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.

The Grifter Interview

I mentioned that I had done an interview with the folks from The Grifter Brewing Company a few weeks ago. Well, I finally got around to clearing it up and you can have a read of it here. Tell me what you think. I'd really like to know if this is the kind of information that you wanted to know about the starting of a brewery? Could I have approached it differently?

Working on it....

At the moment I'm working on a number of articles that I'm hoping to get on the site really soon. Here is a quick preview to keep you eager to read more OG word-smithing.

Introducing the Grifter: I'm interview Glenn Wignall and the crew behind Grifter to get in insight behind what it takes to start a beer label from the ground up, what they've got planned on the horizon and more more more.

I'm also going to be doing a write up on The Union hotel, a little insight on why, in today's beer market place, it's good to stand out and the balance serving great beer and being an approachable pub.

Last but not least, I'm writing an article about the small bar revolution in Newcastle, I'll hoping be speaking to Chris Hearn, owner of the Terrace bar and taking a look at how craft beer is playing a part in the revitalisation of a city in atrophy.

Hope I can deliver these to you soon, in the mean time drink enjoyable beer and see you at the pub.

P.S Those in the Inner West area, should note get along to The Duke tonight, they are putting Young Henry's on tap and the YH guys are gonna be down there. So show some support for local, fresh beer and show the guys at the Duke how much you appreciate them supporting it too.