U.S. cask beers head for Olympia fest
Added: Friday, July 3rd 2015
American beers will be a major attraction at the 2015 Great British Beer Festival, with cask-conditioned versions of beers from the U.S. on show at a special American Cask Bar.
The festival – organised by the Campaign for Real Ale -- runs from 11-15 August at London Olympia and is established as one of the world’s great beer festivals, with up to 55,000 people attending.
There will be beers available from a number of overseas countries, including the Czech Republic and Japan, but the centrepiece of the festival will be 900 British real ales along with ciders and perries, with beers from major regional producers to small independents from all parts of the UK.
The festival will begin with judging the final rounds of the annual CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain competition, with categories including mild, bitter, best bitter, strong bitter and golden ale. The winners – including Champion Beer of Britain 2015 – will be announced during the opening trade session on Tuesday 11 August.
The two massive halls at Olympia, with its spectacular glass roof, will play host to dozens of bars serving beer kept cool by special on-site cold areas. There will also brewers’ stands along with a vast number of food outlets, a shop for CAMRA products and a large bookshop stocked with beer titles, where CAMRA authors will sign their latest works. Live music will be played lunchtimes and evenings.
A number of leading beer writers will appear at the festival, hosting a series of beer talks and tastings:
Roger Protz: Tuesday 11 Aug 6-7pm & Wednesday 12 Aug 1.30-2.30pm – Champion Beers of Britain tasting.
Adrian Tierney-Jones & Roger Protz: Britain’s Beer Revolution Wed 12 Aug 6-7pm.
Ian White & Chris Rose: Introduction to cider – Wednesday 12 Aug 7-8pm.
Jeff Evans: Real Ale in a Bottle, Thurs 13 Aug, 1.30-2.30pm.
Des de Moor: London’s Best Beer, Pubs & Bars, Thurs 6-7pm
Sophie Atherton: Golden Ales – the new Bitter – Fri 14 Aug 1.30-2.30pm.
Pete Brown: Beer and Music – Fri 14 Aug 6-7pm.
*For full information about opening times go to www.gbbf.org.uk and for tickets www.gbbf.org.uk/tickets or tickets hotline 0844 412 4640.
