Hey Mashers,
This is a long one, but it’s important, so please take a few minutes to read through it.
We’ve got a huge run of events coming up in the second half of the year and we’re going to need a lot of beer. Across the four events listed below we’ll need at least 26 kegs, plus whatever we can pour at Christmas.
Because these events are so close together, we need to plan them as a group rather than one at a time. We’re asking members to think about their brewing schedule now and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the event(s) they’d like to brew for.
Events
1) Oktoberfest at Tallboy & Moose
Saturday 19 September
Target: 8 kegs
We’ve been doing this for several years now and the club has built a great relationship with Tallboy & Moose.
It’s a fantastic Oktoberfest party in its own right, but what makes it special is that the Mashers get to brew and serve eight beers to the public. Traditionally these have been German-inspired styles, but Tallboy have encouraged us to branch out a little and not feel completely restricted by classic Oktoberfest styles.
We’re still working through the details, but there may be some ingredient support from sponsors available for brewers participating in this event.
Because these beers will be served to the public and reflect both the club and Tallboy & Moose, we’ll be looking for experienced brewers with a strong track record of producing consistently high-quality beers.
2) Matriarch Day at Co-Conspirators
Saturday 10 October
Target: 8 kegs
Matriarch Day is Co-Conspirators‘ annual celebration of their flagship IPA.
This year they’ve partnered with KegLand and will be providing eight Mashers with Matriarch fresh wort kits to turn into something unique. The resulting beers will then be served to the public at the event.
Importantly, these beers are not intended to be Matriarch clones. The idea is to take the wort kit and make it your own. Brewers will be encouraged to experiment with yeast, hops, specialty grains, fruit, adjuncts, live squid or whatever else inspires them.
Fresh wort kits will be supplied in early July (now!). Brewers will need to supply any additional ingredients themselves.
This will also be a competition judged by the public, who will vote for their favourite beer on the day. Prizes will be advised.
As with Oktoberfest, these beers will be representing both the Mashers and Co-Conspirators to the public, so we’ll be looking for experienced brewers capable of producing polished, fault-free beers.
3) Brewstock at Holger’s Farm
Saturday 7 November
Target: 10 kegs
Brewstock is a homebrew festival attended by members from eight Victorian homebrew clubs.
Each club creates its own themed bar and showcases what its members can do. The theme (which hasn’t been announced yet) will be deliberately broad to encourage creativity and interpretation.
Brewing for Brewstock isn’t subsidised, but it’s a fantastic opportunity to have your beer poured alongside some of the best homebrew being produced across Victoria. It’s also a real honour to represent the Mashers at one of the biggest homebrew events of the year.
While Brewstock is a little more relaxed than our public brewery events, we’re still representing the club to other homebrew clubs across Victoria. We’ll be aiming for a strong lineup of beers that showcases what the Mashers can do.
4) Mashers Christmas Party
Saturday 5 December – Matt Arnold’s place, Brunswick
With all these other events happening, we don’t want to forget the premier event on the Mashers calendar.
Last year we had an absurd number of kegs on tap and we’d love to see that happen again. There are no style restrictions here, so brew whatever you like.
This is the event we’d love everyone to be involved in. Whether it’s your first keg for the club or your fiftieth, Christmas is all about sharing beers, trying new things and celebrating another great year together. If you’ve been thinking about putting a beer on tap at a club event, this is the perfect one to start with.
We’d simply like some visibility into numbers so we know how many beers to expect.
What We’re Asking For
At this stage we’re looking for Expressions of Interest only (EOI).
Please let us know:
- Which event(s) you’d be willing to brew for.
- Whether you’d be willing to brew for multiple events.
- Whether, if needed, you’d be happy to discuss moving to a different event.
You can nominate for one event or all four. Please think carefully about your brewing schedule and your realistic capacity to deliver before putting your hand up.
We understand that life happens and brewing doesn’t always go to plan, but these events rely on member commitments and we need to avoid finding ourselves short of beer at the last minute.
How Allocations Will Work
Submitting an EOI does not automatically guarantee a place at a particular event.
Once we know how many brewers are interested, the committee will allocate brewers to create the best lineup for each event.
If an event is oversubscribed, we’ll consider factors such as previous experience and the requirements of that particular event. If we think an EOI would be a better fit for another event, we’ll always discuss that with the brewer first—we won’t simply move people around without checking that it works for them.
Once brewer allocations have been finalised, we’ll work with each group to coordinate styles. This will help us build a balanced tap list for each event, avoid unnecessary duplication, and make sure we’re showcasing the widest possible range of great beers.
Of course, we’ll work collaboratively with each brewer throughout this process—we’re not here to tell people what they have to brew, but rather to help coordinate the lineup so each event is as strong as it can be.
If you have any questions, please speak to a committee member, ask on Discord, or contact us through the website.
Please click here to submit your Expression of Interest.