A calendar of events and the local heroes aiming to keep you merry this January
In the aftermath of Christmas - when pubs, bars and restaurants felt overwhelmed by the tempest of bejumpered, sloshed, fun-squads providing a boon to the bank balances of independent venues - there often follows a calamitous slump in custom following the turn of the year.
People examine their wallets, scales, and souls and resolve or resign themselves to have at least a month of Netflix and horrible veg/juice drinks in the name of balancing out their festive excesses. However, the remedy to your post-Xmas woe needn’t be as drastic as becoming a recluse – Dryjanuary is a worthwhile cause, but if it’s not for you, how about seeking out something new or different - broadening your drinking horizons whilst also supporting independent businesses?
Tryanuary is a campaign thought up by dedicated beer fans that is aiming to provide support for independent bars, pubs and breweries in what is a typically fallow period for the industry.
As part of the campaign ordinary drinkers have volunteered their time to promote and organise beer-related events that will hopefully encourage people to find something new, or to renew their existing patronage of the best venues across the country. In Leeds, there is already a full roster of events listed on the Tryanuary website, from a Bradford to Leeds Twitter-determined bar crawl, to tap takeovers of beer from local breweries, to beer festivals, there’s plenty to get involved with - all in the name of stimulating the local leisure economy...
If you are a bar or brewer looking to get involved, there is also a list of local ‘champions’ that you can contact who will be glad to help promote and organise an event.
Your Netflix watch list will still be waiting for you in February...
Event listings here and here. Leeds Local Champions @viewsfromthebar, @leedsbeerwolf, @barrelagedleeds. Tryanuary on Facebook
