Cojachela 2018 have just announced that the craft beer festival’s festivities will be headlined by Sub Cantante. Find out what else the weekend has in store.
“A quart of ale”, says Autolycus in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, “is a dish for a king”. It seems hard to disagree with the truth of such a statement. Indeed, the Cojachela festival is a chance to confirm Autolycus’ claim and strut around like royalty, sampling the artisanal and independent beers on offer.
Cojachela will be the culmination of another edition of BreWeek, with events throughout the city from February 12 – 16 to celebrate and rejoice in the delights of craft beer and all who make her.
The piece de resistance is a whole weekend festival (February 17 and 18) where you can not only quaff craft beer and cider, you can also camp and save yourself a trek back to the city. This is a festival for all types, from the discerning beer-drinking specialist to the enthusiastic amateur who yearns to cultivate his palate. And cultivate he shall, for such is the variety of brews on offer that it would be near-impossible to come away from the numerous beer stands and their different flavours without a greater understanding and appreciation of that delicious frothy goodness. This will be more the case on the Saturday (which they call Rasccabado), a day revolving around activities such as beer yoga and blind tastings.
What’s more, the familiar feelings of regret and shame you normally feel after engaging in debauched revelry may be replaced by a sense of moral satisfaction, due to an initiative by the festival organisers that sees part of the entrance fee go towards the planting of trees and the development of upper limb prostheses for those in need.
If this unconventional symbiosis of alcohol and righteous superiority does not appeal to you, then fear not, because the festival is much more than just an ornate display to Silenus and Dionysus. Food will also be of the essence, and whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner that you require, the abundance of food trucks, restaurants and food-stands serving everything from vegetarian options to Colombian specials and fast foods will ensure that whatever your cravings, they will be fulfilled.
What good would be a festival without swinging your hips to the sound of that sweet, sweet music? No good, that’s what. That’s why on the second day of the festival, known as Guayabomingo, a collection of top Colombian artists will roll in to accompany the copious amounts of food and drink. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more information closer to the event.
If the combination of beer, food and music hasn’t left you feeling suitably enticed, then perhaps the location of the festival will. The Hipódromo de Los Andes, a former horse racing track, should provide ample space for the various stalls and activities, and the perfect setting for the voracious consumption of the aforementioned holy trinity.
In the words of Fabian, the event organiser: “Get together, love Rasccabado and live the guayabomingo.”
Cojachela 2018: Hipódromo de los Andes, Autopista Norte, Km 20, February 17 & 18, 11am – 9pm