I asked about the location and whether she thought it would work in favour of regenerating the northern docks area for leisure use, or whether it might be something of a struggle with only the Invisible Wind Factory and themselves spearheading such use, plus some rather underdeveloped transport links (only Sandhill station is nearby and not many bus services):
 
“Oh, for sure, there’s work to do, but the North Docks area has a lot to offer, it’s a striking area with loads of great buildings and history and I feel pretty confident that people will visit”.
 
So for now, we’ll enjoy this tea party for the fun it was and wait and see how things pan out for Mad Hatter in their new home and keep our fingers crossed for more colour to come onto the scene.
 
Pedro.

-----------------------------------------------------

Thanks to WirraleRob for additional photography used in this article.

Edition five, done, dusted and bundled into a neat compartment somewhere in everyone who attended's mind, probably in a box of 'good memories'.  That's definitely where my thoughts on the event reside, however, these days I suppose I am more invested in the event than most, especially given my involvement with the Liverpool Beer Collective and us having a bar at the event, hosted by the five local breweries (3 Potts, Connoisseur Ales, Glen Affric, Melwood and Top Rope Brewing) who managed to each shift a fair bit of beer over the course of 4 days.
 
In the run up to the event, there were murmurings circulating that there may be some beer festival fatigue setting in amongst the populous and that the beer list didn't quite look as exciting as it could have been.  The murmurings were ushered away some weeks before the event with the announcement of some excellent and very solid breweries joining the bill at the Constellation's held festival.  There were some pretty big talking points and notable things about this Expo; I will get to each of them individually, because I know how much people love a list, this will go neatly alongside a second list of my top ten (I struggled to keep it down to only ten...) beers from the event too.
 
Suffice to say, at the end of the event, I personally (along with the rest of the Collective bar members and especially our hosts in the Expo Team) was exhausted and couldn't even contemplate putting the thoughts and feelings into an article for your consumption... not even a week later, so perhaps there is a bit of lag time here, but it's often better to ruminate than to make snap decisions on things which benefit from reflection.  So, those notable things...

1. The Takeover of Greenland Street
 
It was announced relatively shortly before the Expo that they would be releasing an extra 100 or so tickets for the Saturday sessions to cope with demand and the expansion of the Expo site was set.  Spilling out onto the top end of Greenland Street (the northern end is already blocked off by bollards and pavement from the rest of the road network), this gave extra space for row of another set of bars, taken for a ten-tap rotational and by Brewdog, Northern Monk, Lines and Gipsy Hill (along with Wild Beer, as covered below).
 
This expansion added some more space to allow Expo-goers some elbow room, places to sit and stretch their legs and given the weather (again, below) this was exceedingly welcome.  However, there was the feeling that this possibly detracted from the bars inside experiencing some additional attention and atmosphere.  Hopefully next year, this expansion will be retained or perhaps event added to again!
 
 
2. Wild Beer Company's Massive Container
 
Having spent a couple of hours working with Andy, Theo, Theresa and a lovely energetic volunteer called Anna, the Wild Beer Container was a bit of a feature for the Expo.  Piecing together various conversations with people, it wasn't particularly cheap to get it to Liverpool from their Somerset base, but it was truly welcomed. 
 
Slinging out beers left, right and centre was the order of the day, not to mention how many Gin and Tonics were shifted in the sunshine (using Wild Beer's own Sleeping Lemons Gin), it was good fun, if a little exhausting.  One minor criticism (from a servers point of view) was the fobbing (for the uninitiated, foaming from the tap) of the beers, which made serving a bit of a slow process from time to time with certain beers.
 
I really hope to see the container present again next Expo.
 
 
3. The presence of a large number of New England/East Coast Murky IPAs
 
Rather than dredge up an argument that has been fermenting across the Atlantic in the United States (no pub intended) over whether East Coast/New England IPA is actually a style or not, the fact that so many brewers are now aping what (apparently) Alchemist started with their Heady Topper is not surprising given the amount of fruit and ease of drinking that these beers impart.  There were a number of beers brewed to this style at the Expo this year, with the likes of Ad Hop, Lervig, Wild Beer, Top Rope and Black Lodge all putting these beers out over the course of the event.
 
