawthorn Brewing, Mudgee Brewing, Riverside, Rocks Brewing, Woolshed Brewing, Black Duck Brewery and Birbecks.
Entry gets you a taste of each beer and some tasty platters of food will be served
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 5:00PM
Craft Beer Rising: A Blind Tasting Session with James Smith from The Craft Pint @ The Grain Store
To celebrate the first Craft Beer Rising, The Crafty Pint is pitting Aussie craft against Aussie craft at the venue that pours 21 taps of Aussie craft all year.
For our Pint of Origin Blind Tasting Double Header we’re sourcing the best Pale Ale and IPA from each state and inviting you to decide which is best.
Join a panel of expert judges to sample six Pales, break for food, then tackle six IPAs in a hopfest to find the best. Tickets cost $35pp, which includes a welcome beer, all samples, pizza & sliders in the break and beer prizes too.
We will also have a tasting of the special release brew of “Newcastle Rising” Collaboration brew between Grain Store/ Murrays / Hunter Beer Co.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 3:00PM
Craft Beer Showcase @ The Bottle-O Wickham
The Bottle-O Wickham Craft Beer Showcase- Over four hours you can:
- Taste the various beers and ciders available from 13 Craft Breweries.( 20 x 100ml samples per ticket)
- Meet the Brewers and associates on the day to find out their stories and how they do it.
- Watch a live demonstration on brewing beer with a professional brewer.
- Enjoy your samples with a complimentary Sausage sandwich $2 from each ticket sold will go to the NSW RFS.
After your experience check out the large range of Craft beer available for sale in our bottleshop.
Featuring breweries such as Balmain, Hawthorn Brewing, Mudgee Brewing, Riverside, Rocks Brewing, Woolshed Brewing, Black Duck Brewery and Birbecks. Bring your friends for a fun filled afternoon.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 12:00PM
Brekky By The River @ The Pourhouse
Enjoy a Riverside Brewing Beer Breakfast.
One of Australia’s most exciting new breweries is coming to Maitland on Saturday 22nd February to showcase their wares. The event will consist of a 4 Course Beer Breakfast (Or Brunch) from 10am featuring all of your favourite Riverside Brewing beers (they don’t make any bad ones), including a couple of Special Releases.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 10:00 AM
4 Pines Beer Tasting @ The Honeysuckle Hotel
Join the team from 4 Pines for a tasting of their excellent brews.
Tickets: Free Event
Time: 2:00PM
Sunday 23rd February
Holidaze @ Stone & Wood
Lounge out in a camp chair and crack a beer with your mates. Bringing the beach holiday vibe in a wooden caravan, Stone & Wood is stopping in town. Come over and enjoy retro tunes, good food and a session of sand castle building and of course some arvo beers as the sun sets.
Tickets: Free Event
Time: 4:00PM – 8:00PM
Venue: 148 Parry Street, Newcastle West
Sour Sunday @ The Hop Factory
Hosted by The International Beer Collector this event is sure to bring out the seasoned craft beer drinkers. Jason has sourced a selection of Belgian Sours (3 of them will be on tap!) to be enjoyed with matching canapés.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 3:00PM
Monday 24th February
Brewer for a Day @ Hunter Beer Co.
Join the Hunter Beer Co. brewers and help make a beer. Participants will be ‘hands on’ for a brew day and should expect to work: milling, mashing, boiling & pitch. The day includes particpation in a brew, lunch, tasting masterclass & some beer to take home.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 10:00AM
Murray’s Beer Dinner @ The Stag & Hunter Hotel
Australian Brewer of the Year – Shawn Sherlock will host a 4 course beer matched dinner featuring stylish Modern Australian cuisine by Head Chef, Anthony McLoughlin to compliment some of Murray’s Craft Brewing Co’s finest offerings. Prepare thy taste buds. Live entertainment from Shawn O’Friel UNTIL 10pm.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:00PM
Tuesday 25th February
Spiegelau Glassware & Beer and Cheese Masterclasses @ The Grain Store
2 Special Masterclass Sessions - The first will be a Spiegleau Glass Masterclass hosted by Spiegelau Austalia’s Csilla Swain highlighting the enormous difference that quality glassware makes to your craft beer experience!
