Monthly archives: January 2017

Beer festival organisers in Manchester promised this year’s would be bigger and better. And the beer lists released today promise a staggering 750 different drinks!

Now the biggest event of its kind in the North, the Manchester Beer and Cider festival is organised by the combined expertise of the nine Greater Manchester CAMRA branches. The annual event serves the lover of traditional British ales, fans of the cutting edge of modern brewing and the uninitiated who are ready to start their journey of discovery.

Over the last few months, the festival’s specialists in real ale, foreign beers and and ciders have assembled a programme which has something for every taste. But the target for most festival goers are the cask-conditioned bars.

Here, over 400 real ales – ranging from Britain’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame to one of the newest, Manchester’s own Origami – show the variety of this uniquely British natural product. And retaining its reputation for innovation, the festival also has a superb range of key-keg conditioned beers.

With such an extensive selection, visitors may be forgiven for not knowing where to start. The festival programme gives tasting notes to help the unsure, but recommendations will be available at each of the 20 bars. (more…)

Beer festival organisers in Manchester are opening the flood gates to welcome a remarkable collection of European beers into the heart of the city this month.

To mark becoming the biggest beer and cider festival in the North, the Manchester Beer and Cider Festival team’s experts have sourced beers from across the continent to rival traditional home-produced delights for drinkers.

The European invasion will take control of two of the festival’s specialist Bière Sans Frontières bars – one for traditional German, Belgian and Czech beers with the second featuring the Rest of the World – and spill over onto the adjacent bottle bar. They are just three of 20 bars at the Manchester Central event.

The festival is organised by the combined expertise of the nine Greater Manchester CAMRA branches. It has become an essential entry in most beer and cider lovers’ calendars.

Six Octoberfest draught beers from Germany are expected in Manchester, and bar managers plan to rotate these on the bar. All German beers at the festival are brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot (purity law) and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

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Lucky drinkers are in for a treat as 13 breweries showcase their fantastic beers at the biggest beer and cider festival in the North.

Manchester Beer and Cider Festival will have beers from over 100 breweries, as well as a remarkable selection of foreign beers and ciders. It has always invited some brewers to promote their own beers at their own bars, alongside the huge main bars. But this month there will be a record number of brewery bars where festival goers will have the chance to meet brewers, talk all things beer – and, of course, drink their ales.

The festival has grown consistently and for 2017 will offer 30% more floorspace – and more seating – than ever before. Returning to Manchester Central, it is organised by the combined expertise of the nine Greater Manchester CAMRA branches. It has become an essential entry in most beer and cider lovers’ calendars.

Brewery bars manager Caroline O’Donnell said: “We have some returning established favourites, and five breweries new to the festival as its reputation spreads. But more than half our brewery bars are from Greater Manchester, reflecting the county’s position in the brewing industry. “

“We expect the beer selection will include Championship winners, traditional favourites, key-keg conditioned and some new beers never seen before. With such a great selection, Manchester can expect to be the UK’s beer capital this month.”

The breweries exhibiting are: (more…)