The best thing about it was that they were all discernibly different from one another, some more savoury in the finish, some juicier, some cleaner as less residual.  It was good to see a number of beers based around one 'style' given so many levels to enjoy and not just make a beer based on throwing in as many aroma hops as physically possible.
 
 
4. The continuing dominance of Barrel Aged Imperial Stouts
 
Judging by the enthusiasm with which some of the higher abv beers were received over the course of the Expo (admittedly, including by myself), there is still an appreciation for the style even when the weather is hotting up and the beers themselves offer huge leaps in quality and complexity to the enthusiast.
 
AB22, 3 Bean Stout, Parabola and the Lord Smog Almighty all made some of the people I chatted to very, very excited about what was in their glass.  Barrel aging of bigger, darker beers has been around for a few years now, but the push to get more complexity, smoother textures and more subtle structured beers is continuing judging by the reception and indeed, the number of these 'bigger beers' that were tapped.  Anecdotally (and yes, I accept this is not the be all and end all for a study!), it seems most people's top 5 beers from the Expo this year would probably contain one if not two to three of this style. 
 
 
5. The need for more food...
 
A bit of an issue judging by the grumbling from both Expo-goers and volunteers; two food stalls wasn't really enough given the queues and minor chaos around the stalls from Friday to Saturday evening.  Though the food in the main was good, there were insufficient outlets to enable people to eat without disruptive queuing (especially for volunteers) taking anywhere between 15 and 40 minutes in some cases.
 
One big loss this year was the absence of any beer snacks (Kumar... and your Karkli where were you?!), which hopefully is something that can be remedied in time for future iterations of the Expo.
 
 
6. The weather played its part
 
It was hot, it was sunny (aside from really weird 30 second shower on the Friday) and it helped the beers fly out to people; thirst quenchers went out when the Expo sessions kicked off, with people becoming more adventurous as they wore on.  Nearly perfect weather (I prefer it to be a little cooler, plus helps keep the beers cooler for serving).

7. The breakout of new and smaller breweries
 
The Expo always throws a curveball or two my way in terms of new breweries that I haven't heard of and beers I am yet to try.  Last year, London Beer Factory rocked up at the Expo with their dispensing taxi, which was fun - their beers were actually pretty handy too.  This year, the presence of Mondo Brewing and Lines was a nice addition and gave me a chance to try out some gear from breweries I had yet to read about, try their beers and have a chat with.  Sadly, I didn't get round to having much interaction with Lines, but the presence of Battersea's Mondo Brewing Company was most welcome and they had some excellent brews, not least their session IPA, Little Victories, their DIPA (Sitting Bull) and the Blueberry Wit beer.
 
Other first timers that attended, albeit more established ones, in North Brewing and Gipsy Hill provided a few talking points over the weekend too, with the latter covered a bit further down in my top ten!

Lastly on this point, I would be remiss to leave out the growth of the local scene in Liverpool, with more local breweries represented than ever before at the Expo.  Neptune and Chapter added to things with their own bars, along with established Expo mainstays like Black Lodge, Ad Hop and Liverpool Craft (Love Lane), whilst some other local breweries banded together under the Liverpool Beer Collective to host a bar stocked full with local brews.  Great work from 3 Potts, Connoisseur Ales, Glen Affric, Melwood Beer and Top Rope over the course of the weekend!  I think we can all expect things to push on a fair bit in the next twelve months from these local brewers.
 
 
8. Beery Afterparties
 
Two main bars took the party on into the wee hours.  Black Lodge Brewery was the official after party location, with Tap Takeovers on each night from Thursday to Saturday (one each from Beavertown, Firestone Walker and Kernel) at the brewery and tap - brewers from the Expo were even spotted getting behind the turntables and inciting dance riots (Dave from Wylam, I am looking at you). 
 
Dead Crafty also hosted a number of people, as they did last year, taking many Expo goers later on into the night with a number of beers from their week's festivities (hosting launches of Fourpure Juicebox and quiz, a Hawkshead Tap Takeover and a Founders loves Left Hand event).  A surprise tap takeover was dropped on the premises from Sierra Nevada on the Friday, with a keg of Hoptimum (triple IPA) making its way out of the taps very, very quickly!
 
