Big beer
HIC! Hic! Hooray! The biggest beer festival ever staged in Liverpool takes place in the autumn - and tickets are selling fast.
Liverpool Organic Brewery, which, rather like its range of beers, goes from strength to strength, is holding the event in the rather lovely setting of St George's Hall.
Almost 8,000 tickets are up for grabs and, as of this morning, almost a 1,000 of them have already been snapped up.
Three hundred real ales and ciders from more than 100 breweries across the UK, plus beers and lagers from the continent, will be available to enjoy in the Great Hall from Thursday, 26 September to Sunday, 29 September, each afternoon and evening, ending at 6pm on the closing day.
Each session will include live music, in the concert room, and locally sourced food. For more details and to reserve tickets, visit here. Seven sessions at £8.38 a pop.
Just be careful though, those famous Minton floor tiles might start looking all swirly if you overindulge. And remember, if you can lie on the floor without holding on you're not doing beer festivals properly.
Currying favour: John O'Dowd Of The Belvedere Arms
Small beer
Last week Liverpool Confidential was invited to a maximum security trade sampling of Merseyside CAMRA endorsed brews, ahead of its own annual sell-out beano, of a mere 3,500 tickets, in November.
The venue: Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt where we saw all our old friends from various licensed hostelries around the city centre parlez-vooing with brewers and assorted freeloaders, like us, on a different side of the bar. “Didn’t recognise you with your clothes on!” went the cry.
Father Graeme DunnTo prove this busmans' holiday had a serious intent, above is John O'Dowd, landlord of the Belvedere Arms in Sugnall Streeet, L7, receiving Caledonia Brewery's Lifetime Achievement Award for services to the industry. No, it's not the tandoori industry, honest, despite the similarities between the award and a curry dish.
No beverage sampling in a place of worship would be complete without a man of the cloth, and as the bell tolled for last orders Confidential spotted the very civillian-looking parish priest of St Anthony’s in Scotland Road.
We pointed to a pump supplying the holy ale itself: St Anthony’s brew. “Wow," we said. "Did you known there's a drink named after you?”
“What, Father Graeme Dunn?”
More beer
The only difference between real-ale swigging CAMRA types and real-ale swigging hipsters is the style of beard and, not to be outdone, the Camp & Furnace is staging a Liverpool Craft Beer Expo (beer festival) in June.
To be honest, the Camp & Furnace’s main room (the one with the caravans) has screamed “beer festival”, “beer festival” “beer festival” since it opened, what with those long trestle tables and an on-site brewery.
And no Minton Tiles to disgrace yourselves on, not to mention hundreds of steps to tumble down.
Here's the link for this one. Four sessions at £8.60 a pop, inc booking fee.
Scouse-Browns
Forty years after it first opened for business in Brighton, Brown's Bar and Brasserie is preparing to unveil branch no 27 in Liverpool.
Opening in the old Zavvi in Liverpool One sometime around the end of May/beginning of June, Brown's promises to bring its “mix of classic dishes close to people's hearts”, which, as far as anyone can gather, is PR speak for burger and chips and chicken and leek pie among others.
To celebrate coming to Paradise Street, Browns will be holding two days of menu tastings for either lunch or dinner with 50 per cent off the food bill.
Alternatively, you can register for their opening night champagne and cocktail party, with complimentary drinks and nibbles from 6-9pm.
To book a place at either the tastings or the party, go here.
A pub-goerPubs u like
IF you love your local but fear for its future, get it signed up for the Community Pubs Month campaign.
Around 8,000 pubs are expected to participate in the Campaign for Real Ale’s spring crusade.
With 18 pubs closing every week, this national event is encouraging all British pubs to sign-up to the campaign and organise a number of events throughout the month of April to try to entice more trade.
Each pub will receive a free promotional pack and can use the Community Pubs Month website to market their events for free
April’s campaign will be followed by three further campaigning months - Pubs & Charity (July 2013), Pubs Are For Life (October 2013) and Pubs: Support the Economy (January 2014).
Roger Protz, 2nd right with Peerless Brewers Mark Powell, Steve Briscoe And Alex Morley
Peer show
Birkenhead's young award winning Peerless Brewing Company has unveiled new beers and a new look with a special tasting event led by top beer commentator Roger Protz.
Peerless Pale is a new brew combining American Columbus and Summit hops for pungent aromas of grapefruit and orange with citrus flavours and good bitterness.
Peerless Oatmeal Stout is described as ‘stout brewed with oatmeal for a great body and a creamy head, with lots of roast and chocolate malt flavours and well balanced sweetness to finish’.
With a three strong brewing team, the 10-barrel-brew length brewery has collected a clutch of accolades. Its Storr was voted its best lager at the Crypt bash last winter.
After sampling the range, Roger Protz whispered very loudly said: “Peerless is a vibrant young brewery run by dedicated craftsmen with a great passion for beer that is packed with rich flavours and aromas.
"As Peerless is based on Merseyside, there's even a Scouse interpretation of India Pale Ale called Full Whack.”
Try their ales in Liverpool at the Vernon Arms, Dale St. the Lion Tavern, Moorfields, Peter Kavanagh's, Egerton St, and The Hub, Hanover St.
