On the first weekend of November every year, the grounds of Maitland Gaol fill with an eclectic range of music, roving entertainers, delicious food, and most importantly – beer. The Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival brings droves of brew connoisseurs to the region to taste more than 80 varieties of craft beer and to get some holistic beer education including food and beer pairings and meeting local brewers.
There are 22 beer brands on the roster for 2019, including local region heroes Dusty Miner, Foghorn Bewery, Hunter Beer Co, Hunter United Brewers, Maltnhops Bewhaus and Six String, as well as beers from around Australia and NZ.
Other activities to discover at this year's event include drag queen bingo with local icon Timberlina, an ’80s disco hosted by Grand Ridge Brewery, and live music headlined by Newcastle soultronica act Boo Seeka (Saturday) and ’90s indie rock icons Custard (Sunday). Tickets start at $45.