Fine brews, tasty food and music grooves

Great roll-up to the inaugural Hinterland Craft Beer Festival.

Beer lovers are in for a fine time at the Hinterland Craft Beer Festival at The Imperial Hotel Eumundi on Saturday 29 June from 12noon til 8pm.

If you love making beer, learning about beer, talking beer, and, of course, tasting beer, then this free entry and family friendly event is sure to be a good time.

The festival will bring together top brewers from across the Sunshine Coast – Heads of Noosa, Copperhead Brewery, Moffat Beach Brewery, Sunshine Brewery, Sunshine Coast Brewery, Brouhaha Brewery, Your Mates Brewing, and of course, Eumundi Brewery.

The eight breweries (and a few local coffee roasters) have been busy in the lead-up to the Beer Fest creating a special Hinterland Craft Beer Festival Collab Brew. They are keeping details of the style under wraps and will launch it on the day, with 100% of the proceeds going to local charity Smart Pups. The special brew will of course be available at the event, and also at participating breweries and select venues following the festival – while stocks last.

Eumundi Brewery Head Brewer Chris Sheehan is proud of the camaraderie of the collaborative brewing team.

“As a local festival, featuring only local beer, it is great that as a band of brewers we can give back to the community,” Chris said.

“The greater Coast and Hinterland are fantastic supporters of our passion and beer, which makes it very worthwhile for us all to get to together to create a brew that will ultimately help those in need.

“This year’s brew will be a surprise on the day, and we’re lucky to have the Sunshine Coast Homebrewers pouring and assisting with fundraising on the day – so make sure you have a taste and get behind a local charity.”

Festival-goers will also have a chance to learn more about the science and craft of beer making, with the respective breweries and the Sunshine Coast Homebrewers sharing insights into how particular brews are fine-tuned. A Brewers Q & A session is scheduled for 3pm on the day.

Eumundi Brewery will also offer free Brewery Tours throughout the afternoon for those keen to see behind-the-scenes.

To accompany the sensational brews, there will be some seriously tasty street food on hand, and a program of live music and grooves throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

The line-up includes guitar duo Cadence (mix of funk, flamenco and a dash of blues), Benny O (singer songwriter with a great mix of originals and covers), troubadour Danny Widdicombe (of The Wilson Pickers, Trichotomy, The Honey Sliders and The Go-Betweens fame), PALOMINO III (rockabilly powerhouse trio), The Brown Trouts (legendary Imperial Hotel house band) and Shannon Sol Carroll (laid back roots, saltwater folk and acoustic soul).

The Imperial Hotel’s Vinyl DJs will also spin some wax while roving performers RUBA TUBA and one man band NIQ REEFMAN will wander through the crowd entertaining throughout the day.