Esk Beerfest 2015 Exclusive

Esk Beerfest 2015

On Friday the 16^th and Saturday the 17^th of January the front of the James Boag’s Brewery in William Street, Launceston was closed off to traffic as thousands of people came to sample some of the best Australian Craft beers and ciders at the Esk Beerfest. It has been running annually for many years now. Unfortunately I had been absent from visiting for a couple of years so was planning to make up for lost time in 2015.

            People could pre-purchase tickets online at around $30 for a two day pass. This high entry fee got you a plastic 10oz cup, a pamphlet, and a meeting with security for an ID check before they would issue you with a white wrist band that entitled you to drink. My pre-paid ticket had a start time of 5pm on Friday so myself and about a dozen others were patiently waiting to be allowed in. I was already jealous of apparent VIP’s who were already inside the still locked gates, carrying James Boag's Draught ‘show bags’, I was disappointed that I wasn't included. At 5:25, the security finally figured out how to unscrew the bolts on the gate and gingerly let people in, by that time though a few of us were keen to clamber over the fence. The street inside the gates was lined with dozens of different stalls, including different craft breweries and wineries.

A good craft beer company from Hobart

            A stage at the back was being used by a band playing a popular 3 Doors Down song so I was already in a good mood and stopped at the first stall to choose a beer. Wind didn’t slow me down as I wandered around the stalls and spoke to brewers, some kind enough to give me free samples. By the end of Friday night I had had at least a dozen different beers and of course visited the Boag’s bar to have a Premium and buy a special stubby holder.

Yeah!

Roast Pork Roll

            The food at the event was something I was excited for, past fond memories included salt and pepper calamari, tornado potatoes, and burgers. Selections this year though included American dishes: a smoked brisket (sold out before I could get one), an American hot dog, and a bagel. Tornado potatoes which I tried a couple of different flavours, roast rolls (with crackling for the pork ones), and burgers.

            It didn’t take long to navigate around the stalls time and time again but it did take time to sample the many drinks. Some friends were restricted to the smoking area which is also where the toilets were located and seemed a bit untidy.

            Heading home on the Friday night I felt great and was keen to do the Saturday stint as well.

David John Snr and David John Jnr (no relation)

            Saturday though I changed variety a bit more, after drinking only beers on Friday night my body wasn’t 100% keen so I swapped between beers and ciders. Once having a Henry’s Ginger Beer, which even though it isn’t alcoholic is an adult styled Ginger Beer and a Tasmanian exclusive made in Penguin and was really good.

A fine James Squire product

            I was fortunate enough to get a seat to the early comedy show on Saturday afternoon, after watching the first half though I had a few laughs but wasn't overly impressed with the performances and went back outside to continue drinking.

          

The weather was hot and windy, not a good combination but I was rarely in the sun because there was virtually always a seat or an undercover area.

            I found a beer sampling area inside a shed but unfortunately didn’t know how to take part in it, I couldn’t find any information about it at all so watched for a minute and left in dismay.

          

Finally as it was getting time to call it a night on Saturday I was grateful that I could attend the event, I was satisfied, but as always still had a thirst afterwards.

Bucket of Corona's

What did I think of Beerfest 2015?

·         Compared to past years I gave it a bigger effort and was there to learn more about Craft beer and cider. I loved being there, don’t regret the fact that I spent about $250 over the two days and would do it all again next year.

Criticism:

·         My biggest criticism is about the advertising that went into the event.

The opening time according to the ticket and the events Facebook page on Friday was for gates open at 5pm, instead the gates slowly opened at 5:25.

There will be 150+ Woohoo???

According to www.eskbeerfestivals.com.au the event boasted 200 craft beers and ciders. However, the amazing and spectacular local newspaper (The Examiner) claimed 150+ beers and ciders. 150 and 200 are very far apart numbers, not to mention that this number only covers CRAFT BEERS and CIDERS. On location I put the claim to the test. Between 35 stalls, some being food stalls (which some did sell alcohol) I counted under 100 craft beers and ciders (this figure includes tap beer/ cider and bottles and cans). Perhaps they were also talking about non craft beer? If that was the case then the James Boag’s products and the Corona’s on sale at the Prickly Cactus tent bring the number of drinks to around 110. Or does CRAFT BEER  AND CIDER include wine? There were lots of wine stalls (none of which I sampled as I didn’t come to drink wine). But then if you combined all of the actual craft beer and cider, non-craft beer and cider and even wine then you still only get around 135. Maybe the organisers were including soft drinks too? I have no idea if anything other than Coke or water was sold as I came to the event to see 150-200 Craft Beers and Ciders. I hate being lied to and I will go out and say (prove me wrong) that the event organisers lied to their customers.

