Winter Ales Festival returns for 2010
NOW this is a proper winter! And so the National Winter Ales Festival – which arrives in our snowbound city on January 20 – has never sounded more appropriate. And how better than to warm yourself up than the annual four-day celebration of the nation’s best seasonal beers.
The event, for which CityLife is the media partner, takes place this year in a new venue: the Sheridan Suite on Oldham Road. There are more than 200 beers to sample with old ales, strong milds, barley wines, stouts and porters all on show, as well as a selection of foreign beers.
A few of CityLife’s favourites on the list include Caines Raisin, Brewdog Punk IPA, and Prospect’s Nutty Slack. Howard Town, which sponsors our Your Taste column, is also taking a couple of brews along.
You can also officially sample the best ale in the world. Stockport brewer Robinsons will have its own bar at the festival, where it will be selling bottles of that great strong brew, Old Tom. Last year Old Tom was voted the World’s Best Ale (as well as World’s Best Dark Ale, Best Strong Ale and Best Barley Wine) in the World Beer Awards. You can also taste two spin-offs: Old Tom ginger and Old Tom chocolate.
On the opening day there will be a horse and dray procession in the city centre. Let’s hope the gritters get to work before that one! And beer experts Roger Protz and Jeff Evans will be around to sign their beer guides.
Highlight of the festival will be the crowning of the Champion Winter Beer of Britain, which is this year sponsored by JD Wetherspoons. To celebrate, Wetherspoons has another treat for beer lovers with a reduced price on its Greene King Ruddles across its seven city centre pubs until the day before the start of the festival on Wednesday, January 20.
For festival information, log on to alefestival.org.uk.
Published: Fri, 08 January, 2010
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