Building on last year’s sell-out tasting sessions, Manchester Beer and Cider Festival will give drinkers the chance to hear from three of the country’s leading beer experts. They will be running tutored tastings, suitably accompanied by generous samples of some of the 600+ ales on offer.
Kirsty Walker, Roger Protz and John Clarke will be talking about some of their favourite beer styles, showcasing the breadth of taste and history of real ale in the UK and further afield. All three have gathered reputations as entertaining writers and presenters. Their combined expertise will be available to selected audiences on two of the three days the festival opens to the public. Their subjects will range from the story of Belgian beers, the tradition of serving ales from wooden barrels, the mystique of Lambic beers from mainland Europe and how beer can best be matched with biscuits.
Entry to tasting sessions and talks will be by ticket only. Tickets include beer served during the session. Places are limited. Click here to book.
Beers From The Wood
Friday 3pm
Join Roger Protz in this tasting of beers as they used to be; served from a wooden cask. Roger will lead you through tastings of five halves of various beers on sale at the festival and talk you though the times when all draught beer was dispensed from wooden barrels. Roger Protz is one of the world’s leading beer writers, historians, lecturers and tasters. He is the author of more than 20 books on the subject. He edited more than 20 editions of the annual CAMRA Good Beer Guide before retiring after the 2018 edition. This is a rare opportunity to discuss anything beery with one of the world’s leading experts. Don’t miss it.
Introduction to Belgian Beer
Friday 5pm
Host: John Clarke.Discover the many distinctive beer styles from what is arguably Europe’s beeriest nation. Among others, we’ll look at spicy wheat beers, Flemish red ales, Wallonian saisons and Trappist ales brewed within the walls of abbeys. In a country divided by language, beer is one of the great unifying forces in Belgium. This talk will, accompanied by John’s expert commentary, set you on a voyage of discovery into one of the world’s most complex and varied beer cultures. John is a beer writer, blogger and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject. Five different beers are included in the ticket price.
Introduction to Lambic
Saturday 12.45pm
Join Belgian beer expert John Clarke on a journey round some of the world’s most unusual beers. This classic Belgian beer style now has its imitators around the world, but few match the complexity of the originals. We’ll talk about how these unique beers are produced and sample both traditional draught lambics and also what happens when they are blended to make gueuze, the ‘champagne’ of the beer world. John’s easy going and informative style makes this a session you shouldn’t miss. Five beers are included in the ticket price.
Beer and Biscuits
Saturday 2.30pm
Like beer? Like biscuits? Then this is the session you mustn’t miss. Beer writer and blogger Kirsty Walker will lead you through an amusing and light hearted session looking at how you can find the perfect beer to match beer with your favourite snack. Beer is often seen as an accompaniment to cheese, but after this session, you’ll find that your favourite bedtime tasty treat is much enhanced when you know what beer suits it best. You’ll try five different biscuits and five different beers while Kirsty gives you the low down. This is sure to be popular, so get your ticket now.
Tickets
Tasting event tickets include the beer you will sample during your selected sessions (a minimum of 5 x 1/3 pints).
Note that tickets do not include festival entry which must be purchased separately.