This year we have 13 local craft breweries and cider makers creating brand new brews for MarchFest. They have accepted the MarchFest challenge – this year, the theme for the event is “Special Ingredient”. Brewers have been asked to temporarily throw the famous Bavarian Beer Purity Law* out of the window, by choosing a secret added ingredient (other than water, hops, yeast or barley) for their Marchfest brew. On the day of the festival, attendees will be asked to guess what the secret ingredients are to win great prizes.

Already in the mash for the 2012 MarchFest are Upper Moutere’s Townshends Brewery with an ale called ‘Wynne Fall’, Onekaka’s The Mussel Inn with a breakfast beer called ‘Paddington Bear’, Riwaka’s Monkey Wizard with ‘Soma’ and a new brewery to MarchFest, WestCoast Brewing of Westport who are co-brewing a lager with Dead Good Beer, called Greasing Mongrels. On the cider front, Upper Moutere cider makers Peckham’s and Redwood Cellars are in with ‘Aphrodite's Choice’ and ‘Old Mout Pinger’ respectively. Other brews in the pipeline include Muscle Stout from Moa, Envy of the Empire from Founders, Touties Tootie Fruitie from Lighthouse, Asylum from Golden Bear, Sauvin from Totara, Bluegrass Bounty from Sprig and Fern and Kumar Batata from McCashin’s.

Can you guess their secret ingredients? If you can, you can win great prizes on the day!