It won't be all light on the night
...but it will have the brew for you
NEXT month sees the seventh annual beer festival take place at Whitehaven Civic Hall.
Organised by the West Cumbria Branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) it is happening on Friday and Saturday November 20 and 21.
Once again, there will be an interesting selection of Cumbrian beers, including Yewbarrow, brewed at the head of Wasdale by the Great Gable Brewery, which recently won a silver medal in the Champion Beer of Britain.
| Speciality beers have also been promised by The Strands Brewery, Nether Wasdale and the Foxfield Brewery, based at The Prince of Wales, at Foxfield, near Millom and there will be others too. Beers are also coming from further afield; places such as York, Liverpool and elsewhere, so there will be a chance to discover some new tastes for those who have been before. However many will be tempted to try the brew from Whitehaven, based not too far away, in Ennerdale. The organisers have taken to heart comments made by people who attended last year's festival and so there will be a wider selection of light beers which tend to be more ‘quaffable' but (happily) tend not to have the strength of some of the more unusual concoctions. |  |
Lighter ales were very popular last year, especially with women, and they quickly sold out, so, if you want to be sure to try more than one or two, make sure you don't get there too late on the Saturday night!
If traditional ciders are more your thing, then CAMRA's very own cider specialist is going to the West Country to hunt down the best in real ciders and perrys. He plans to bring back a good choice and has eyed an especially strong one that has an ABV of 11 per cent and which will be an option beside Cumbrian ciders... some of which he makes himself.
Entry to the festival is free to CAMRA members while non-members pay £2.50 for daytime sessions (noon to 4.30pm) and £3.50 for evening sessions (6pm-11pm) and this does include a commemorative glass.
Beers and ciders can be bought in thirds as well as the more usual halfs and pints.
For those with pretensions to being a beer connoisseur, special tasting events will take place (for a small fee) at which, hopefully, the palette will be educated and a full appreciation of the full range of flavours in beer can be gained.
Also, unlike wine-tasting, you are allowed to swallow it!
In addition to the enormously popular sandwiches, hot food will once again be available this year.
As you would expect, there is always a convivial atmosphere at this event and you never know whether you will end up talking to a visitor from afar, or a friend you never even knew enjoyed real ale.
With 32 beers and six ciders to try there should be something to please most tastes.
