In the first of a Good Beer Week Series, I’ve gone through this year’s Good Beer Week guide and picked out some events that I think you need to be paying attention to.

My criteria for these are “It’s interesting to me”. And I know what’s up.

Given the massive amount of events this year, you may be pretty confused and overwhelmed. So just relax.

I got this.

My Foodie Event Picks for Good Beer Week 2014

Monday – Friday 

Bangers and Bridgeport  – Merchant Osteria Veneta. 12-3pm 

3 different sausages made to be matched with  beers from Bridgeport (USA) for lunch. At $30 a perfect way to ease into some later events with a full stomach.  I think I’ll be hitting it up at least once.

Saturday 17th May

Earthly Alliances – Observatory at Botanic Gardens 6pm – late

$120 for beers from Moo Brew (Tasmania), food from Vue De Monde, all in the Royal Botanic Gardens? It’s hard to imagine a better way to spend an evening.

Sunday 18th May

Provenance Lunch – Provenance (Beechworth) 1pm – 4.30pm

This might be the best value for the whole week. If you’re near, or can get to Beechworth, then you are crazy to be missing out on one of Australia’s top chefs with beers and appearances from the brewers of Bridge Road (Aus), Birra Del Borgo (Italy) and To Ol (Denmark).  At $89 it’s a steal for a world class event.

Monday 19th May

Better than a Swiss Army Knife – Swiss Club of Victoria 7pm – Late

The beer selection isn’t amazing here – featuring a Swedish beer which (by my own research) is a fairly standard lager; however a 3 course meal of Swiss food, a swiss band and yodeling… that sounds like a pretty fun way to spend a winter’s night.

Tuesday 20th May

The Spanish Inquisition – Bar Nacional 7pm – late

By all accounts, Bar Nacional is the best tapas bar in Melbourne. I’m yet to visit but it’s very high on my list. 6 course tapas and wine vs beer at the best tapas bar in Melbourne? If my own event wasn’t that night, this is what I’d be doing.

Wednesday 21st May

Old Masters vs Young Guns – Hannah’s Bar at Epocha 1pm – 4pm

The importer of Rodenbach and the importer of… well almost any beer that beer nerds have been fighting over lately (Experience it)  face off in a beer matching event involving Belgian and Italian beers. Four course lunch… it’s hard to sell it harder than that.

Deluxe Ice Cream’s – Bimbo Deluxe, various afternoon times

Beer made into ice cream with liquid nitrogen involved. Yeah. That’s happening. I don’t understand it but I’m going to eat it.

De Vrolijke Boot (The Merri Boat) – Merricot 7pm – late

I just reread this description and said “ohhhh god” out loud. 5 courses matched with 5 Belgian inspired beers from one of my favourite Aussie breweries… featuring the release of a new sour cherry Flanders Red and a Saison Brett. Damn.

Take a moment now to go book it.

I’m a little annoyed I didn’t see this and booked something else.

Thursday 22nd May

The Cheese and Cask Ale Experience – The Local Taphouse 7pm – late

Cheese from Milk the Cow, beer from local producers poured out of the cask. Cask, cheese. Probably the pick of the beer and cheese events for me.

Friday 23rd May

Mindwarp! Danish Gyspy Mofos – The Dispencary Enoteca (Bendigo) 7pm – late 

Featuring beers from To Ol and Mikkeller you know it’ll be a weird night for your palate. The food is focussing on “umami” (lets just call it savoury shall we? This charade is tiring for all of us), and in the event description they mention they’ll be playing records as the soundtrack. Definitely a must do for Bendigo folk, and an easy trip on a Vline train for city folk.

Hitachino at Heide – Cafe Vue (Heide) 7pm – late

Beautiful surrounds of the Heide museum of Modern Art, some of the most interesting beers from Japanese brewery Hitachino.  Food from Shannon Bennett’s team at Cafe Vue. Very hard to beat.

Brews with a Vue – Vue Grand Hotel (Queenscliff) 12:30-4:30pm

One of Victoria’s best regional restaurants teams up with one of Victoria’s quiet achievers of the beer scene (Bellarine) to present a hop inspired menu in a roof top bar. Sunday lunch has been decided.