May in the Shires

Reading BF 3rd-6th May. Beer list now up with keykeg making an appearance for the first time. Looks a decent list:
https://readingbeerfestival.org.uk/index.php/live-bar

They’re not Key Kegs, they’re a new thing called Key Casks according to their Twitter feed. LOL.

First weekend of May sees a festival here; http://www.crown.oakengates.net

No beer list yet, but I am helping behind the bar during a couple of the days and drinking on the Saturday.

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Obviously the second weekend in May is Banbury Beer Festival. Now that’s one not to be missed!!

Late may bank holiday weekend has my two most local beer festivals. Lincoln and Newark. 10 miles apart and the festivals are the same dates. Great planning.

I will post details nearer the time.

Gloucester Beer Festival was today, technically yesterday now, but also today too… 27th and 28th April I should just say. I’ll be there in the afternoon for a couple of hours.
Very old school and traditional leaning (I have a feeling the CAMRA people behind this one are some of the anti-keg anti-craft anti-everything that isn’t cask bitter folks). There are some solid names on the list (Salopian, Arbor, Tiny Rebel) and perennial classics (Sarah Hughes) and of course plenty of local Gloucestershire ticks. Breweries from Wales, York, Devon and Cornwall providing most of the guest ales this year. Plus loads of cider, and even wines. Check out the full list on their horrendously bad website: http://gloucesterbeerfestival.org.uk

If you want a CAMRA festival in Gloucestershire that’s actually got a much more attractive line up wait for the Cheltenham one which will be in October, and before that in June the Cheltenham Craft Beer Festival for those like me who prefer more modern stuff on this key keg malarky.

Next bank holiday weekend is the East Bristol Brewery Trail, 5th and 6th May. https://visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/east-bristol-brewery-trail-p2411883
Moor Beer Co, Good Chemistry, Left Handed Giant, Arbor Ales and Dawkins all within walking distance of each other. Might be going to this but not definite at the moment.

This is next weekend, right? I would go but theres a monthly obscure music night at a Vegan japanese restaurant in Shrews on the Sunday that also has some equally obscure craft beer so obvs i have to go to it. Does the Oakengates thing go on til Monday seeing as its bank holiday?

Yes, it does go on until the Monday, but no new beers replace sold out ones after Saturday night closing. Usually about 25 hand-pulls remaining in use.

Their regular bottle selection is fairly good too.

Plus The Station and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks will have around 20 cask ales between them as is their norm.

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@minutemat

The Crown Inn beer list:

http://www.crown.oakengates.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/44thFestivalFinalList.pdf

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http://www.nottinghamcamra.org/nottingham-drinker.php
Details of the Nottingham Mild trail for May. Sipping Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby as we speak so there’s some great stuff to be had.

I’m doing the Leicester one… 8 stickers so far including 6 new milds!

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Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild made for a formidable start to the Nottingham trail, but the next five were familiar and unremarkable. Lincoln Green Big Ben was the best of the second tier.

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Lincoln beer festival dates are 24th to 26th May, as usual at the Drill Hall, Lincoln. It’s normally about 100 beers.

The theme is 100 years of the RAF.

Bollox, would love to have come across for that, but we are already commited to family stuff over those dates.

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The Newark Beer Festival is on in May, the dates are 25th to the 27th Newark. The beer festival is at river side park Newark, near the Castle Train station. About 100 beers are normaly and always an interesting selection.

http://newarkcamra.org.uk/festival

Kidderminster Beer & Cidar Festival is on 17th-19th May.

drinks list can be found from a link on this page: https://www.wyreforest.camra.org.uk/viewnode.php?id=64411

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