Second session will be a Beer & Cheese masterclass hosted by our local cheesemaker’s at Hunter Belle Cheese. Come join Jason Chesworth (One half of Mr & Mrs Cheese on this years “My Kitchen Rules”) as we work our way through some amazing Cheese & Beer pairings!
Price also includes the 4 glass Spiegleau Pack with a RRP $60
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:30PM
The Riverboys Vs The Coasties @ The Hop Factory
Two of our favourite breweries at the moment that are both producing some amazing beers Riverside Brewing & Six String Brewing will face off with a 3 course dinner and 6 beers. You decided who wins the night!
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:30PM
‘Coopers’ Man Cave’ @ The Clarendon Hotel
We’ll be serving every Coopers beer on tap including not one but THREE years of Vintage. We’ve been cellaring kegs from 2011, 2012 & 2013 - keeping them safe for this very special night where true beer enthusiasts can come together to enjoy the finest of Coopers Vintage.
Great beer needs great food, so your bellies will be treated to a sumptious individual meat tasting platter from the new Clarendon Hotel restaurant - Made by Lesley Taylor. The perfect compliment to perfect beer.
We’ll also be giving away a rather impressive Coopers esky full to the brim with….. you guessed it - Coopers beer!
Cost includes 4 schooners of Coopers beer of your choice + the individual meat tasting plate.
* This is not a man-only event - all women who love really good beer are invited to attend!
Tickets: Eventbrite
Time: 7:00PM
Lovedale Chef and Brewer Dinner @ The Lovedale Brewery
Join the Chef from The Lovedale and Head Brewer from the Lovedale Brewery for a 2 course dinner with canapés, paired with our beers and get to taste the exclusive new Lovedale Lager. You will be one of the first in the country!
The Lovedale is located within the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley.
Bus transport is available from Newcastle for $10. Pick up at 6:30pm from Crowne Plaza Newcastle.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 7:30 PM
Wednesday 26th February
The Official Newcastle Craft Beer Week Dinner @ South’s Merewether
Souths Merewether will be the venue for this dinner which will match up beers from some of Australia’s best brewers with food from South’s acclaimed chefs. The breweries featured will be Grainfed, Murrays, Hunter Beer Co, Riverside, Mountain Goat, Illawarra, Bridge Road Brewers and Cavalier.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:30 PM
Getting Crafty @ The Fire Station Hotel
There’ll be a live brewing demonstration with Keith & Billie-Jo from Hunter Beer Co on a fully portable micro brewery presented by Core Brewing Concepts, beer tasting hosted by Csilla Swain with matching beers from Hunter Beer Co (including a take home beer glass set from Speigelau RRP $59.95), lunch provided by the Fire Station Chefs & a Hunter Beer Co tap take over.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time:12:00PM
Six String Dinner @ Honeysuckle Hotel
Join the Central Coast’s finest for a 3 course dinner where four Six String beers will be matched up with the best from the Honeysuckle kitchen.
Tickets: Contact venue on 4929 1499
Time: 7:00PM
Thursday 27th February
Six Pack Dash with The Naked Runners
Carrying on the tradition which began at the 2012 Newcastle Craft Beer Week, the much anticipated ‘Six Pack Dash’ returns in 2014 with more venues, more craft beers & even brighter headbands!
How it works?
After meeting at Venue #1 (The Albion Hotel) you will receive the SPD briefing & obligatory performance-enhancing headband, along with the first of 6 different craft beer tasters (200ml).
You will then proceed by foot (easy running pace 5-6min/km), to each of the other 5 venues where a different craft beer will be enjoyed, along with a detailed explanation of each beer/brewery plus tasting notes, read aloud by a local craft beer expert.
