Vic on the Park & The Projects, Beer & Cider Festival

Small is the new big, or something along these lines. That's what the people are saying. The back of the previously shabby Vic on the Park is a fairly small space and not very inspiring for the likes of a beer festival. So it's a surprised and a joy to see the area nicely filled with a beer sipping community on a fine sunny Saturday in March.

The car park/basketball court translated nicely into this micro festival, with about 7 tents lining the back wall and the beer garden providing the shade.
Each of the brewers (see below) brought around two beers (in some cases a beer and a cider), with the exception of 4 Pines who brought all of their beers and Mountain Goat who snuck in a few seasonal beers to keep the regulars happy.

There wasn't much new or exclusive on offer, but I don't think it was a negative. While bigger beer festivals tend to get a lot of press, little events like this are what make the beer community grow. Of the 300 plus people who were at the event, only a few were familiar faces. The rest were locals who, maybe for the first time, were getting into and having a conversation about craft beer.

Beer highlights for me was the very crisp and roasty Pinchgut BLK PLZ, a beer that nicely handles the trend of making black versions of traditional beer styles. It retained the dryness and crisp smack of the pilsner while just letting on a nice little coffe aftertaste.
Other Beer highlight would be the Mountain Goat Rare Breed Before The Dawn Black IPA, another blackened up style, this time the IPA was a bit more powerful than the pilsner. Floral, citrus aroma, IPA body but then a big hit of roasted malts that combine with the hops gave a dark berry finish.

Hopefully the Vic and The Projects continue to do more events like this, but maybe, with a little less cider. For photos of the event try The Vic & The Projects facebook pages.