Last year, my first visit to New Zealand and the Beervana festival was a very positive and tasty experience.

Wellington is a craft beer lovers delight, with many diverse and welcoming bars and breweries an easy stroll from either end of town.The popular Beervana festival is a very well organised event and provides excellent insight to the flavour and state of New Zealand beer.

This year, even more Australian brewers and breweries – 15 at current count, from all cornersof the country – will be showcasing their beers to the people of Wellington and all those who make the increasingly popular August pilgrimage to Middle Earth.

Beervana allows you to get up close with brewers and hear their stories. Many visitors leave the festival with a fond, if not debaucherous, tale to tell, which always starts with a really good beer.

If you’ve had any passing interest in attendingBeervana, don’t delay any further and book your tickets now. [James Davidson]

MEDIA RELEASE – Line up ofbreweries and eateries announced for Beervana 2014

Once again, Beervana is shaping up to be the premier craft beer event in New Zealand, with a stellar line up of breweries and top eateries presenting craft beer-friendly food at this two day event, held in Wellington in August.

More than 60 breweries from around the country, as well as some from the USA and Australia, will be showcasing more than 250 different craft beers and ciders during Beervana (see list below), held on 22 and 23 August at Westpac Stadium.

“It’s an exciting time to be part of the craft brewing industry in New Zealand, with Beervana showcasing some of the best in the country as well as profiling beers from some of the newer breweries to hit the scene,” says Beervana Director David Cryer.

“With the additional element of our ‘Beervana Exchange’, where three award winning brewers will be here from Portland, as well as other events within Beervana such as specialist beer seminars, home brew and media brew competitions and the launch of the New Zealand chapter of the Pink Boots Society, which supports women in the brewing industry, there will be something for everyone.”

To enjoy alongside the brews, Beervana’s Culinary Director Martin Bosley has again gathered some of Wellington’s top eateries.

“I’ve brought together some of Wellington’s best restaurants, ensuring that each provides a sensational variety of food, all different, yet all complementing or contrasting the craft beers available,” says Martin Bosley.

“As the quality of craft beers has improved, so has our understanding of just how important it is to match the food to them. Frankly, this year’s line-up shows just how much craft beer has been embraced by the capital’s restaurants.”

The eateries include: Boulcott St Bistro, Big Bad Wolf, Epicure, Grill Meats Beer, House of Dumplings, Monsoon Poon, The Fire Truck, The Goose Shack, The General Practitioner and Tommy Millions.

Tickets are available at www.ticketek.co.nz

Current bist of breweries at 2014 Beervana

As at 4 July 2014

8 Wired Brewing Adnams Southwold Aspall Cyder Bach Brewing Behemoth Brewing Co Black Dog Brew Co Brew Cult Brew your own – by Speidel Bridge Road Brewers Brothers Beer Cassels & Sons Brewery Cider Hutt Commons Brewery Craft Bar Deep Creek Brewing Co Drs Orders Eagle Bay Emerson’s Brewery Epic Brewing Co Feral Brewing Fiasco Brewing Company Fork Brewing Funk Estate Galbraith’s Alehouse Garage Project Gigantic Brewing Company Good George Brewing Green Beacon Hallertau Hancock & Co Beer Hop Federation Brewery Hot Water Brewing Co Imake Kereru Brewing Company Lakeman Brewing Co Liberty Brewing Co Little Creatures Loebethal Brewhouse Mac’s Mash Brewing McCashins Brewery Moa Brewing Company Monteiths Brewing Company Mount Brewing Co Mountain Goat Murrays Brewing Nail Brewing North End Brewery Panhead Custom Ales ParrotDog Pink Boots Bar: Mata (Aotearoa); The Beer Baroness (Pomeroys); Two Birds; Pink Boots (USA)/33 Latitude collab Queenstown Brewers Rocky Knob Brewing Company Steam Brewing Stone & Wood Sunshine Brewery The West Coast Brewery Three Boys Brewery Tuatara Two Birds Widmer Brothers Brewing Yeastie Boys Young Henry’s Zeelandt Brewery Zeffer Cider

For more information, visit the Beervana website.