Beer festival boasts strong local element

Queenstown Summer Beer Festival organisers Malcolm Blakey (left) and Chris Dickson. Photo / Tracey Roxburgh

The return of the Queenstown Summer Beer Festival coincides with a boom in the local brewing industry, organisers say.

Organiser and Cargo Brewery owner Malcolm Blakey said festival-goers would have the opportunity to sample the wares of eight local brewers at the Recreation Ground tomorrow.

They could also enjoy the products of seven other craft brewers from throughout the country, such as Garage Project, 8 Wired Brewing and Renaissance.

The last beer festival in the resort was held under different management four years ago, and he hoped theirs would become an annual fixture.

The local brewing industry was young but growing, something he put down to people being a "bit bored of drinking mainstream commercial beer from big breweries".

It would also be a chance to chat to the brewers, in particular those from Queenstown and Wanaka, who exemplified the region's "creative spirit".

"They're using the water down here, people are growing hops - they're taking the chance to try and do something a bit different."

Co-organiser and Smith's Craft Beer House manager Chris Dickson said the local industry was "booming" and many new players were popping up.

"We wanted to find a way to showcase all that," he said.

Mr Blakey said every brewer would offer at least four types of beer, giving visitors a wide variety of styles to try, either in tasting glasses or in full pours.

The event is being run as a family day out. Children will have the run of Giant Jenga, bean bag games and bouncy castles, while local eateries will sell a range of food.

- Queenstown Summer Beer Festival, Queenstown Recreation Ground, tomorrow, noon to 7pm.