High Country Hops Festival
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High Country Hops Festival

If you love the country, live music and beer, this festival is for you!
The fourth annual High Country Hops Festival is back (woo), and will be held at the Bridge Road Brewery in Beechworth, Victoria – one of the most beautiful parts of the region. This festival is all about celebrating the craft beer that gets produced after the yearly hops are harvested, with a nice bit of scenery along the picturesque High County Brewery Trail.
For the first time this year, all eight brewers in the regions will be showcasing their products; so prepare your tastebuds and your beer gut, and get ready to try a range of craft beers from Black Dog Brewery, Blizzard Brewing Company, Bright Brewery, King River Brewing, Rutherglen Brewery, Social Bandit Brewing Co. Sweetwater Brewing Company and of course, Bridge Road Brewery, who just had their pale ale place 9th in Gabs Hottest 100 Craft Beers.
This year’s festival will also see the launch of the first Australian Wet Hop Craft beer, which can apparently only be produced once a year, making this year’s festival unique and not to be missed. With only a 24-hour window to create this product, and give it a fresher and hoppier flavour, this is definitely one to try. Festival founder Ben Kraus said that each harvest creates unique characteristics and since the hops haven’t been processed of pelletized, the beer will contain more of the essential oils and aromatic qualities of the hops. What more could you want?
High Country Hops Festival 3
Looking back, the festival was first developed back in 2014, as a way to bring together the craft brewers and hop growers of the High Country Region. This region is well known for its beautiful scenery, unparalleled bike paths and of course, its region known artisan breweries. Now, the High County Hops Festival has turned into a well-loved and well-known event for all ages, not only perfect for beer enthusiasts, but also popular with families, young couples and holidayers.
Attractions at this year’s festival include a petting zoo and jumping castle for both the little ones, and the big ones wanting to get in touch with their inner child. Adults can also look to enjoy hop flavoured gin and beer ice-cream. You can also expect to find a large range of local food producers and a popular musical line up, including performances from The Beez (Saturday) and the Kissin’ Cousins (Sunday)
The Annual High County Hops Festival is free to enter, but there are limited tickets available to be purchased for paid hourly tours and a beer tasting, which can be purchased online at via eventbrite.
The festival opens on March 24 at 11am, and finishes March 25 at 8pm, so make sure to keep the dates free now.
Written by Chloe Cicero