MANCHESTER Beer Week, kicking off (like the Euros but without the Stella) on Friday, June 10, will fill 10 days to the brim with some of the hoppiest moments even this beer-mad city can conjure up. TOM intends to go with the flow.
This multi-event extravaganza is great credit to organiser Connor Murphy (pictured above), one of a new breed of ale bloggers who has created a beer festival like no other. We’ve already got the inimitable IndyManBeerCon and the Manchester Beer and Cider Festival, where the faithful gather under one roof to worship an intimidating tally of beer choices. MBW is different, straddling a variety of venues – bars, pubs, restaurants, breweries, Exchange Square, Old Granada Studios, even the World Rugby Under-20s Championship at Eccles RFC. At the simplest level there are meet the brewers events and brewery takeovers of bars ((Hawkshead at the Marble Arch, Adnams at the Piccadilly Tap, Buxton at the Magnet, Stockport) or breweries hosting beer dinners (Runaway at Hawksmoor, Thornbridge at The Font, Chorlton).
The latter events tap in (sic) to an emphasis on beer matching with food, so the lovely Brassica restaurant in Heaton Moor is hosting a five-course dinner partnered with beers from Shaw Road neighbour Bottle and at Marble’s 57 Thomas Street top chef David Gale will match his small plates to beers recommended by guest speaker Melissa Cole (below), doyenne of beer writers.
Connor, 33, an ex-journalist whose day job is in PR, says: “Good beer is like good wine. It matches food (cheese and beer). Imperial stout with cheese is perfect or an old ale or a barley wine with a good Stilton (or Stichelton). We have strong tie-ins with GRUB events, who are running a food fair inside Runaway brewery. What they are doing is bringing something new to Manchester, presenting good food in honest surroundings, accompanied by great beer.
“There’s such a community here among drinkers and brewers and I wanted to try and bridge that gap between traditional and modern and to their credit sponsors JW Lees have been brilliant. They’ve embraced it wholeheartedly, they’ve been incredibly positive. The Beer Week’s about doing the big and small, old and new, with food producers and brewers.... and championing our great pubs.”
He’s very keen on all the collaborations he has initiated, most notably persuading Lees, the region’s oldest brewery o join forces with one of the newest, Cloudwater, to create the official festival beer, MCR Fold.
Brewed at Lees’ Greengate Brewery, it is a 4.8 per hop-driven auburn-coloured ale, made with Olicana and Goldings hops, which will be available in cask and keg at a variety of venues during the citywide festival. Check it out at the launch party in the Marble Arch, Rochdale Road on Friday, June 10.
You sense the Marble Arch signifies much of what MBW is celebrating. Connor again: “The Marble is full of history and character with its glorious mosaic tiles – and yet the Marble’s own brewery is turning out brilliant modern beer styles. And then there’s the top class food. They pushed the envelope before anybody else and deserve a lot of credit for inspiring what has come since.”
Much of that contemporary legacy features across the 10 days. The IndyManBeerCon 2016 ticket launch is even scheduled as an MBW event – at Port Street Beer House and The Beagle on Wednesday, June 15. The whole fest culminates fittingly in an all-day party at the iconic Old Granada Studios – for those who haven’t had their fill by then.
Here are TOM’s three unmissable MBW faves:
MBW and GRUB Brewers Market. Saturday, June 11, 2016, 12pm-6pm. Exchange Square Manchester, M3 1BD. Free, unticketed. Acting as a hub for the festival’s opening weekend. Meet the brewers, buy bottles and enjoy a beer or two from the special tasting bar in front of Selfridges.
An Introduction to Sours Tuesday, June 14, 7pm-8.30pm. Trof, 8 Thomas Street, NQ, M4 1EU. Mike Markus (above), ex-Kernel and driving force behind Chorlton Brewing Co, demonstrates his mastery of these challenging, food-friendly beer styles. £10 (includes five thirds of beer). Advance tickets can be purchased across the bar at Trof NQ. Spaces are limited.
A Taste of Manchester’s Brewing Past Four breweries are each recreating an old Manchester ale recipe. The results can be tasted from 6pm on Monday, June 13, at the Smithfield Market Tavern, whose owners Blackjack have reproduced C Ale, a strong, dark post War tipple completely peculiar to Manchester, which died out in the Fifties.
Keep up to date with Manchester Beer Week via @mcrbeerweek