Beer Festival Serving Australian Food Is Coming to Miami

G'day, Miami. If you're a fan of craft beer and delicious Aussie "brekkie," then you just stumbled upon your highlight of January.

Nick Sharp, the Australian founder of Coral Gables' Threefold Cafe and Bay 13 Brewery and Kitchen, has founded a beer festival in Coral Gables in honor of Australia Day that serves unlimited beer and delicious Australian food.

The festival, Woop Woop Fest, will take place on Saturday, January 27, in Coral Gables (the day after Australia Day). Attendees can expect unlimited beer samples from more than 30 breweries, local vendors, Australian food, and four live bands, including Suenalo, School of Rock, Love & Water, and Max & Kyra Milian.

The inspiration behind creating the festival is Australia Day, which is celebrated in Australia by getting together with friends to grill on the barbecue (or the "barbie") while the radio announces the top 100 songs from the previous year.

He missed those Australia Day traditions from back home so much that he sought to share his love of the holiday with Coral Gables by creating the festival.

"We are really big on community," says Sharp. "The idea is that all kinds of people can get together, have a great time, and get to meet people you wouldn't have otherwise. In Australia, you'll go to a pub or festival and make friends, we hear it all the time, you'll run into people at a bar, and they'll say, 'Come and stay at my house or borrow my car.'"

While you might not be borrowing anyone's car, sharing a beer is always welcome.

According to Sharp, when he moved from Australia to Miami, he had a difficult time meeting people. This is why the festival also aims to be a friendly environment where strangers can easily bond over a beer or the music playing on stage.

Bay 13 Brewery and Kitchen opened in Coral Gables as a hospitality venue centered around craft beer. Sharp says he noticed most of the breweries in Miami at the time were production breweries with little food offerings. Therefore, after the success of his previous venture with Threefold Café on Giralda Avenue with his wife, he took the opportunity to bring the Australian-style food pub to the neighborhood.

Slowly, the café became the host of smaller celebrations during Australia Day until 2023, when Woop Woop Fest was born. The first installment had 20 breweries and about 500 attendees. However, this year, the list of invited brewers has almost doubled, and Sharp hopes more locals will join the celebration.
Tickets include an under-21 option (families are welcome to bring their kids), as well as a general admission option for those who are 21 and over, which includes one festival cup to enjoy unlimited samples of beer, unlimited wine tastings, and access to the Aussie cultural tent.

For those looking for an exclusive experience, VIP guests get access to the indoor Australian hospitality suite with food boards, premium liquor and wine tastings, and brewery tours, along with early entrance to the festival, where breweries will be pouring a special beer.

Brewers this year include local favorites such as Prison Pals Brewing Co., Beat Culture, Magic 13 Brewing Co., Tripping Animals Brewing, Black Pit Brewing Co., and Pompano Beach Brewing Company. As of publication, there are 39 confirmed breweries confirmed.

To Sharp, the sense of community brought by the festival starts with the brewers themselves.

"It translates into a better festival," says Sharp. "The night before, we do a brewer's bottle share so they can share their beers and have a fun night. During the festival, all the brewers who come have VIP passes to enjoy it because, for us, it's really important to have them there to tell their own story to the guests."

The festival benefits the Coral Gables Art Cinema. Also, as an ode to the alternative music station he would listen to on Australia Day — and in support of local bands — four acts will perform live during the festival.

"We're starting with School of Rock," says Sharp. "It's a local school for cool kids and musicians. They regularly do events at Bay 13, and it's always super fun to see these kids rocking out up there. Then the headliner, Suenalo, is going to close with a two-hour finish."

All guests and brewers are invited to participate in the Brewers Brunch at Bay 13 Brewery and Kitchen the following day on Sunday, January 28, as a catch-up after the festival. Tickets are sold as an add-on through the website for $50, and the event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Woop Woop Fest. 5 p.m. Saturday, January 27, at Bay 13 Brewing, 65 Alhambra Plz., Coral Gables; bay13brewery.com. Tickets cost $20 to $200 via bay13brewery.com/woopwoop.