CityLife

Manchester Beerfest

Real ale fan

BEER the new rock n’ roll? The two have never really been apart but, let’s admit it, cask ale has always been more oompah than cutting edge cool.

Perhaps it all changed when trad beer from many of Greater Manchester’s 20-odd microbreweries sold like hot cakes (rather than ice-cold Carling) at Summer In The Park.

It helped that each ale was just £2 a pint, but Kloot and Marble, Mr Scruff and Hornbeam suddenly seemed a marriage made in Madchester. The music-plus-food mix of Summer In The Park at Platt Fields was, of course, the hors d’oeuvre for the the CityLife.co.uk Manchester Food And Drink Festival in October. Last year’s event launched the hugely successful Best Beer Brewed In Greater Manchester award, with Marble’s JP Best the winner in the much-visited Albert Square marquee.

People's Pint

That continues as part of the new Greater Manchester Beer Festival, Camra approved and inspired by the success of Summer In The Park. It will be held on October 10-11 in the Spinningfields business district and will feature many other beers apart from those in the competition.

Judging of the champion beer will be undertaken by expert panels and the winner announced on Friday, October 10. The public will also vote for their favourite beer and the winner of the People’s Pint will be announced on the Saturday evening.