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GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - The fourth Thousand Sensations Craft Beer, Spirits and Food Festival returns to The Wilderness Hotel near George this September for the Garden Route's very own craft beer festival.
Over the weekend of 15 and 16 September, 40 craft brewers are to showcase more than 170 handcrafted beers and ciders to an anticipated crowd of about 3 000 beer lovers.
Joining the brewers are eight craft distilleries, Tapanga Rum, Six Dogs, Black Mountain and Fynbos Distilleries among them, presenting whisky, brandy, vodka, gin and rum to those who prefer their tipple stronger.
Wesgro
The 2017 event was launched on Friday 14 July at the Wilderness Hotel where Alan Winde, minister of Economic Development and Tourism, underlined the support of Wesgro, the Official Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape.
Winde said young people participating in the Department of Economic Development and Tourism's Work and Skills programme will be working at the event, providing logistic support and assistance with craft beer tastings. He said the two-day event attracted scores of people in the past and is a job creating initiative.
The festival's wine needs are catered for by two wineries, of which ReedValley from Mossel Bay makes a first appearance. A variety of handmade, delicious, non-alcoholic alternatives, such as malt drink Breva and Pomegranate will be on offer.
As before, craft food is on the menu too. The Wilderness Hotel and 10 gourmet food stalls are tasked to keep stomachs satisfied throughout the weekend.
Entertainment
Entertainment will not be in short supply either. Musical talents like Andra, Riaan Smit, Kevin Leo, Behind Two Jays, Jonty Hendrix, Wade and others will ensure a total of 16 hours of live music entertainment. BMW Pure Craft Bikes promise to spell-bind bike fans for the second year running with their custom craft bikes, and Rotolabel affords an opportunity to experience first-hand the impact of quality labels.
Pairings
Building on the success of last year's pre-festival events, three pairing sessions featuring eight different beers are scheduled for George, Oudtshoorn and Wilderness respectively, adding to the buzz created in the run-up to the festival. This year a shuttle service, courtesy of King Fisher Restaurant in George, will run between the restaurant and the Wilderness Hotel.
Entry to the festival is R90 per person per day, and includes a 340ml branded tasting glass and 500ml of craft beer. For more information, stay tuned to Thousand Sensation's broadcasting partner Algoa FM, pick up a copy of print partner George Herald, or contact the organiser Alewijn Dippenaar on 082 457 5675 or e-mail him at dyndev@mweb.co.za.
At the launch Dippenaar traced his three-year journey to the present festival which enjoys growing support by local brewers and many from further afield. He thanked his sponsors as well as his life-partner Mimi Finestone of Interface by Goji public relations company for their unwavering support.
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