Dr Peter Aldred, from the University of Ballarat Brewers, created the summer beer especially for the festival. 

“We tested the trial brew at the launch, and it was well received so we made another batch,” Dr Aldred said. 

“I was approached to get involved in the festival – they wanted to make sure the festival was even bigger and better than last year with local breweries and beers available. 

Dr Aldred said the weather was one of the important factors he considered when creating the new brew.

“When making the beer – I looked at factors like the weather. The date was in mid-January, so it could be anything up to 40 degrees, so I made sure it was appropriate for summer drinking,” he said.

The beer also incorporates factors to make it represent the city. 

“It is a golden colour – to represent Ballarat and the goldfields, it is made in Ballarat as well as uses Ballarat malts,” he said. 

The Ballarat Beer Festival will be held at City Oval on January 19, and may be the only opportunity people have to test this new brew.

Tickets costs $40 and are available through Ticketek. Children under 12 are admitted for free.

nicole.cairns@fairfaxmedia.com.au