We must stress, this is NOT a pub crawl, but very much a craft beer tasting event where the aim is to sample a variety of different craft beers from a selection of great local establishments, while also enjoying a run with a bunch of like-minded souls.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:00pm @ The Albion Hotel
Big Butt @ The Hop Factory
Under the watchful horns of our very own Jackalope two of Victoria’s best breweries will go horn to horn! Mt Goat V Holgate! Join us as we treat you to a selection of 8 canapés matched to 8 beers.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:30PM
Tapas to Mezze Beer Dinner @ Rustica
Explore how beers can match the food of the Mediterranean basin with chef Mark Hosie and brewer Lachlan MacBean from Grainfed Brewing Co. Visit the rustica website for more details.
Tickets: Contact venue on (02) 4929 3333
Time: 6:30PM
The Coast and Country Beergustation @ The Grain Store
This dinner is a showcase of our regional & costal based breweries. We will be sourcing local produce from each breweries respective area & matching it with each brewer’s beer.
Representing Country - Bridge Rd - Thirsty Crow – Feral
Representing the Coast - Stone & Wood - 4 Pines – Illawarra
MC for the evening will be Mr Paul Mercurio
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:30PM
Rare and Debonair Dinner @ Paymasters
Monday2Sunday Brewhaus an Offical Event Partner with the Newcastle Craft Beer Week 2014
And as a promoter of all things crafty is pushing the boundaries to provoke, inspire, create and showcase some of the best beers in Australia together paired with the glasses that they where intended for along with a fine dining experience!
Brad Flowers, whom represents some 11 of Australia’s best craft beer brewers will be showcasing some of the rarer beers that are not commonly found on shelves, paired with Internationally renowned Speigelau Glassware’s connoisseur beer package, (which each ticket holder will get to take home with them) at Paymasters fine dining restaurant.
Feral Brewing, Prickly Moses, Two Birds, Illawarra Brewery & Brew Cult, will be paired with a five-course degustation, a culinary delight of the Paymasters Chefs Newcastle.
So let us entertain your taste-buds, delight you mind and take you on an olfactory evening at Rare & Debonair, Paymasters Newcastle.
Hosted by the Brewers, Brad Flowers, James McKay and Csilla Swain.
$10 per ticket will also be donated to a local charity on the night
Each ticket holder will get to take home a Speigelau Connoisseur beer package to the value of $50 RRP.
We look forward to dining with you.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:00PM
Big Bad Belgians @ The Albion
Join the International Beer Collector (Jason Pugh) for a tasting of 6 very special Belgian Quadrupel beers.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:00PM
Dennis Beer Co Makeover @ The Pourhouse
Come in for a tap makeover with the boys from Dennis Beer Co who will present their regular range of beers, a couple of one offs and perhaps some special guest beers. $40 will get you a fabulous Pourhouse burger and 4 beers.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:30PM
Little Creatures Tap Takeover @ The Stag & Hunter
When creatures take over… Enjoy a day of grazing through a bevy of brews as we let the boys from Fremantle “take over” for a day. We’re tapping the entire hotel with tasty Little Creatures treasures culminating with a 4 course beer matched dinner featuring some of LC’s best to complement some exquisite dishes from Head Chef, Anthony McLoughlin. Live entertainment from Shawn O’Friel.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:00PM
Friday 28th February
Tales, Ales & Ashes @ The Squire’s Maiden
Join cricket legend Dougie Walters & James Squire Brewer Josh Staines for an afternoon of Ales & Cricket Tales. Hosted by Jim Callinan of Sky News this will be a 3 course luncheon plus the finest of the James Squire range.
$850 for a table of 10.
