Yearly archives: 2019

North Yorkshire’s Brass Castle brewery recorded an astonishing double success, with two of its brews topping the poll of visitors’ choices.

The brewery has been successful in attracting the popular vote before, but it it is the first time in #MBCF’s history that any brewery has had two beers in the top three.

It was perhaps even more remarkable as a new beer launched at the festival proved the customers’ favourite. Fruit Lupe, a 4.8% ABV single hop pale ale was available in both cask-conditioned and keg styles and drinkers clearly enjoyed the marriage of Mosaic hops with blueberry. Like all Brass Castle’s beers, Fruit Lupe is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Preview of Manchester Beer and Cider Festival opening to public on Thursday

January may not be the ideal month for a festival to celebrate the best of British drinks. Alongside the traditional slew of New Year resolutions can be added the guilt-laden prohibition, Dry January, which worries brewers and licensees alike. Add the uncertainties of current political machinations, a series of rail strikes affecting leisure travel and headlines warning of extreme weather. You’d be forgiven if you decided this really wasn’t time to put on the North’s biggest beer and cider festival.

But this is Manchester. And we do things differently here…

So the immense space at Manchester Central will again welcome an anticipated 15,000 people keen to sample some of the best and rarest traditional and modern beer and cider styles. Volunteer organisers from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) have planned this week’s event for the best part of twelve months, looking to improve the visitor experience by introducing new themed bars. But they are also keen to stress their main objective – to have fun.