Next year has a lot to live up to for post-expo exploits.
 
-------------------
 
I did actually speak to a few people and try to see what their impressions of the Craft Beer Expo were after a period of reflection, luckily I did get some words back from a few people and this is what they thought;
 
Richard Gormley, Liverpool Round Table:
 
"The atmosphere and the unique venue and location. A bit different than the norm. I think the good weather helped too. It would have been a different experience if it was raining! There was a great selection of beers and other drinks to try out. We all tried something different and were spoilt for choice. The pricing isn’t too bad either. Not sure what could be improved. Would live music go down well? Different styles of music playing? 
 
I must admit I am terrible at remembering the names of the beers especially after the number we consumed but the lads did enjoy visiting the Love Lane bar and the Liverpool Beer Collective bar in the outdoor area. I did enjoy the 3 Potts Short Circuit kiwi beer and the Melwood Marmalade Skies; I seem to be going through a fruity beer phase at the moment!
 
I thought the event was ran really well. There was a relaxed feel to the whole event with everyone enjoying themselves. I will be back for more next time!"

Emma C'Ailceta and Andrew Crawford, Expo goers:

"We had quite few beers from the outside area, as the weather was amazing.  There was so much choice, we just didn't get round to trying as much as we would have liked, but had a few from Brewdog and from Love Lane, there was also a mango beer which totally blew us away!

A few notes on the programme would have possibly been helpful in making our selections and navigating the Expo, but the atmosphere was brilliant and good natured for our session on Saturday day."

Joe Rimmer, Liverpool Echo and Londis Penny Lane:

"The Liverpool Craft Beer Expo was probably at its very best this year.  Aided by the weather, the Saturday evening slot was great fun.  As always, time seems to fly by so quickly, but isn't that the way when you're having fun.  It was great to see the Expo extended further into the street, and I can only hope that it creeps further and further.. Some beer highlights were Chapter's collab with Fourpure,a celery sour. Couldn't quite get enough of that one. Fantastic to see Lervig there, a personal favourite of mine and Top Rope continue to make some cracking beers too. 

In terms of what could be better, maybe some more food options at better prices, wouldn't go amiss. Perhaps a little more music. Oh and less of the Prosecco. It's a Beer Expo!"

Now for another list and one that you are more than entitled to disagree with if you think something has been missed out (as always, express your displeasure or otherwise below the line in the comments section!), but here are the top ten beers (that I tried) at the Liverpool Craft Beer Expo...
 
10. Mondo Brewing - Global Heresy v2
 
A blood orange saison, brewed in collaboration with Heretic Brewing from California.  This was one of the first beers I managed to get my tastebuds around at the Expo and it stuck in my mind, so much so that a repeat taster was needed.  Another refreshing saison that made its mark with grassy herbal notes, a lightly peppery finish and quite a bit of rich citrus along with sour and refreshing hints at the edges.  There was something very satisfying about this beer, again, like many of the other top ten, there was possibly a sense of place for it at this year's Expo.
 
 
9. Beavertown - Kneadless Violence
 
A 1.9% strength Kvass brewed from a sourdough culture yeast and infused with fennel, caraway and lemon zest, this remarkably refreshing brew is part of the Tempus Project (in collaboration with 35 bakery for wasted London).  Loads of citrus on the nose, a quite complex background in the finish and a sour edge make something which raised quite a few eyebrows at the Expo.  A 200 year old sourdough culture is not to be messed with lightly!
 
 
8. Blackjack Brewery - Bretted Full House DIPA
 
A highly unusual beer here in the flavour, having tasted it initially blind (I wasn't told what it was before the sniff and taste) I thought it might have been a cider or perry, given how much character was similar to a wine (though in my defence, I did have rather a lot else to drink too beforehand!).  The aromas and flavours are very citrus driven, but the mouthfeel was pretty heavy and residual along with a very wine-esque dry finish.  Complex and really rewarding.  Clever stuff and great use of a brettanomyces yeast, aging in red wine barrels and generous hopping.
 
