Quaffers: 30 breweries sign up for Canberra Beer Week

Canberra might lack the geographic breadth of greater Sydney or Melbourne for a beer event. But it more than makes up for it in enthusiasm – and perhaps in beer geeks and brewers per capita.

Canberra Beer Week, scheduled for November 5 to 11, incorporating Beer Day Out craft festival (November 6 and 7), has 30 breweries signed and is working with venues around the city to host the various activities.

Specialist beer and cider retailer, Plonk, of Fyshwick Markets, runs and co-ordinates beer week. This year a great diversity of brewers and cider makers have signed up to host tap takeovers, brewer talks and food matching events in venues across the city.

Put the dates in your diary and keep an eye on canberrabeerweek.com and beerdayout.com.au for details and tickets.

Southern Bay Requiem Uber Pale Pilsner
★★★★☆
330ml $4.60

What's in a name? Will I need a cab? Ahh, no, uber pale malt and uber hopping give Southern Bay a quirky take on pilsner. It's also uber fresh and frothy, which is good. And the uber hops will please some but not all with their uber resiny flavour and uber bitter finish.

Jennings Brewery Cumberland Deep Golden Ale
★★★★½
500ml $8.90

Britain's Cumberland, Lake District, beer stirs memories of Santon Bridge pub, stodgy food, mediocre wine list, beautiful countryside and delicious ale, made to drink too much of. The beer is indeed deep-golden coloured, with a warming malty palate and sturdy, lingering and refreshing hops' bitterness.