Northern Monk, North Brewing Co, Kirkstall and Zapato are taking it to 'em
CROSS Pennine fertilisation in the rapidly fermenting world of craft brewing? You bet. No sooner had Northern Monk indicated they were going to steer a chunk of their crowdfunding cash (running total so far £1,321,460) into a Manchester bar than comes news that they and fellow Leeds brewers North Brewing Co, Kirkstall and Zapato are taking on that city in a battle to find Britain’s best brewing city.
The contest forms part of Manchester Beer Week (June 29 to July 8) which sees two teams from the city go up against rivals from Bristol, Liverpool and London as well as Leeds. Each team has been tasked with creating a special, one-off beer that will then be put to a public vote to decide which city takes the crown.
All of these brews will be launched at Summer Beer at Manchester bar The Pilcrow on Friday June 29 with simultaneous launches held at venues in each of the other participating cities. In Leeds it will be the North Brewing Co brewery tap.
Drinkers at the events will be given the opportunity to vote for their favourite, while proceeds from the sale of the beers will also be donated to charity.
Manchester Beer Week organiser Connor Murphy: “So we thought it would be fun to put a selection of our breweries up against their counterparts from rival cities to compete for the unofficial title of Britain’s best.
“In reality, it’s all in the spirit of friendly competition and we are as keen to emphasise the collaborative element of the event, as this is a strong thread running through Britain’s independent brewing industry. We are hoping to shine a light on the superb producers contributing to the growth of the beer scene, not just in Manchester but in cities up and down the country."
The first Manchester team is led by Cloudwater, recently named the second best brewery in the world at the RateBeer Best Awards, and will also include Track, Runaway and Wander Beyond. The second team includes the city’s oldest brewery JW Lees, which was founded in 1828, craft beer innovator Marble, Beatnikz Republic and Pomona Island.
Lost and Grounded anchors the team in Bristol and will be joined by Left Handed Giant and Moor Beer, while Liverpool is captained by Mad Hatter, with Chapter, Neptune and Top Rope making up the rest of the side. And, finally, Fourpure leads team London, alongside Beavertown, Brew By Numbers and Orbit.
Unlike most beer festivals, which take place in one specific venue, MBW, now in its third year, includes a series of different events at venues across the city, including pubs, bars, breweries and restaurants.
More here www.mcrbeerweek.co.uk