 
7. Wylam - Sticky Bud DIPA
 
Back in the Expo top ten again, Wylam make a habit of making some brilliant beers that make their way onto the taps once at a year at Constellations.  This hefty double IPA is brewed using similar materials as the Magic Rock tall boys that have been doing the rounds recently, using the T90 Lupulin powder blend, but with having the back bone malt bill to stand up and make this beer really work in balance.  There's loads of fruit and loads of depth and it's all a bit too easy to drink in the sunshine despite the 8.7%  strength.

6. Lervig - Perler for Svin
 
Another big and juicy 6.3% New England IPA, brewed with Azacca, Mosaic and Simcoe, Perler for Svin is a cloudy orange brew with loads of tropical fruit present in the aroma and the taste.  As with many of the other pales in this top ten, it was almost perfect for the conditions at the Expo; fruity, light and only lightly residual, it was a great refreshing hop-loaded IPA without too much of a coating character.
 
 
5. Wild Beer Company - Fixer
 
An infinitely drinkable New England IPA from Wild Beer; loads of fruit, heady tropical and juicy aromas and a lovely mouthfeel to give something which was again, perfect for the weather and the occasion and a lovely balance.  I found myself drawn to the tap on a few occasions, especially when giving Wild Beer a hand on their bar.  With a strength of 4.5%, it meant that it wasn't wiping you out in one or two drinks either!  Solid and enjoyable work once again from the Somerset outfit.
 
 
4. Chapter Brewing vs. Fourpure - Roadside Picnic
 
A 4.3% celery sour beer, which on the face of it sounds like quite a few people's worst nightmare.  Bare with me though; this was probably the biggest surprise of the weekend, since the premise sounds quirky enough and despite the talent for such a new brewery and the unquestionable quality from Fourpure, this really was an excellent collaboration brew (as for me, around 7/10 are usually below expectation).  Refreshing, tart and with a delightful savoury tang, this was absolutely spot on for the weather and the event.  Bravo guys, bravo.  When are the cans coming out?
 
 
3. Lervig - 3 Bean Stout
 
A big, big stout with unbelievable depth and structure, the 3 bean stout is brewed with cocoa, Tonka bean and vanilla present and it tells, especially when used in tandem with a very competent malt bill.  Expect massive amounts of chocolate, spice and coffee in the aroma, leading through to a silky and hefty body with a very pleasing finish.  Incredible and a beer revisited by many, despite the strength (13%), the hefty token tax and the warm weather.

2. Gipsy Hill vs. Deya - Ramblers
 
A thick and very rewarding 8% Double IPA collaboration brew laced with oats and loads of late addition stateside grown hops gives something of one is frequently called a 'juicy banger' by many.  What I experienced was something remarkably enjoyable to drink, having covered many bases of refreshment, good structure and complexity.  The tidings that this beer is available in bottles fills me with glee if I am totally honest!
 
 
1. Firestone Walker - Parabola
 
A beast (14.5% - wow) of a Russian Imperial stout full of coffee, chocolate, vanilla and many other elements, Parabola is an impossibly dark proposition and frequently rated amongst the best beers on the planet.  It's easy to see why with the 2017 edition; aged for 12 months in Heaven Hill barrels it has a depth that is often unmatched and despite the big alcohol content and sharper notes in the stout the body remains tempered by silk and satin, it has a superb all round character from the aroma, right through the structure of the beer.  Brilliant, brilliant stuff.
 
---------------------------------------------
 
In summation, it was great fun once again, with some things to perhaps rectify, but a lot to enjoy and therefore a lot to probably look forward to for the sixth edition of the Expo next year. 
 
Until next time,
 
Pedro.

And so the season for some excellent beery goings on is hurtling towards us at a rate of knots!  The Liverpool Craft Beer Expo looms on the horizon and there is much buzz about things and many other events taking place around Merseyside and Liverpool over the same period; as such I have made an attempt at trying to ringfence everything and corral the information into one location for you lovely people... just so there is an 'at hand guide' for the following weeks.
 
The date spread is from the first weekend in June and through until just after the Craft Beer Expo finishes, so read on and see if there are any places that you think you need to be in June!
 
 
Saturday, June 3rd
 
Brewery Open Day and Tap at Connoisseur Ales, St Helens (12pm until 10pm).   Over in St. Helens, the first Saturday of most months sees family run Connoisseur Ales open their doors for impromptu brewery tours and a chance to try reasonably priced and brewery fresh cask or bottled beers from their range.  Entry is free and there is usually a range of up to eight cask beers on, only a 30 second walk from St Helens Central train station.
 
