Festival Time

It's the season for beer festivals, without a doubt. Here's a quick roundup of the ones that stand out for me. If you're near any of these you should check them out - there's nothing like a good fest to try something rare, hard-to-find or new.

The wonderful beer-hall at Hawkshead hosts their annual beer festival, 23rd & 24th of July. Hawkshead are, in my opinion, a great brewer, and their beer-hall will provide an excellent backdrop to beers from Palmer's & Arkell's to name a couple.

Breweries from the Kent area get centre-stage at the Kent Beer Festival (16-16 July), with Hopdaemon and Ramsgate among the treats. For Yorkshire treats, North's American Beer Fest and the highly-rated Harlequin are good starters for ten. The Harlequin's a great spot in Sheffield, and although I can't find a beer list (help, anyone?), I'm sure it'll be worth a visit. The Ship and Mitre are holding a Belgian Beer Festival on the 29th July, and the Reading Real Ale & Jazz Festival sounds like a decent weekend, too - with beers from Oakham's, Elgoods and Hopback on for your delectation. Beer and Jazz. Love it. And for steam enthusiasts, there's the Poppy Line Beer Festival at Sheringham Station (17th-19th July), featuring beers from the East Anglia area, food and entertainment.

Oh, and there's something called the GBBF going on too.