By Stefanie Collins (Beer & Brewer) and Clyde Mooney
Adelaide pub The Highway will host what it claims is the city's first craft beer festival this coming weekend.
The two-day event will showcase over 40 craft beers and ciders from 20 craft breweries, including SA locals McLaren Vale Beer Company.
Simon Adami, general manager of The Highway, said the festival is a natural progression for the pub, which recently responded to demand for craft beer by creating an entire section dedicated to in excess of 150 boutique brews.
Adami said craft beer and cider sales at The Highway – both on- and off-premise – have increased by 145 per cent in the last 12 months alone.
“Gone are the days of bar staff knowing what “the usual” is for their regular customers – they’re now ordering their beer based on where it’s brewed, the level of hops and most importantly, whether they have seen the label before or not,” he said.
“It’s definitely become apparent that venues and bottleshops need to stock a wide range of craft beer and we’re starting to realise that the more obscure the label is, the more popular it will be.”
As well as beer and cider, the festival will include gourmet food stalls featuring Relish'd Burgers’ lamb, beef and vegetarian burgers, Barossa Fine Foods’ charcuterie hot dogs and The Highway’s ribs, pulled pork sandwiches and chicken burgers.
The Highway Craft Beer Festival is on this weekend, March 16 and 17. Click here for more details.