Green Man Brewery has produced an exclusive beer for this year's festival, featuring a label inspired by late Dunedin artist Colin McCahon.
"We're really, really pleased with it. It's a point of difference and gives us a feeling of exclusivity," festival director Alec Wheeler said.
"The festival is an event which ushers in spring, so it's very appropriate. This will also be the first festival where all venues will be operating a bar."
About 900 litres, or 300 bottles, would be produced.
"It's a mixture of beer and cider," brewmaster Enrico Gritzner said.
"It's got some fruit touches and we added some lemon. It's a beer for artists, rather than beer connoisseurs."
The beer would be released on the first day of the festival and only be available for the 10 days it was on, Mr Lindsay said.
The Otago Festival of the Arts runs from October 5 to 14.
