YES, we all fancy a beer as the temperatures soar through the celestial roof. The colder the better. And then another. Still here at ToM we are hoping for a cooling off come the weekend, so we can start to appreciate all the subtle nuances of the amazing array of beers at Manchester Beer Week, which kicks off on Friday, June 29.
Now in its third year, this citywide celebration of unbridled hoppiness is more eclectic than ever with more than 100 events over 10 days (June 29-July 8). The best place to start is the three day Summer Beer Thing (29-July 1) at The Pilcrow Pub in NOMA’s Sadler’s Yard.
Paying your £6 or £8 entry gives you the gateway to 200 beers, 60 on tap at any one time. An added bonus there is the chance to help Manchester become the uncrowned king of British brewing cities against brewer team collaborations from Leeds, Liverpool, London and Bristol in City Clash.
Taste the six competing brews being launched simultaneously at bars in these cities and vote for your favourite beer via this link from Friday June 29 or by contacting @mcrbeerweek on Twitter while using the appropriate hashtag.
Manchester has two teams in the mix, so the odds may be stacked in their favour. It helps too that there are also subsidiary launch venues across Greater Manchester – Bunbury’s in Bolton, Stalybridge Station Buffet (above), Burnage’s Reasons to be Cheerful and The Northern Type, Eccles. Here are the two beers Manchester are putting up:
Manchester One (#MBWMcr1Wins)from Cloudwater, Track, Runaway, Wander Beyond. Pale and bitter DDH IPA, 6% ABV. 'Pale, bitter and hoppy', with golden syrup also added to mimic honey, as a vegan-friendly nod to the Manchester bee.
Manchester Two (#MBWMcr2Wins) from JW Lees, Marble, Beer Nouveau. Porter, 6.0% ABV. A modern interpretation of a recipe from the JW Lees record books, this full-flavoured porter is designed to be fruity and sweet with a firm bitterness.
A percentage of profits from each of the six beers will be donated to charities in each of the five cities – in Manchester it’s Mustard Tree.
Summer Beer Thing, The Pilcrow, Sadler’s Yard, Hanover Street, Manchester M60 0AB. Fri and Sat, 12pm-11pm, £8adv; Sun, 12pm-8pm, £6 adv. Glass and beer token on arrival.
For a full run down on all the beers in the City Clash competition – check out 'Beetroot and Ribena' and where to get the MBW official beer visit this link.