DESPITE city-wide celebrations of brewing and beer culture taking place around the country in cities like Norwich, Bristol and London, Leeds has never had one of its own; crazy, considering its historical brewing legacy and beer scene contribition.
Chuck a few tasty deals into the mix...and you’ve got something for everybody
That is, until now.
Leeds Beer Week is a calendar of events aimed at showcasing the breweries, bars, bottle shops and beers that make Leeds' drinking scene what it is. And, to make up for lost time, this 'week' actually lasts ten days.
From 28 August to 6 September, over 100 craft beer and real ale events will be hosted as part of the festival - think Leeds Indie Food, but all devoted to one drink.
Matt Gorecki, a ten-year veteran of North Bar, as well as organiser of Indy Man Beer Con (the UK’s leading craft beer festival) and Richard Brownhill, Director of Little Leeds Beer House, lead the team behind Leeds Beer Week. Looking at their CVs, you get the impression they’re more than qualified for the job.
“Leeds has such a well developed beer culture, I was surprised that no one really thought to do it,” Matt tells us. “We approached the idea of Beer Week from a slightly different angle - being as much about Leeds' beer business than simply its drinking culture.”
And the (extra long) week is just the start for LBW. “We want to try and be as inclusive as possible, of course, and the big players on the scene are involved - but, over the next three years, we want as many pubs and bars across the entire city to participate by holding their own mini beer festivals and beer week promotions.”
For now, though, 100+ events isn’t a bad start. We’ve taken a look at the full calendar, and picked the ones that took our fancy the most:
It all kicks off on Bank Holiday Sunday with the Leeds Beer Week Launch Party in the garden of Northern Monk Refectory, one of LBW’s official hubs. On Monday afternoon, there’s a BBQ at Kirkgate’s real ale institution Duck and Drake, as well as sampling some of the ales that they store in wood casks - aficionados can taste-test them against the same beer kept in modern containers and try and pick up on the subtle differences. Between 7pm and 9pm, Belgian beer specialists Head of Steam on Mill Hill are hosting a Chimay Tasting, including different vintages of the Trappist quadrupel - including an incredibly rare 1997 Gran Reserve.
Dutch De Molen take over the taps at Northern Monk on Tuesday, premiering a new collaboration between the two breweries, while Tapped are pitting two of the UK’s leading craft breweries, Siren and Magic Rock against each other, with some rare and special beers from both. Ilkley Brewery teams up with BeerForThat.com for a limited-entry beer matching experience at The Black Swan on Wednesday, giving each attendee a unique experience of the spectrum of beer styles and varieties. Meanwhile, East of Arcadia hosts a Leeds Beer Quiz, with proceeds going to Sue Ryder.
Little Leeds Beer House are providing cheese and hosting a bottle share - a kind of show & tell where everybody brings a bottle of something tasty, and everybody has a taster of everything - but, if you fancy something more substantial, Friends of Ham will be holding a five-course dinner paired with beers from Hawkshead Brewery, and London’s Redchurch Brewery will be matching dishes from the Ox Club grill - all on Thursday 1.
There are plenty of weeklong food specials too; namely at Veritas, Distrikt (who are collaborating with Ilkley Brewery on a special menu, as well as pairings), East of Arcadia (with a menu of sliders and matched beer flights) and Cross Keys x North Brewing Co. with paired three-course dinners.
The Swine That Dines will be ditching their BYOB policy just for the weekend, as their tasting menu is being matched with beers provided by Little Leeds Beer House in ticketed specials on Friday and Saturday. Saturday is also the start of Uniting Cities, which sees North Brewing Co. host Manchester breweries Squawk and Track.
After a week of indulgence, you might fancy the Magic Cycle Ride - a 35-mile bike ride starting at Huddersfield’s Magic Rock Brewery, and finishing at North Brewing Co for beers and food - or, for a more metaphorical journey, Northern Monk is hosting an informal History of Beer event, where you can taste your way through time.
Finally, on Tuesday 6, the people behind Norre are making a return following a successful stint at Leeds Indie Food; serving five courses plus snacks inspired by Nordic food, paired with beers from Burning Sky at Little Leeds Beer House.
On top of these single events, there are week-long themed tap-takeovers: Brunswick is showcasing local, low-mileage beers that won’t leave a size-fifteen carbon footprint, Wapentake is focusing on their favourite Yorkshire breweries, and Bundobust will be introducing some of their favourite IPAs from lesser-known US breweries.
Chuck a few tasty deals into the mix (Tall Boys' new online shop, Raynville Superstore growlers and North Brewing Co. beers at North Bar, Further North and Cross Keys all have 10% off throughout the festival) and you’ve got something for everybody.
For the full list of events, head to leedsbeerweek.co.uk/2016-events
