The 15th Canberra Craft Beer & Cider Festival will go ahead in Braddon on Saturday 19 March, with over 50 breweries presenting some 250 craft beers and ciders for tasting. 

Mercure Canberra will host this year’s event, utilising the grounds of the hotel and expanding onto the adjoining lawns of Batman and Gooreen Streets in Braddon. 

Three local businesses have been named to represent Canberra’s brewing scene: Braddon’s Bent Spoke Brewing Co, Fyshwick’s Capital Brewing Co, and Aranda’s 3 Sons Cider.

Interstate exhibitors include Sydney Brewery, Stone Dog Meadery, Mountain Culture, Mountain Goat Beer, Lord Nelson Brewery, and 4 Pines Brewing.  NSW Small Acres Cyder and Tasmanian institution, Franks Cider will be joining 3 Sons as specialist cideries.

Complementing the beer and cider tastings will be an extensive range of food, including local favourites Bare Bones BBQ and Jacko’s Pizza, Gozlemes, and specialty trucks offering burgers, gelato, and fish and chips.

Also returning is the crowd-favourite woodchopping competition, amongst other live entertainment and family activities to run throughout the day. 

Canberra Craft Beer & Cider Festival organiser, Jenny Farrell, said that last year’s event had been a shot in the arm for Canberra’s events and hospitality sector, and with easing restrictions, the 2022 festival should signal a major renaissance for large-scale public events.

Ms Farrell emphasised the importance of the festival running on a long weekend, hoping that this would boost domestic tourism.

“Canberra is the perfect place for a long weekend, so we will be expecting a large number of visitors who want to combine the festival with visits to the many other nearby attractions.”

The festival will continue with last year’s model of splitting the event into two ticketed sessions: 11am-2pm, and 3-6pm.

Pre-purchase tickets will be available for $20, or $30 on the day through Moshtix; 100ml tastings are available for $2 each. Entry is free for children accompanied by parents.

The Canberra Craft Beer & Cider Festival continues to raise funds for Rise Above Capital Region Cancer Relief, a locally based group that provides support for over 950 cancer patients. 

For further information, visit canberrabeerfest.com.au

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