Wetherspoon pubs across the UK will be serving ten real ales from across the world alongside a selection of beers from the UK during a 17 day festival (Friday March 13 to Sunday March 29 inclusive).
Each of the beers is being brewed using only British-grown hop varieties. The overseas beers have been sourced from brewers in Brazil, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, USA, Spain, Ireland and Australia. Each of the overseas brewers is brewing their individual beer at a UK brewery. These beers will complement up to 40 beers from across the UK also being served Wetherspoon pubs during the festival. A total of 22 different hop varieties are being featured amongst the festival beers, including established varieties (Fuggles and Goldings) and newer varieties (Boadicea and Jester).
The overseas beers, for which you can find tasting notes below, are: Spider Bite (Devils Backbone, USA), Shipwreck IPA (Lighthouse Brewery, Canada), Wee Heavy (Bodebrown Brewery, Brazil), Durban Pale Ale (Shongweni Brewery, South Africa), Hightail Ale (Mountain Goat Brewery, Australia), California Breakfast Ale (Golden Road Brewery, USA) 0’ Dwyer’s Irish Stout (Dungarvan Brewery, Ireland), JCIPA (Townshend Brewery, New Zealand), English IPA (Cerveza Fort Brewery, Spain) and ESA (Barley Brown’s Brewery, USA).
The UK beers include; Play it Again Sam (Phoenix), Monty Python’s Holy Grail (Black Sheep), Puffin Ale (Orkney), Lazy Dog (Wolf), Pocket Full of Rye (Brains), Mojo (Robinsons), New Moon (Hanlons) and New Dawn Ale (Daleside).
The festival will feature seasonal and unusual beers, with many brewed for the first time exclusively for the festival. Customers will be able to sample any three of the real ales in special third of a pint glasses for the price of a pint.
Beer festival organiser Gary Holmes said: “The festival is the perfect opportunity to showcase the wonderful range of British-grown hop varieties and support British hop farmers.
“It will give beer enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to enjoy a superb selection of UK and international beers, many of which have not previously been served in Wetherspoon pubs.”
Tasting notes:
DEVILS BACKBONE SPIDER BITE 4.0% ABV
Devils Backbone Brewery, Virginia, USA. Est. 2008
Jason Oliver has returned to Banks’s Brewery, in the West Midlands, to brew a dark, hop-forward beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This hoppy ale has an earthy, woody & resinous character from the hops used, complemented by crystal and chocolate wheat malt flavours, and a touch of black pepper to provide a subtle bite.
Hops used: Admiral, Pioneer, Progress, Target
Beer style: dark ale
DUNGARVAN IRISH STOUT 4.5% ABV
Dungarvan Brewery, Waterford, Eire. Est. 2010
Cormac O’Dwyer has travelled to Wadworth Brewery, in Wiltshire, to brew this dry Irish stout especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This smooth, full-flavoured beer is brewed using the finest roasted barley, giving a chocolate taste, complemented by herbal hints of vanilla and aniseed.
Hops used: Challenger, Goldings
Beer style: stout
MOUNTAIN GOAT HIGHTAIL ALE 4.5% ABV
Mountain Goat Brewery, Richmond, Australia. Est. 1997
Dave Edney has travelled to Hook Norton Brewery, in Oxfordshire, to brew this beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This amber-coloured beer has a moderately malty body, with hints of toffee & roastiness, complemented by a well-balanced bitterness, fruity, citrus notes, and a pleasing dry finish.
Hops used: Challenger, UK Cascade
Beer style: best bitter
GOLDEN ROAD CALIFORNIA BREAKFAST ALE 4.8% ABV
Golden Road Brewery, California, USA. Est. 2011
Jesse Houck has travelled to Adnams Brewery, in Suffolk, to brew this beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This light-coloured pale ale has a light malt body which is accentuated by the rich, spicy hop characteristics, whilst the addition of Mocha Sidamo Ethiopian coffee lends a floral fruit and berry nose
Hops used: Phoenix
Beer style: premium bitter
BARLEY BROWN’S ESA 5.1% ABV
Barley Brown’s Brewery, Oregon, USA. Est. 1998
Tyler Brown has travelled to Marston’s Brewery, in Staffordshire, to brew this golden-coloured beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. Refreshing and full-flavoured, without being too heavy, this beer has a floral, citrus aroma, with the light, biscuity flavour balanced by a crisp bitterness.
Hops used: East Kent Goldings
Beer style: strong ale
TOWNSHEND JCIPA 5.5% ABV
Townshend Brewery, Nelson, New Zealand. Est. 2005
Martin Townshend has travelled to Everards Brewery, in Leicestershire, to brew this golden-amber beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. The malty aroma, with hints of orange citrus & spicy hop, leads to a delicate, malty toffee flavour, balanced by the moderate, spicy bitterness and honey notes.
Hops used: Challenger, First Gold, Goldings
Beer style: strong ale
SHONGWENI DURBAN PALE ALE 5.7% ABV
Shongweni Brewery, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Est. 2006
Brian Stewart has travelled to Batemans Brewery, in Lincolnshire, to brew this beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This hoppy beer is a light-caramel in colour, with marmalade orange on the nose, a toffee character with hints of spice, and plenty of tangy hop notes leading to a gentle, yet crisp, bitterness.
Hops used: Admiral, Challenger
Beer style: strong ale
CERVEZA FORT ENGLISH IPA 5.8% ABV
Cerveza Fort Brewery, Barcelona, Spain. Est. 2010
Eduardo Martinez Castillo & Federico Gorgone have travelled to Shepherd Neame Brewery, in Kent, to brew this beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This golden-coloured, hoppy, light-bodied beer contains light, fruity notes, balanced by malt flavours and a dry, refreshing finish.
Hops used: Bramling Cross, Challenger, Progress, Target
Beer style: strong ale
BODEBROWN WEE HEAVY 6.0% ABV
Cervejaria Bodebrown, Curitiba, Brazil. Est. 2009
Samuel & Paulo Cavalcanti have travelled to Caledonian Brewery, in Edinburgh, to brew this deep-ruby beer, their interpretation of a classic Scottish style, especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. The malty aroma leads to a rich, malty flavour, with hints of dark dried fruit, and a moderately sweet finish.
Hops used: Fuggles, Goldings, Northdown
Beer style: strong ale
LIGHTHOUSE SHIPWRECK IPA 6.5% ABV
Lighthouse Brewing Company, Victoria, Canada. Est. 1998
Dean McLeod has travelled to Wychwood Brewery, in Oxfordshire, to brew a special version of his popular beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This amber-coloured modern, light-bodied, sessionable IPA differs from the original in using English hops, showcasing the hop aromas and flavour, rather than bitterness, with the wonderful fruit & spice characteristics.
Hops used: Admiral, Bramling Cross, Faram Fusion, Minstrel, Pilgrim, Target
Beer style: strong ale