[Wolverhampton House, 121-125 Church Street, St Helens, WA10 1AJ]
connoisseur-ales@outlook.com / www.connoisseurales.com

Monday, 12th June
 
Founders Love Left Hand - Summer of Love Event at Dead Crafty Beer Company will be taking place, with representatives from both Founders and Left Hand breweries present from 7pm onwards, ready to chat and with many of their beers for attendees to sample (2 are included in the ticket price).
 
[98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF]
www.deadcraftybeercompany.com


Tuesday, 13th June
 
Dead Crafty will be hosting another round of the Dead Good Bottle Society, Ben from Top Rope Brewing will be presenting and talking through a selection of beers stocked in the Dead Crafty fridges.  The event starts at 8pm prompt and includes at least 4 beers to try.  Tickets are £15 per person and the more people attend the tasting, the more beers there are to try.
 
[98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF]
www.deadcraftybeercompany.com 

Wednesday, 14th June
 
 
The Wildly Different Dinner event - Oktopus will play host to Bristol’s Wild Beer Co.; there will be a paired dinner with beer from the brewery consisting of 5 plates and matched beers.  The event takes place at Oktopus restaurant in Hardmans Yard from 7pm until around 10pm and costs £30 per person.  Wild Beer Co’s Andy Gibson will be on hand to compere the event.
 
The link for tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-wildly-different-dinner-tickets-35015536412?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=esfb&utm-source=fb&utm-term=listing
 
[Hardmans Yard, Hardman Street, Liverpool. L1 9AX]
https://www.oktopus-restaurant.com/
 
 
The Dead Crafty Beer Company is hosting the Liverpool leg of the Juicebox500 tour from Fourpure Brewing Company.  The event will launch the brewery's excellent IPA - Juicebox and there will not only be the beer to try, but merchandise and cans available as part of the event, which will coincide with the ever fun Dead Crafty Quiz night starting around 7-8pm.  There will be a fee for participation in the quiz, to be confirmed.
 
[98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF]
www.deadcraftybeercompany.com 

Also on the 14th June, Brewdog Liverpool have got a Tap Takeover and Meet the Brewer Event taking place at their bar featuring beers and representatives of Danish outfit, Dry and Bitter.  The event starts at 6.30pm and runs all evening; admission is at the very agreeable price of... free!   Beers likely to feature are the Christian Bale Ale, Citra Bale Ale, Body Pillow APA and many more!


https://www.facebook.com/brewdogliverpool/

Thursday, 15th June - Sunday, 18th June
 
The Liverpool Craft Beer Expo takes place at Constellations on Greenland Street in the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool.  Sessions include Thursday evening, Friday evening, Saturday day, Saturday evening and all Sunday. This event usually sells out (in fact at time of writing, the Saturday afternoon is full), so get tickets rather than chancing it on the door. 
 
The event is one of the best beer festivals around with a great atmosphere, excellent beers from around the UK, Europe and the US and a mix of indoor and outdoor areas means a chance to mix things up if the weather allows! 
 
[35-29 Greenland Street, Liverpool. L1 0BS]
www.constellations-liv.com / www.liverpoolcraftbeerexpo.com 

Across the same range of dates as the Expo, Deva Craft Beer are hosting a four day Best of British beer festival at their Deva Taps in Chester.  The festival will feature over 30 beers on keg and cask along with a range of ciders and gin.  The event starts at 3pm on the 15th June.  Keep an eye out for some newer Deva beers including a smooth mango IPA and also get ready for their new menu launch soon too with plenty of food at the festival!
 
[121 Brook Street, Chester. CH1 3DU Tel: 01244 401777]
www.devacraftbeer.co.uk
 
 
The afterparty for the Expo will take place at Black Lodge for another Tap Takeover in Liverpool, this time by Beavertown; the event is free to attend and the Black Lodge will be open for business until 3am.  Brave and thirsty?  To make that time you will need to be!
 
