This week in August is always a bit of an exciting one with the UK's largest beer festival - the Great British Beer Festival about to begin in London. I've many good memories from previous year's - including working on the bars and the infamous cider bar training! The Bières sans Frontières bar is always a little treat to mix up the day's beer drinking - this year's list features the likes of De Molen, Cantillon, Deschutes, Green Flash, Pizza Port, Stone, Boulder and so many more on the Beer Finder. Can't wait to catch up with friends and enjoy sampling new beers.
London Beer City - a recent newcomer to proceedings has harmoniously slid like a layer of jam amongst the proverbial peanut butter sandwich to add juicy beer events everyday from Friday 7th August for 10 days. Will Hawkes is the man behind this phenomenal week and all credit to him in managing to pull together a wide beery group of like-minded people to ensure a fantastic array of events everyday. Personally I'm looking forward to the Magic Rock High Wire takeover at the Cock Tavern in Hackney 'Magic Eight-Balls' which will feature eight casks of this beer each dry-hopped with a different variety. But the events list, well...there is only one word to describe it; AWESOME. I try not to use this word a lot, so when I do it means a f**k load more, like I mean x 10,000. If you don't believe me go check the link and go to the 'Schedule' page to see all the daily events!
Finishing the week off, again, a relative newcomer in the beer festival calender - London Craft Beer Festival. This is year three and after an impressive launch (though I watched from afar on social media!), I'm really looking forward to visiting for the first time. With a well selected pick of overseas breweries including Stone, Omnipollo, Lervig, Founders and Edge Brewing amongst the London contingent - the beer list is going to be pretty special - I'll be on the hunt for funk and dankness!!! Included for the first time is an extension into the Oval's Pickle Factory space (the Oval is a multi use arts space in Bethnal Green); with blues music and a dedicated rib and burger grill in the yard. Breweries pouring in the Pickle Factory include Stone & Wood Brewing, Oakham Ales, Fourpure Brewing Co.and Sori Brewing. The food and music choices have as great an attention to detail as the beer list, the holy trio - Beer>Food>Music AND REPEAT.
See you there!