My response about the claim of 200 Beers and Ciders

Awards:

            What review would this be without recognising some amazing brews and fantastic people? I have decided to offer titles for Best Craft beer, Best cider, Best brewer, Best food, and Best stall. There are no prizes but if the breweries mentioned below ever read this then they can have bragging rights.

Best Craft Beer: NOT ANOTHER F#&%!!! PALE ALE by Devils Brewery

For so many reasons. First of all the brewery is themed after the awesome and important Tasmanian icon the Tasmanian Devil (even known to students in Japan). The brewery supports the funding for Devil research into their current plight. When looking for a good beer I go on several things, theme, name of the drink, style, flavour, after taste etc. The people at the Devils Brewery tent gave me a sample of the four unique beers they had available and I settled with a full glass of the Not another f#&%!!! pale ale. The name is funny, but the beer speaks for itself. The new beer is light in colour with a crisp bitterness and includes TASMANIAN hops. It felt like a proper summer drinking ale. I hope I can track down the Hobart based brewery and sample their products again. I would like to pass on my thanks to the staff at the tent on Friday afternoon for the free samples and the explanation of each beer.   

Best Cider #1: TOFFEE APPLE by Red Brick Road

            Of my two cider enthusiast buddies one was blown away by the unique flavour created by Red Brick Road, a new spin off of Dickens Cider which will no longer be a Tasmanian company but will remain a funny name for a cider company. I tried Red Brick Road’s Toffee Apple cider and wasn’t sure what to think of it at first. It definitely is a different kind of cider but when Red Brick Road finally have stock for sale in Launceston I will try it again.

Best Cider #2: STRAWBERRY AND APPLE by Coal Valley Cider

            My other cider enthusiast buddy was excited about this cider, however his first sample was full of sediment and a pretty shit product to give to a customer and still expect money for, however, I tried a glass myself and luckily only got pink liquid. I was very happy with it.

Best Brewer: JAMES SQUIRE

James Squire's Close Shave

This isn’t on quantity even though they had eleven beers and ciders available at the event. James Squire has been a sneaky favourite of mine for a couple of years now. Their brand of beers each has a unique convict back story and intriguing flavours, even the names of the beers: The Constable, Hop Thief, and Sundowner. I give them praise for producing a new beer exclusively for Beerfest: Close Shave. The only problem with the brand is that all of their beers are so good that when I want to buy James Squire at the bottle shop I can never make a quick decision.

Best food: TORNADO POTATOES

            I’ll admit, this was virtually a tie between Tornado Potatoes and the Wild Hog Roast Roll van, I’m still drooling at the thought of a spit roast pork roll with pepper sauce and crackling on the side but once I had to wait while they cooked more crackle. Tornado Potatoes on the other hand were quick to prepare, serve and even though it is just a deep fried potato on a stick you could try it again with another flavour of salt.

<I will not be posting a picture of me eating a Tornado Potato due to reactions I've already received>

Best stall: JAMES BOAG’S

Boag's is best!

Before anyone says this was a biased decision. The James Boag’s van had a variety of their normal beers as well as MERCHANDISE. I love buying alcohol related merchandise and they didn’t disappoint with new James Premium Stubby holders and Classic Blonde hats. The staff were super friendly and happy to be there.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

#1 Prickly Cactus tent, even though I didn’t buy anything directly from this tent I thought it was awesome that they had Mexican themed food and a shitload of Corona on hand. For $30 you could buy a bucket with 5 Corona, ice in the bucket, lemon or lime wedges for each beer and a hat. I already have enough buckets and hats but I acquired a bucket because I wanted something to carry things in.

This is another use for a Corona bucket

Hipster Ale from St John's

#2 St John Craft Beer, the fact they haven’t won any awards in this review should not be taken as a negative thing. A year ago the owners opened a craft beer place in my home town of Launceston. Returning from Japan I was stoked to learn about this place and have been fortunate enough to go in and stagger out on a few occasions already. St John Craft Beer had eight different drinks available at their tent and the staff know what they are talking about, they are passionate and care about beer. I regret that I didn’t try all of their drinks at Beerfest but they are local and I can go anytime, most of the companies at Beerfest are hard to near impossible to source in Launceston so I will have to go hunting for them again one day. I could continue to profess my love for this craft beer place for longer (and no doubt I will in a future edition) but right now I’m focussing on just Esk Beefest 2015.

Overall, Esk Beerfest 2015 was an amazing event. It was expensive which drove away many of my beer loving friends but it only comes once a year. I wished that I could have drank a lot more beer and am already having pleasant dreams about 2016.

My mindset while at Beerfest