IT’S raining ale in Manchester at the start of 2015 with an unprecedented number of new breweries setting up, many of whose ales will be debuting at the hugely popular Manchester Beer and Cider Festival at the National Cycling Centre’s Velodrome (Jan 21-24.
Of course, with a choice of 500 beers ciders & perries over two levels, it’s easy to miss out on the newcomers. Or novelty value may make them run out early. Last year’s event, organised by local Campaign for Real Ale branches, attracted more than 10,000 visitors, who drank over 40,000 pints – an additional 17,000 pints are available this year, to be on the safe side!
Here’s a quick checklist of new breweriesand their beers to look out for...
At almost four months old by the festival comes around, Bury’s Silver Street Brewery will almost be the granddaddy of the group. They will have four beers at the festival including their Driftwood IPA and their robust Porter. The brewery takes its name from the address of the Clarence pub, where head brewer Craig Adams has been brewing in the basement twice a week since the pub re-opened in October.
Two newcomers from Wigan, Martland Mill and Hophurst, have both got almost three months under their belts and will each have two beers on the bars. Martland Mill will feature Clogmaker, a rich golden full bodied ale with a fruity flavour and an inkling of cedar and honey alongside quaffable golden ale Spinners Gold. Hophurst will be presenting their Debonair rich stout and Twisted Vine golden ale.
Tweed, the first new brewery in Hyde for decades, launched in November with Anthony Lewis, formerly of Denton’s Hornbeam Brewery in the head brewer’s role. The festival will feature their debut beer Winter Tweed.
Two more of Stockport’s premier real ale pubs now both boast their own breweries with the Magnet’s Watts Brewing and the Crown’s Stockport Brewing Co both taking their beers from their respective pubs to the bars of the Velodrome. At Watts Brewing, brewster Sarah Bergin has brewed up two speciality beers just for the festival, one a wheat beer with orange peel and the other a raspberry & rose hip pale ale. Stockport Brewing’s flagship beer StockPorter will be one of their two beers. Not to be left out, Fool Hardy Ales from Stockport’s third and longest established brew pub The Hope will also be featured.
The real youngsters of the family are Stockport’s Thirst Class Ales and two breweries based in Ancoats, Track Brewing Company and Alphabet Brew Company
Track’s debut beer, a pale ale called Ozark, was only first seen in pubs in December but has been selling out wherever it has appeared. Alphabet, set up by Joe Fearnhead and the folk at the Northern Quarter’s Kosmonaut bar, and Thirst Class, headed up by award winning home brewer Richard Conway, are even newer with Alphabet debuting their first beer at Kosmonaut in the first week of the New Year, while Thirst Class is expected to launch theirs just one week before the festival.
Richard Conway first came to the attention of local beer aficionados in 2013 when he won an IPA home brewing competition organised by Manchester’s Beermoth beer shop. His prize for that was to rebrew the winning beer, Elephant Hawk IPA on a commercial scale which he did in conjunction with Stockport’s Quantum brewing. After deciding to set up his own brewery in July last year, Richard has spent six months putting his kit together. When asked about having his beers selected for MBCF, he said : “I am really pleased and excited to be represented at the festival”.
John O’Donnell, vice chair of CAMRA’s Tradfford and Hulme branch says: “It's been a very pleasing aspect of the ordering for this year's festival to be able to feature so many new breweries from so close to home.
“We also have great confidence in the quality of the beers we'll have from this new breed. To have brewers of the calibre of Tom Evans of Alphabet Brew Co choose to move to Manchester to brew is great for our city - we were and are massive fans of the beers Tom brewed at Hand Drawn Monkey in Huddersfield, but Yorkshire's loss is Manchester's gain.
“Gone are the days when new breweries could sell mediocre beers on the back of being new – today's generation of fledgling brewers need to launch with beers that can stand alongside much more established names. Thankfully, having honed their craft on the home brew kit and observed brewing on a commercial scale first hand with generous established brewers, most of the new beers are on the bars of our pubs on merit.”
Manchester Velodrome, Stuart Street, Manchester M11 4DQ
Festival opening times
Wed January 21, 4pm-10.30pm
Thu Jan 22 noon-10.30pm
Fri Jan 23: noon-10.30pm
Sat January 24: noon-7pm
CAMRA Members:
Wednesday 21st: FREE
Thursday 22nd: FREE
Friday 23rd: FREE 5pm / £4 after 5pm
Saturday 24th: FREE
Non-Members:
Wednesday 21st: £3
Thursday 22nd: £3
Friday 23rd: £3 before 5pm / £6 after 5pm
Saturday 24th: £3
Concessions:
Senior citizens, armed forces (including British Legion), emergency services personnel, NHS Staff and full time students can obtain £1 off non-members’ prices on presentation of valid identification. Only one discount per entry.
Metrolink promotion:
In conjunction with our transport partners Metrolink, holders of a valid Metrolink ticket for the day of entry can obtain £1 off Non-Members prices. Only one discount per entry.