The Great Australian Beer Spectacular (GABS) will be hosting a gala dinner with leading brewers from Sierra Nevada and Cloudwater Brewing Co.
The dinner, which is named the International Brewers collective, will take place on the Thursday evening before GABS Sydney each year.
The inaugural rendition, being held on 1 June 2023, will feature guests Steve Grossman, Brewery Ambassador for American producer Sierra Nevada, and Paul Jones, Managing Director and owner of the UK’s Cloudwater, as the first keynote speakers.
Grossman will share details on Sierra Nevada’s journey from a start-up that predated the craft brewing craze, to a brand valued at over a billion dollars. He will also highlight some of Sierra Nevada’s plans for the future, and his predictions for trends to come in the beer world.
Cloudwater has been one of the most critically successful British breweries since its foundation in 2014. In this short space of time, the brewers have released more than 1,000 different beers, and is well known in its home country for helping to popularise DIPAs and hazier styles. Jones will outline how Cloudwater achieved this success and lift the lid on some of what makes the beers so popular.
At the event there will be a live comedian, a three course meal from the ICC kitchen and a Q&A session, alongside networking opportunities with industry figureheads.
Internationals lead bill of 120 new beers at GABS
Cloudwater and Sierra Nevada will both be on offer at the GABS festival itself, joined by Kiwi breweries Garage Project and Behemoth, alongside local producers. In total there will be 120 brand new beers made especially for the festival.
Some of the more interesting offerings include Frexi Brewing’s Pizza Gose, Bright Brewery’s Jam Donut Golden Ale and Good Land Brewing Co’s Bananarama Pina colada Sour.
In addition to the beers being poured, there will be a series of activities, including ‘Wheel of Pourtune’ from Atomic Brewery, an onsite mullet barber from Shout Brewery and Mick Fanning’s Balter Tins of Glory World Champs qualifying round (the winners will earn a spot to compete for $50k in cash and prizes).
GABS will be touring Australia on the following dates:
Melbourne 19-21 May
Sydney 2-3 June
Brisbane 10 June