CityLife

Winter Ales Festival 2010

Enjoy some real ales this winter

ADVERTORIAL

DURING January, CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, is inviting drinkers to experience the Winter Ales Festival 2010 - the biggest event of its kind in the country - for a four-day celebration of some of the nation’s best seasonal beers.

Taking place this year at the Sheridan Suite, Manchester, the festival remains the best place for novices and enthusiasts alike to sample some rare winter beer styles and join in the CAMRA beer festival atmosphere. The venue is a mere five-minute bus ride from the city centre, or 15 minutes by foot.

Festival-goers can expect to choose from a range of over 200 beers this year, with old ales, strong milds, barley wines, stouts and porters all on show, as well as a selection of foreign beers for the more curious drinker. To complement the winter warmers, there will also be a large selection of cider and perry on offer.

The Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition- sponsored this year by JD Wetherspoon - is held annually at the festival, and all eyes will be on the overall prize winner, which was last year scooped by Oakham brewery with its barley wine, Attila.

Entertainment this year comes from The Road Runners on Saturday night, with a punk fancy dress theme accompanying the festivities during the day. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes and for those who truly get into the festival spirit.

Graham Donning, National Winter Ales Festival organiser, said: “After the great year the real ale industry has had, we’re really looking forward to people coming to the festival ready to try beers for the first time, and learn more about the delights of our national drink. We always endeavour to find a beer to suit everyone’s tastes, and we hope people will enjoy the new venue we have moved to for this year.”

The Winter Ales Festival takes place between Wednesday January 20 and Saturday January 23, 2010 at the Sheridan Suite, Oldham Road, Manchester, M40 8EA.