Peacanwood Oktoberfest 2016

Beer fest's come and beer fest's go but majority of them are generally the same apart from one. What makes the Peacanwood Oktoberfest so great that about from a vast variety of beers for guest to enjoy the festival offers so much more that it's better known as a sport and lifestyle festival. Boasting visitors from around the country, Peaconwood Oktoberfest had over 6000 visitors at last years event and expect the crowds to be even larger this year. It has been voted SA's number one Sport and Lifestyle festival and KZN's biggest beer fest by far. 

Set in the tranquil KZN Midlands, just an hour outside Durban and 15 minutes outside Pietermaritzberg, Peacanwood offers it's visitors a unique getaway.  Taking place between 29-30 October, this years  theme being #chooseyouradventure the festival offers a wide array of outdoor activities featuring some extreme and popular sports of which include a 7/14KM trail run, 4x4 technical challenge, Enduro X, and the extremely popular MTB trails. 

Organizers have went out of their way to ensure that the mountain bike race is more of an experience to the participant. With carefully designed courses for all skill sets, the race can be done by race snakes as well as the weekend warrior. The variety of courses include single tracks, valleys, forests and escarpments set int he breath taking surroundings of the KZN Midlands each with their own unique challenges for both the novice and experienced rider.

For those runners who are tired of the same old trails, they need not worry as organisers have spent the last year designing and setting trail run courses that wil be that one course that sticks out heads above the rest for its originality, diversity and un spoilt routes as some of its trails have never been run before. 

Moving onto the main attraction of the festival, the beer! Holding the title as KZN's biggest beer fest, the festival has a lot to live up to and this year the Peaconwood Oktoberfest boast a vast selection of beers from around the country, along with Wine and Coffee Tasting Tent which features coffees from around the world. And to add to the excitement, the Oktoberfest girls will be on duty to make sure your glass never stays empty for too long.  

The #chooseyouradventure them continues with fans choosing which of SA's top bands they would like to see perform at the festival. This years acts as voted by the the public include, Francois Van Coke, Short Straw, Crash Car Burn, Gus Brown, Chico Muyo, Ryan Stylz, Rowan Stuart and many more. This will be Short Straws and Francois van Cokes last performance in KZN for 2016. 

Thinking of making the Peaconwood Oktoberfest a weekend away? Why not? You can bring your own tent and camp for free or book a place in the tended camps on offer from Tent Nation. Past visitors to the festival know why it's one of the most attended festivals in the country and which see's people from every province making their way to KZN for it. For the first timers, you will soon find out what makes this one so special. Early bird tickets are available for sale now from their website: www.peaconwoodoktoberfest.com

We will be running a competition in the coming weeks for you to win tickets to the Peaconwood Oktoberfest Sports and Lifestyle Festival so be sure to stay tuned to win!

SA On Tap, Craft Beer Festival 2015 - Durban

With over a 120 of South Africa's finest craft brews, ciders, whiskeys and wines on offer at the 11th instalment of SA on Tap, this years event is sure to be one not to miss! Taking place on the 1st of August along Durban's famed Golden Mile, visitors can look forward to a wide range of all their favourites as well as tantalise their taste buds and palettes to new flavours and experiences. This is one of 3 events that will be hosted around the country and no doubt with Durban's perfect winter weather, it is bound to be a hit and is already proving so with over 85% of the tickets being sold already!

Craft beer has been on the steady rise in recent months in Durban as more and more people are welcoming and noticing the efforts of the microbrewers. SA on Tap offers drinkers the unique experience to sample new variants of the craft and possibly make one find their niche. Apart from the drinks, there will be plenty entertainment lined up for the day, so while you're sipping on your favourite brew, you can enjoy the sounds of some of SA's top bands, with the likes of Gangs of Ballet, Rubber Duc, Justin Serrao and Catlike Thieves.

What is drink without food? They practically go hand in hand, but fear not, your stomach cravings will be taken cared off as the organises have carefully selected a number of gourmet food stalls to pair up the flavours with the variety of brews on offer. You can ask brewers at the various stalls on pairing advice, or be daring and find perfect pairs on your own.

Festival goers will be please to note that included in your tickets is a glass to help you pick up on the over 150 delectable flavours of craft beer on offer. When booking your ticket online, you are able to choose from one of 3 glasses available. Tickets are available from www.saontap.co.za and are limited, online booking is essential for this sell out event, avoid disappointment and be sure to book early. See you there...

Consol Craft Beer Revolution - Competition

As the saying goes, "its always better in glass" and I don't know about you but I prefer it in glass as well. Whether it's cool drink or an ice cold beer, nothing beats drink it out of glass that is why Consol is SA's largest producer of the materiel and is proud sponsor of the Craft Beer Revolution which happens in Durban for the very first time this Saturday!

Craft beer has really taken off in our drinking culture with many opting to choose from the variety of micro brewers, rather than opting for the mass produced brands that we've become so accustomed to. The difference is always in the taste, craft beer is all about the flavours – full and interesting ingredients that combine to produce bold notes and rich aromas that will educate even the most seasoned palate. Brewed naturally, from the best quality and 100% natural ingredients, with no additives, preservatives, thickeners or stabilisers, microbrewers need packaging that preserves taste and extends shelf life.

The event takes place at Suncoast Casino in Durban on the 7th of March, it runs from 12pm till 6pm. Visitos can look forward to sampling some of the best Craft on offer, the makers that will be present showcasing their specialities are: Shongweni Brewery, Basstt Brewery, TwoOkes Brewery, The Standeavon Brewery, Craft Republic (featuring Darling Brew, Soweto Gold, Dragon Brewing Company and Irish Gold) and that Brewing Co. The event is perfect for the expert drink but also for the "beer-ginner" as they have the chance to taste and find out more about each blend, the ingridients that go into them and find a prefernece so the next time they go out, they know what to order. If you're totally against beer, fear not as there is an artisan boutique winery for those that prefer grapes over hops.

Apart from great craft beer and wine, there will also be some of the best, mouth watering Durban gourmet street food on offer to purchase. with many local favourites which include, Unity Brasserie & Bar, Renegade Kitchen, Maddison Bakery & Café Vigour. There will also be live entertainment on hand to keep your feet tapping while enjoying your beverage of choice and eats, some of the bands that will be playing are the Gus Brown Band, The Kickstands, John Ellis and Callie & Barry Thomson, who will entertain throughout the day.

All food and drink purchased on site will be done using the festival currency called “Castros”. Each Castro is worth R5 and can be purchased at the event in denominations of R100 booklets. Tickets cost R100.00 (includes a free beer glass) and can be purchased online at www.iTickets.co.za and www.thecraftrevolution.co.za or on entry at the door.

For more info on the Consol Craft Revolution 

Facebook: ConsolCraftKZN

Twitter: @KZNCraftRev

Website: www.thecraftrevolution.co.za

Competition time! Stand a chance to win tickets for you and your partner to this weekends Consol Craft Beer Revolution happening at Suncoast Casino, Durban! All you have to do is tweet me, @AMG133 " I want to win with the Bucket and Consol  #ConsolCraftKZN ".  

Competition ends at midnight tonight, winners will be notified via twitter on Thursday. There are 4 double tickets up for grabs so get tweeting!