THERE’S a certain medieval pageantry feel about Indy Man Beer Con – beneath flapping brewery pennants bearded warriors joust with extreme flavour combinations at strengths that could floor a bear. Surveying the ranks of kegs in Victoria Baths for this annual celebration of cutting-edge brewing, best just gird your tastebuds and let battle commence.
The fact that organisers are charging equal (but not inconsiderable) sums for every beer from 2.5% ABV gluten-free session ales to 10%-and-beyond monster mashes one feared it all might spill over. But no, this remains the most civilised of piss-ups with excellent street food to mop up the alcohol – the likes of our own Honest Crust and Leeds’ Bundobust (the latter tell us November is now ETA for their craft beer/Indian veggie basement bar in Piccadilly).
Of course, Taste of Manchester approached all this hoppy/malty cornucopia with the best of intentions (they were only serving in thirds after all) and then chose to kick off with a wonderful Cloudwater 10% DIPA 8 and a similar strength, fig and prune-fuelled Figgy Bastard Imperial Stout from Mad Hatter.
Indeed, 10 per cent looks the new eight per cent these days and, along with sours and saisons, barrel-ageing beers is the big thing. London’s Weird Beard and Brodies collaborated (like medieval princes, indie brewers favour such alliances) on an Imperial Stout, 10 per cent naturally, and aged in Macallan whisky casks. The Twitterati have been hailing it as the beer of the convention (it’s not a festival). Its name: WEIRD BROdMANCE. How very metrosexual.
Hirsute side note – last year Weird Beard brewer Bryan Spooner beat off Jeremy Corbyn to win Beard of the Year title. We didn’t catch Bryan on camera but a few beards made it into our IMBC Gallery, memento of a revelatory if hazy afternoon there. No that we are into stereotypes, mind.
IndyManBeerCon. October 6-9. Victoria Baths, Hathersage Road Manchester M13 0FE. @indymanbeercon
