Malta’s largest craft beer shop and its one-off unique event

What inspired you to host this event?

Mostly the sheer love of quality craft beer and authentic street food, and the wish to share this winning combination with as many people as possible in Malta.   

You have listed a wide selection of craft beers, so are there any worth singling out? Perhaps some rare ones?

All the beers are innovative, small-batch beers brewed with the finest ingredients and in small quantities when compared to the commercial beers most are familiar with.

Since many of the craft beers will be served on draught, this is particularly rare since you hardly get any craft beer on tap in Malta; most of it is imported in bottles.

The craft beer movement is still only getting started locally and there are still no taprooms serving such a wide range of craft on draught.

That said, the scene is evolving and local beer drinkers are slowly realising that there is much more to the world of beer than light lagers.

We have many remarkable beers on the list, including beers that even those that traditionally dislike beer would have a taste for!

Such as Jungle Joy, a Belgian ale brewed with mango and passion fruit, or Arawak, a slightly tart beer packed with Guava, perfect for lounging in the Sun.

We will also launch Metallica’s new Pilsner (yes the world-famous rock band has launched its own beer!), Enter Night.

In terms of really rare beers we have imported some beers all the way from the USA, such as the kegs of the Kentucky Bourbon barrel-aged version of Arrogant Bastard, imported all the way from California in a cold container, just for this event.
 
Do you think that today, the local populace is far more appreciative of craft beer and street food than before?

The locals have always had a flair for street food as we have always enjoyed such food by the beach and village feasts, while the pastizzeria still dominates the street food scene.

We have also always appreciated a good lager, and have countless commercial lagers available in Malta for many years.

What happened in recent time is that the younger generation came in and jolted the until-then-quite-conservative street food and beer scene (think hot dog/burger and an inexpensive lager), felt that it wanted something different, something new and fresh, and did something about it.

A number of smaller businesses popped up in the past five years, all bursting with ideas and new products. Where there is a choice, there is more appreciation.

What are the reasons for this public shift in perception and attitude?

Mostly it’s the availability and the accessibility, as street food and craft beer are relatively well-priced in Malta and there are a lot of activities going on which try to promote the scene. Just by learning about how beer is made, and what ingredients are in it, people start to appreciate it more.

Long gone are the days of guarding your recipes and calling them secrets, now people want to share knowledge and talk about the food they are eating, and getting close to the chef who cooked it.

I guess food trucks are like open-kitchens, perhaps much close to your home kitchen than a fancy restaurant. And just because a food truck is informal, it does not mean that it does not serve delicious food. In fact, many ex-food truck owners move into brick-and-mortar premises after a few years and many of them are a huge success.

Doors will open at 10:00 and closing at 20:00. Free entrance and ample parking are available on location.