Category: Real Ale

There’s 300 ales to savour at Liverpool’s Beer Festival – here’s our guide and tipple tips

Liverpool’s St George’s Hall Beer Festival begins next week – and will feature a staggering 300 beers from across the UK.

The event runs Thursday, September 26 to Sunday, September 29 – with the Friday and Saturday night sessions having already sold out and Saturday afternoon is close to selling out.

Kirkdale-based Liverpool Organic Brewery decided to run the St George’s hall event after the success of its twice-yearly Waterloo Beer Festival.

The hall showcase will feature up to 300 beers from breweries across the UK, as well as 20 Liverpool Organic ales.

It will feature three morning and three afternoon sessions in the Hall, as well as an all-day session on Sunday.

There will also be live music plus locally sourced food and soft drinks on offer.

For tickets visit this link.

Mark Hensby, managing director of Liverpool Organic Brewery, said: “Demand across all four days has surpassed expectations and we have been thrilled with the response from the Merseyside region and beyond.

“There is clearly a strong appetite for experiencing quality-produced, locally-sourced beers and ciders.

“A large number of customers come from around the UK, with some even travelling from as far away as Europe and the US.

“We have held a number of successful festivals in Waterloo and we also have one coming up at The Black E, but St George’s Hall represents a whole new level and this will certainly be our largest event to date.

“However, our visitors can rest assured that beer resources won’t run dry and we will certainly have enough supply on tap to keep serving well beyond Sunday.”

Liverpool Organic Brewery was founded in 2008 by Mr Hensby and head brewer Karl Critchley.

Its beers include several named after “Heroes of Liverpool”, including Joseph Williamson and Kitty Wilkinson.

Liverpool ECHO resident real ale expert Alistair Houghton picks his top beers

Liverpool Organic: Liverpool Pale Ale

Alistair says: “With Cains on hiatus, this reliably refreshing pale is now a classic Liverpool pint  – see also Organic’s slightly darker Best Bitter. As refreshing sponsor, Organic will have a full range of beers on show – do try the beautifully fragrant Josephine Butler elderflower ale.”

Mad Hatter: American Psycho

Alistair says: ” This new Liverpool brewery is inspired by the US “craft beer revolution” – which is why this brown ale packs such a zingy hoppy punch.”

Melwood: Citradelic

Alistair says: “This very fruity beer from Knowsley divided opinions at Waterloo Beer Festival – but I loved it. My tasting notes said “Kia Ora”, if that’s any guide.”

Marble: Ginger

Alistair says: “A real ginger beer, with all the fire of the ginger root – an unusual and tasty Mancunian tipple, though you’ll only want one or two.”

Titanic: Plum porter

Alistair says: “A rich, dark beer with a delicious plummy sweetness. If you liked Cains’ raisin beer, this could be a darker alternative.”

And one for the road…

Northumberland: Bucking Fastard

Alistair says: “Just because I want to hear you order it.”