Strong line-up of special brews at festival
Innovative brewers from across the country are set to stagger drinkers with a bevy of new and collaboration beers launching at the North’s biggest beer festival.
Eluisve’s Andy & Jane with RedWillow’s Toby McKenzie
Now in its fifth year, the Manchester Beer and Cider Festival has developed a reputation for curating unique pairings of brewers to create new beers. The festival, which returns to Manchester Central at the end of the month, also provides some brewers with a prestigious venue to launch new ales. And it’s a perfect opportunity for those following ‘Tryanuary’ – the antidote to ‘Dry January’ – where drinkers are encouraged to try different beers, pubs and venues to support the UK brewing industry in what is usually a difficult month for the trade.
Some local brewers have travelled far and wide to give birth to new collaborations while others have welcomed visitors to the Manchester area.
Locally, Macclesfield’s RedWillow hosted a visit from Andy & Jane Parker of Berkshire’s Elusive Brewing to brew MoreOrLess American Brown Ale generously hopped with Cascade and Columbus. North Wales brewer Cwrw Iâl travelled to New Mills to collaborate with Torrside. Their effort really took the biscuit – ‘Viennese Whirl’ promises vanilla and raspberry to create a biscuit in a beer.In early January
Manchester’s Runaway travelled to Newcastle upon Tyne to forge an alliance with Newburn’s Box Social; expect a dry double-hopped Nelson and Apricot IPA, ‘Metanoia’. Alphabet Brewing Company’s Tom Evans set off from his Piccadilly railway arch on a 490-mile round trip to the well respected Vibrant Forest in Hampshire. Their beer is a 5.4% ABV Dunkle Weiss with exotic citrus notes from the hops. (more…)