Tickets: Contact venue on (02) 4929 7790
Time: 12:00PM
Holgate Degustation @ The Albion
This will see six courses from The Albion’s award winning kitchen matched with 6 beers from Woodend’s acclaimed Holgate Brewhouse.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:30PM
Hops and More’s Brewers Secret Stash @ The Pourhouse
Come In Friday 28th February Evening From 5.30pm to meet the brewers behind some of Australia’s most awarded beers. Which beers are in the brewers ‘Secret Stash’? If we told you then it wouldn’t be a secret would it. Rest assured the brewers from Feral, Nail, Two Birds, Cavalier, Illawarra, Prickly Moses, Brewcult, as well as Willie Smiths Cider (with more to be announced) will all be trying to outdo each other with their ‘Secret Stash’ beers for the event. Tickets are $40, this buys you canapé’s, 2 x beers and never before seen, one off ‘secret stash’ beers from each of the brewers.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 5:30PM
Business Beer Luncheon with Lesley Taylor @ The Clarendon Hotel
To celebrate Newcastle Craft Beer Week, the new operator of The Clarendon Hotel restaurant - renowned Newcastle chef, Lesley Taylor - will be personally creating an amazing 3 course beer inspired lunch.
Included in your ticket is your choice of any two schooners of craft beer. For all of Newcastle Craft Beer Week, our 16 taps will be pouring nothing but the finest craft beers Australia has to offer - so you’ll have lots to choose from. Beer matching suggestions will also be made for each course.
Tickets: Eventbrite
Time: 1:00PM
Saturday 1st March
High Tea with The Hatter @ The Hop Factory
We decided it was high time for men (& beer loving women) to be able to enjoy a High Tea. Join us for the afternoon as we play host to the boys from Dennis beer Co (Rocket Science) as they help us launch The Hop Factory High Tea!
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 3:00PM
Warmers Celebrity Ten Pin Bowling @ Warners at The Bay
The public enter in teams of three and we draw a Brewer (celebrity) out of the hat to become the fourth team member. The first 16 teams entered play a straight knockout tournament to find our winning team. Entry price includes 5 beer vouchers plus all your bowling costs. Fancy dress is encouraged.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 6:00PM
‘Cooking with Beer’ Breakfast with Paul Mercurio @ The Grain Store
We prepare a 6 course breakfast with the menu inspired by Paul Mercurio’s cook book “Cooking with Beer”
Plus 6 of Australia’s best brewers will join us to talk about their respective beers. Hosted by Paul Mercurio.
Breweries involved; Stone & Wood, Riverside, Nail Brewing, Holgate, Cavalier & Bridge Road
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 9:30AM
Boardwalk Beer Fest @ Newcastle Foreshore
A casual, relaxed beer festival down on the Newcastle foreshore. There will be food stalls run by the The Dockyard, Silo, Money Penny and Nagisa. There will 18 brewers and cider makers on hand and your entry fee will get you 10 beer tokens and a food token.
Tickets: myguestlist
Time: 1:30PM
Beer & Bocce @ The Clarendon Hotel
What is bocce?
Well, it’s the perfect game to play while enjoying a cold, refreshing craft beer of course!
In the same sporting family as boules, petanque and lawn bowls - bocce is the Italian version and is a great social game. Our beer garden will play host to it’s first Bocce tournament this Newcastle Craft Beer Week.
There will be 16 craft beers on tap to enjoy and a yummy bbq in the beer garden.
The overall champions will be awarded a $100 bar tab + a bocce set to take home.
Tickets: Eventbrite
Time: 2:00PM
Sunday 2nd March
Beer Festival @ Warners at The Bay
Closing out NCBW with a bang this will be our 7th annual beer festival it will showcase over 120 beers and ciders from over 60 Breweries. This is your opportunity to get up and personal with the brewers and perhaps try a few one off brews. It has sold out well in advance every year so don’t delay getting you tickets.
Tickets: Ticketbooth
Time: 12:00PM
Murray’s Tasting @ The Honeysuckle Hotel
Join the crew from local brewery Murray’s as they pour some of their tasty brews.
Tickets: Free Event
Time: 1:00PM
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