[4 Kitchen Street. L1 0AN]
http://www.blacklodgebrewing.co.uk/brewery/

 
Dead Crafty Beer Company will also play host on this evening to Hawkshead Brewery for a Beers with the Brewer event.  A six-tap (allegedly with some special kegs) takeover will be launched at 7pm, with the representatives from Hawkshead talking through their beers and brewery.  Tickets are £5 per person and includes a beer on arrival for the event.
 
[98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF]
www.deadcraftybeercompany.com 
 
 
Friday, 16th June
 
The Black Lodge Tap Takeover part two is hosted by Firestone Walker; as ever, loads of their beers will be on and the venue will host an afterparty and be open til 3am.  No door tax either.
 
[4 Kitchen Street. L1 0AN]
http://www.blacklodgebrewing.co.uk/brewery/

Saturday, 17th June
 
Red Star Ales host a Brewery Open Day and Tour at their site in Formby.  The brewery tour will start at 1pm and runs until 4.30pm, the tour costs £20 per person and includes food and unlimited cask beer to go at, brewery fresh.
 
[54b Stephenson Way, Formby. L37 8EG]
www.redstarbrewery.co.uk 
 
 
Black Lodge will host its final Tap Takeover afterparty event for the Expo, with the lines being handed over to The Kernel for their beers to be poured.  As ever, Black Lodge will be open late and entry to the event is free.
 
[4 Kitchen Street. L1 0AN]
http://www.blacklodgebrewing.co.uk/brewery/

Sunday, 18th June
 
This Father's Day Brewdog Liverpool will be hosting a Stone Berlin Beer and Whisky Pairing with Zippo from Stone Berlin.  The tasting will include 5 Stone Berlin beers, 5 amazing whiskys, and lots of paired German-style small plates.  All that, with a branded glass to take away as a memento for each attendee.
 
Tickets are limited and on sale at £31.85 per person.  The event runs from 7pm until 10pm approximately:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beer-whisky-pairing-with-stone-berlin-tickets-34321388196
 
 
[8 Colquitt Street, L14DE.]
https://www.brewdog.com/bars/uk/liverpool

Good luck to everyone planning on attending all that – physically impossible as it may probably be, but there is something to whet your appetite for beers going on thick and fast over the coming weeks around Liverpool and the Northwest (including some things over at Manchester Beer Week – post-Expo).
 
Hope you found this guide useful!


Pedro.

So here we go again, the fourth year of the Expo and its second to be based in the Constellations venue just off Jamaica Street in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle.

Have you been before?  Have you read the reviews from the last few events yet?  If you answered ‘no’ to either of these questions, then you’re in luck, as I’ve dug out the links to the ElectroKemist Review of the events as per below:

2013: http://electrokemistcuisine.weebly.com/blogs/liverpool-craft-beer-expo
2014: http://electrokemistcuisine.weebly.com/blogs/liverpool-craft-beer-expo-2014
2015: http://electrokemistcuisine.weebly.com/blogs/liverpool-craft-beer-expo-2015

Each year that has gone by has seen a shift in the way the event is run; with ever more excellent beers being brought into the Baltic Triangle, it is very hard to keep up.  Luckily last year saw me finding my feet with a writing rhythm and being very prepared for taking notes and remembering each of the beers that I had tried.  Hence forming a solid top ten of the event.  Give it a read, you might have had some of those beers over the last twelve months or so!

Anyway, I was lucky enough to have a catch up with Paul Seiffert and Rob Tuffnell, two of the event’s organisers, they provided a bit of information with what we can expect in terms of layout and brewer presence at the Expo this time around.  Thought there is no formal interview this time around, in which Paul can’t insult my very manly hands (they’re not small at all). 
There will be around 250 beers and 40 different ciders on, along with the absence of the Whiskey Den this year, there will be even more room for beers and some more food stalls.

This time, the dispense of the beers will be from brewery led stalls, rather than from rows and rows of indistinct bars where consulting an ever shifting programme or massive chalkboard can be problematic.  There was a hint of this at the last Expo, with Wylam, Cloudwater, Beavertown, Camden, Liverpool Craft and Fourpure all having their own stalls set up.  This year, it will pretty much be all brewery-led aside from the cask bar, which is rumoured to be outside this time rather than at the back of the venue indoors – and the line up is actually quite exciting.

