Calling all beer lovers! The weekends are FINALLY starting to warm up—the perfect time to enjoy a cold beer (or two) while catching up with friends. Not everyone drinks beer but for those of you who do, I know you can appreciate how good a cold beer goes down on a hot day. We know the guys behind Beer Day Out do.

Canberra’s first ever event dedicated solely to the golden liquid was first welcomed by the nation’s capital back in 2013 by Canberra business owners Steve Hegarty (a beer wholesaler at Liquid Feast) and Anthony Young owner of Plonk Beer & Wine Store at the Fyshwick markets who brought together some of the best beer from breweries across the globe.

And it’s just a couple of weeks until it’s back here again.

Kicking off Canberra Beer Week, Beer Day Out has a new home having relocated to the the former Transport Depot on Kingston’s Wentworth Avenue. But you can still expect a day of live music, food, competitions, prizes, fun and of course beer…lots of beer.

Last year’s event saw over 1,600 people attend the inaugural day and this year Steve and Anthony are expecting almost double as they hedge their bets on attracting 3,000 people. With a sellout event on the horizon, ticket sales are up 11 times the amount this year in comparison to the same time last year.

Beer Day Out 2014 will welcome beers and ciders from local, interstate and international producers including Canberra’s very own BentSpoke Brewing Co.  and Zierholz Premium Brewery.

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Steve says this year will be bigger and better with more food variety and lots of prizes up for grabs.

“We’ve got breweries from Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, New Zealand, America, Scotland, England, Holland, Belgium and Germany who will be showcasing and selling their beer,” he says.

“It’s going to be a great day out with lots of live entertainment, lots of good beers to try and alot of good food to have with them. There will be local restaurants holding food stands which will include Vitis, Morks, Soju Girl, Broddog and Temporada.”

Local ice-creamery Frugii have even come up with beer flavoured ice-creams! Yes, you read correctly. Some of the flavours on offer include Bridge Road Brewers Chestnut Pilsner and Peach, 2 Brother ‘The Chief’ German Dark Ale and Burnt Caramel, and Grand Ridge Fig and Ginger Sorbet.

“This year will also kick off the life-sized ‘Jenga Championships’,” Steve says.

“The tower will be about one and a half metres high and we will be looking for 16 teams of two to enter the competition. The winning team will score a trip to Bridge Road Brewery in Beechworth!”

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So what else can you expect?

Live entertainment includes a stellar lineup from the electronic music scene, including Canberra locals Jack Billman, Mondocreen and Ashley Feraude trio. There will also be a series of guest talks about the different styles of beer and tips and advice on how to match your beer to your food.  If this sounds like your cup of tea or in this case, your pint of beer, then you better get in fast because tickets are selling quick.

Steve and the Beer Day Out team will be announcing some more news including an amateur photography competition but details won’t be released until closer to the event. So keep your eye out for more details!

The essentials

What: Beer Day Out 2014 (18+ and over)

When: 1.00pm Saturday 8 November (Pre-sale ticket holders will have entry from 12.00pm)

Where: Former Transport Depot, Wentworth Avenue Kingston

How much: $25 online before 7 November or $35 at the gate. If you purchase a ticket before the day, you will go into the draw to win an interstate brewery tour valued at $2300.

Tickets: Grab your ticket from Moshtix to avoid disappointment

Web: Check out the BDO website or find them on Facebook.