Top UK beer festivals for your diary over the coming weeks

The UK’s real ale scene has never been in better health. Microbreweries are thriving, and their bottled offerings are even starting to take on the big players on the supermarket shelves. It’s an exciting time for the industry, but the ideal way to experience the best of British beer is at a grassroots level.

>Beer festivals have never been more popular. It doesn’t seem so long ago that the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) consisted of a few dozen bearded men who met up every year at the Great British Beer Festival and perhaps at three or four other real ale havens around the country. Today, CAMRA has almost 200,000 members, and there are festivals every week.

Such is the popularity of beer festivals that they are creeping into all sorts of unexpected areas of our lives, particularly online. Here’s an example from the left-field world of the online betting sector. Gaming site Casino Room recently launched a game called Bier Fest Slot. It’s an intriguing, and slightly surreal, variation on the traditional idea of a pint and a game on the fruit machine, and it is clearly aimed at the beer festival market. As the spelling suggests, the theme is directly linked to Oktoberfest, the greatest of them all! Unlike the slot machine you might see in your local pub, you can play this one at zero cost by visiting jednoreki-bandyta.pl and taking advantage of the free spins on offer. Online games come in all varieties these days, but this definitely seems to be the first one with a beer festival theme!

At any rate, Bier Fest Slot is a great way to while away the time till the next beer festival. Here are three that you should really try to catch before the end of the year.

Chesterfield Beer Festival (02-03 November)

The Market Hall in Chesterfield forms a fantastic backdrop for this festival, which will showcase some specially brewed beers with a very special theme. Each one has been created in memory of those who fell in the Great War, which ended 100 years ago. As well as the wide range of real ales on offer, there will also be ciders, locally produced food and live music. This is a fun festival in a vibrant and friendly community – and what better way to pay tribute to those brave souls who gave their lives than by raising a glass of local ale?

Cambridge Beer Festival Winter (14-17 November)

The slightly awkward wording derives from the fact that this is two beer festivals combined. This will make it the biggest beer fest Cambridge has ever seen, and it will feature 80 real ales, 10 ciders and at least 10 German beers. There’s certain to be something for every taste. The festival takes place at the Universal Social Club on Mill Lane, and there will be food available at the University Kitchen.

Pig’s Ear Beer Festival (04 to 08 December)

One of the most historic beer fests of them all, the 35th Pig’s Ear beer festival will take place at the Round Chapel in Hackney. With 230 cask ales on offer, you will need to choose wisely, but the festival runs for five days, so if you pace yourself, you can tick off a good few of them. It’s a great opportunity to sample both some unusual brews and the unique hospitality of the East End. London might have changed beyond recognition since 1984, but the Pig’s Ear festival has very much stuck to its roots!