If you're heading along to the GABS beer, cider and food festival at ASB Showgrounds this weekend, you'll be absolutely spoiled for choice. More than 50 breweries will be showcasing 300-plus types of beer and cider at the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular - so where on earth do you begin? We asked Garage Project brewer Carrie McLachlan for her top Gabs picks.
Behemoth Brewing Company Chocolate Fish Milk Stout
I'm a huge fan of their double chocolate milk stout and I imagine this is a spin-off of that. It's thick, rich, chocolatey and so decadent. The one I am most looking forward to trying for sure.
Pink Boots Grateful Grapefruit
The girls from The Pink Boots Society do a great job of promoting and supporting women in the beer industry. Their latest collab beer is a sour Berliner weisse with a hefty dose of grapefruit and lime. A clean sour base with a massive hit of zingy grapefruit that's a refreshing palate cleanser after all the hoppy offerings.
Akasha Brewing Company Lupulin Fog
Dank, sticky resiny goodness: everything you want from an Imperial IPA.
Garage Project Oumou
My favourite of the Garage Project beers for GABS. It has big hits of ginger and pineapple, and a simple pilsner base that allows the adjuncts to shine. I hope you like ginger.
Choice Bros Purple Rain
I've never seen a purple beer before and I like that Choice Bros have thought outside the box and made a flower tea in order to get the vivid purple colour.
• 217 Greenlane RD West, Epsom. Friday June 16, 6.30pm-11.30pm; Saturday June 17, 12pm-5pm and 6.30pm-11.30pm
