Dedicated to Victorian craft booze, Holy Water that will be taking over Williamstown's maritime Sea Works location from Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28.
Head north-east this month and dive into the best of the local booze scene with Melbourne’s new three-day craft distillery festival: Holy Water Festival.
More than a standard food and drink festival, Holy Water exhibitors will serve up 90+ speciality cocktails, tasting sessions and masterclasses from award-winning and emerging Victorian mixologists and chefs, alongside the 30+ distilleries presenting their wares.
Keep up with the latest food and booze news across the region here.
Taking place at Seaworks in Williamstown from Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28 across four-hour sessions each day, Holy Water Craft Distillery Festival is tuning into the rising popularity of boutique booze, bringing together Australia’s best-established and emerging distilleries, hospitality veterans, chefs, visionaries and entrepreneurs to showcase their craft in a progressive and interactive environment.
The brainchild of Rachelle Watson and Zoe Beyer, who have more than 15 years’ experience running large-scale festivals, with support from acclaimed cocktail producer and ‘The Book of Vermouth & All Day Cocktails,’ author Shaun Byrne, Seaworks will be brought to life through live music programmed by Abbotsford’s famed Lulie Tavern, light projections, free unlimited tastings, artisan food offerings; charcuterie station by ZSA’s, caviar bumps, Burn City Smokers Taco Station, Porcupine Pizza Melbourne, Melbourne Paella and more to enjoy over cosy fire pits.
“Our approach is to move away from a typical trade-show environment and leverage our collective experience in arts and entertainment to create an artisan journey with premium beverage at its core,” says Zoe Beyer, Festival Co-Director.
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The true value of this unique event is in the unrivalled programme and free masterclass series, which include Cocktail & Oyster pairings hosted by Pearl Diver’s Alex Boon, The Art of Batching Cocktails from Nick and Nora’s Kayla Reid, Secrets to The Perfect Martini with Shaun Byrne and No-Lo Cocktails led by the newly crowned 2022 World Class Australian Bartender, Nick Tesar and more.
Friendly faces from the likes of Grainshaker Vodka, East Pole Gin, NED Whisky, JimmyRum and others will be serving up over 90 specialty cocktails and tasting notes on each flavour.
Classics including beer and mulled wine, low and no alcohol options, plus hot toddies will also be served at throughout the three days, at the festival’s main bars.
A return ferry service dubbed. The Reveller will be available throughout the festival for festival-goers travelling from across the pond. Departing to and from Southgate – Williamstown, onboard travellers can expect to be greeted with speciality cocktails charcuterie bars and grazing stations, along with live tunes from DJ Joey Lightbulb for an additional $75.
Exclusive dining experiences will soon be announced, with pairings presented by renowned chefs and industry experts.
Holy Water Craft Distillery Festival runs from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 August at Seaworks, 82 Nelson Pl, Williamstown. Find out more here.
