Crafted Beer Festival returns to Broadbeach for ninth year

The excitement is brewing for the Gold Coast’s favourite frothy celebration, with beer lovers flying in from across the globe to crack a cold one and support the local scene. Here’s what you can expect.

The excitement is brewing for the Gold Coast’s favourite frothy celebration, with beer lovers flying in from across the globe to crack a cold one and support the local scene.

More than 5000 people are expected to flock to Broadbeach for the ninth Crafted Beer Festival on Saturday, September 13 – and organisers say this year’s event is the biggest yet.

Event organiser Anna Cook said there’ll be 50 breweries, including plenty of local favourites, on show. They’ll be pouring more than 400 brews, from rare small-batch sips to cult-favourite classics.

Organiser Anna Cook and brewers celebrate the return this September of the Crafted Beer Festival launch at Kurrawa beach. Picture Glenn Hampson

“The Gold Coast brewing scene is actually still really thriving, and it’s great to see new breweries on board this year,” she said.

“A lot of them are small, independent, family-owned businesses, and they’ve gone through some pretty hard times the last couple of years.”

Ms Cook said pre-sale sold out in record time, demonstrative of the booming scene.

“It’s one of our strongest years yet,” she said.

“We’ve got people flying from New Zealand and all across the globe to come here.”

Big-name brewers like Balter, Black Hops and Burleigh Brewing will return alongside newcomers Carbon 6, Tap That Brewery, and Roji Cat.

Justin Misry and Chris Smith opened their brewery in Burleigh Heads less than nine months ago. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Justin Misry and Chris Smith opened their brewery in Burleigh Heads less than nine months ago. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Tap That Brewery co-founder Justin Mistry said they’ve only been operating out of Burleigh for less than nine months but are excited to “kick off with a bang”.

“We’ll showcase some of our core range but we’ll do some pretty wild and wacky stuff as well.”

Justin Misry and Chris Smith opened their brewery in Burleigh Heads less than nine months ago. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Event-goers can also expect BBQ battles, beer yoga, and Beddy Rays headlining a homegrown music lineup.

Originally published as Crafted Beer Festival returns to Broadbeach for ninth year