The line up so far:

AD HOP Brewing Company
Alphabet Brewing
Atom Beers
Beavertown
Big Hug Brewery
Blackjack Brewery
Black Lodge Brewing Company
Cloudwater
Five Points Brewing Company
Fourpure
Liverpool Craft Beers
London Beer Factory
Mad Hatter Brewing Company
Thornbridge
The Wall
Wild Beer Company
Wylam Brewery

This isn’t to say more won’t be added at some point soon, not to mention all the breweries represented in cask beers and individual keg offerings. 

We also have the return to Liverpool of the excellent Karkli (Hi Kumar!) who has been frequenting a lot of Beer Festivals over the last 18 months and is set to continue with his rather brilliant beer snacks for the foreseeable future.

The event is running from Thursday afternoon 16th June and has sessions on Friday evening, Saturday daytime, Saturday night and all Sunday 19th June.  If you need to grab your tickets head here: [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/liverpool-craft-beer-expo-2016-tickets-21586784654] and if you want some more information on the event, then look no further than here: [http://www.liverpoolcraftbeerexpo.com/].
 
So we’ll see you there then?
 
Pedro.

There were a number of bars at the Festival, scattered in and outside the venue with a cask bar along with many keg bars indoors, featuring many Breweries’ own personalised bars with more than five taps on most.  Camden Brewery rocked up in their van, Beavertown brought their own colour to the event with a spectacular bar and their signature brews, Cloudwater and Fourpure provided additional colour and great beers (with the former circumnavigating some early dispense difficulties with a bit of help!).  Outdoors, a whisky den, cider bar and no less than four keg bars awaited punters, including an Imports Scotland Bar and Liverpool Craft Brewery’s own.  Plenty of choices, with beers rolling out across the weekend at each bar and a checklist in the foyer area showing those who’d had their day.

As Thursday’s trade session departed for the evening’s formal proceedings, I arrived and managed to grab tickets and a quick Brew By Numbers IPA before I was grabbed by the guys from newcomers Red Star Brewery (who you will be hearing about in a upcoming article later this summer) whose enthusiasm for the event and having one of their beers on was highly infectious.  A few drinks later, including their own excellent English strong ale, Partisan, and I found myself being introduced by Glen and Ian to some other Festival newcomers in Wylam Brewery from Newcastle.  Sadly, their beers haven’t seemed to have made it this far south and west to date; having been in operation for 15 years, this family brewery has some serious brewing talent and a repertoire of some note.  A conversation with Dave Stone garners me with the information that following a 4.5-barrel expansion to 9 in 2002, the brewery having two pubs and Golden Tankard being a best-seller for them, they are now looking in 2015 to expand up to a 30-barrel operation, meaning their beer will be seen further afield in the future.

Karkli snacks made an appearance at this year’s Expo, building on what I was told was an already buzzing presence at other festivals such as Indy Beer Man Con over in Manchester.  With three flavours to choose from (ranging from mildly spiced through coriander and a light heat, to ghost naga chilli flavour) there is a little something for everyone with these lentil based snacks.  They do lend themselves to working rather well with a range of beers, especially heavily hopped and upper level IBU beers which benefit from some salt and spice to allow the taste buds to open up.  Kumar, who runs the show with his partner, assured me that he’d be present at a number of other festivals coming this year, so if you keep your eyes peeled you may just find him and his stall waiting to give you a great drinking snack.  You can follow Kumar here: https://twitter.com/chomponkarkli

Here’s a pretty proud moment for me… Siam Legend was also present at this Festival and those who follow me or follow Liverpool Craft Brewery on social media may have seen a bit of fuss made about this beer.  In the weeks running up to the Expo, I was kindly invited into the brewery to work with Terry and Joe Murphy to devise a small batch brew specifically for the event.  After a bit of thinking (admittedly, this isn’t the first time I have been invited to work on a collaboration beer, thus have stored up a few ideas!) I decided to plump for something pretty close to my culinary heart by drawing from Thai aromatic ingredients.  I’ve seen on Uptappd (for those who’ve not heard of it, it is a mobile phone application for beerspotters) a few guesses at what was in the beer by way of adjuncts, but they are all pretty much incorrect.  This heat-building Thai-PA was created using some basic British ingredients and a bit of ingenuity on Joe’s part for getting the aromatic side boosted.  I am massively glad for it being kegged too, as the carbonation lifted the beer that little bit more and allowed the acidity to punch a little harder.  It worked for me, but I think some people weren’t quite into the combination as others, though I was very pleased with the enthusiastic responses.

