The crowds loved it, the beer brewers hailed it and the organisers were thrilled as the sixth Ballarat Beer Festival took hold of the city on Saturday.
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In perfect summer weather lovers of ales, lagers, stouts, wheat beers, IPAs and just about any other beer imaginable tasting filled the City Oval to sample the delights on offer from local and interstate brewers.
It was also another tourism bonanza, with accommodation providers saying they were either fully booked or near to capacity, and restaurateurs also reporting a healthy increase in trade.
Punters came from Ballarat, the region, from Melbourne and from interstate to attend the festival. Director Ric Dexter said he expected to get 4,000 punters to attend on the day, putting the festival in the same league of gate numbers as the successful Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds concert a week before.
“There could not have been a better day for it,” said Mr Dexter.
“We’ve got some great bands leading up to Dallas Crane playing tonight; we've got the human foosball field over here, and the Beerllarat Olympics that one of the local footy clubs are doing. There’s a lot of activity going on and it’s a lot of fun.”
Prancing Ponies brewer Frank Samson travelled from Totness outside of Adelaide to attend the festival and let the punters try his various styles of beer.
Originally from Stuttgart in Germany, Mr Samson says the small craft brewery movement is very healthy in Australia.
Asked if Germans make the world’s best beer, Mr Samson was emphatically diplomatic.
“The Germans like to think so,” said Mr Samson, “but there are others who make very good beer too. The craft beer movement is only just beginning to take off in Germany.”
There were 46 brewers at this years Ballarat Beer Festival, ranging from locals such as Red Duck and the Athletic Club to new Melbourne brewers La Sirene and U.S. champions Brooklyn Brewery.