The event may have seen a few of the organisers, stewards and the odd volunteer looking a bit foxed or bewildered and rushing around, but generally it seemed very well organised; relatively low queuing times, enough room to move around between the bars and well versed volunteering team able to keep a constant supply of the beers going.  The session lengths were also probably just about right; five and a half hours is plenty of time to pick up enough from each bar without feeling rushed or like you really must stay for another couple of drinks. 

Much has been made about the pricing of certain beer festivals around the UK, with some complaining about the cost of drinks and others about the door tax to attend these events.  The pricing at the Expo was actually pretty fair, with £10 vouchers stretching to a few drinks and each priced between 3 and 8 (though 7 and 8 beers were rare) and the door tax also coming it at £10.  Broken down, this translates into 3 tokens (enough for one of a few lower abv session beers), festival glass (these tulips are usually a few quid, between £3 and £4 for one), covering paid staff, paying for various insurances and events fees and also for the venue hire.  It's not a bad deal all in all.

Not everything was perfect though, but you're not going to please everyone with an event like this; for me there could have been a bit more indoor seating (though this really wasn't possible due to space restrictions) and the Expo programme was far less informative than the previous year's giant effort.  An attempt to list the beers would have been welcome, though understandably difficult as not all the beers are available simultaneously throughout the weekend.  As it was, people were restricted to wandering to a bar to check if a beer was available or checking the giant lists in the foyer to see what had been dispatched by festival punters.

Anyway, down to business… as with previous years at the Expo, there have been a few beers available that have stood out from the crowd, hoisted themselves above the stillages and screamed to be drunk, word of mouth recommendations spreading like wildfire amongst festival goers only to be quenched by something a little bit special.  I’ll attempt to name a few of the beers which really gave something a bit different in their own way, though I will not make this an ordered ‘top ten’ simply for the fact (as explained in an earlier blog) that I drank different styles over many days making it impossible to compare all beers in such a direct manner.  In no particular order, my beers of the festival were…


1.       Dent De Lion – Kubla Brewery

A superb dandelion (which translates into French as Lion’s Tooth) saison from newcomers, Kubla, based in Somerset.  This sold out pretty quickly from keg bar number 3 and it was easy to see why.  Flavoursome, refreshing, light and balanced, Dent De Lion is pretty much the whole package. 

2.       Yellowbelly – Buxton Brewery

An enigma of a beer, which at 10% is potent, dark as the night, oily and incredibly heady on the nose.  Available from the cask bar, it ran dry very quickly at the festival.  The depth of aroma and flavour is quite something to behold, not least because it imparts an incredible peanut butter character without using any peanuts, so I am told.

 3.       Jakehead IPA – Wylam Brewery

Apparently this is an invigorating tonic, maybe, but it certainly is a superb IPA and has picked up awards at SIBA to boot.  The edge to this IPA was just a bit different to a lot of other IPAs tried lately, though I am not entirely able to pinpoint why.  There is a lot going on in this beer, lots of fruit, caramel, pine and other stalwart notes from an IPA base, but the complete package stands out somehow.

4.       Hoptart – Fourpure Brewing Company

Another saison and Hoptart is something of a move away from the fairly safe path usually seen with Fourpure (pales/stouts/brown ales).  They really need to push in this direction more often, the gently acerbic nature along with an overtly fruity and sour finish makes a great sorbet of a beer which is very drinkable.

5.       Orange Crush – Amager Bryghus

An American IPA brewed in collaboration with Cigar City, this has tonnes of juicy hop character and a bit more depth provided by the late addition of citrus (probably orange?) peel to the brew.  Only very slightly chewy, gently resinous and just a bit different from a lot of IPAs going around.  I even wrote this without wedging an REM joke, although I was out of time. Dammit.

6.       Earl Phantom – Beavertown

A serious sour ale with a lemon and bergamot hit. A very acidic beer, which works, like the hoptart as a brilliant sorbet beer and palate cleanser.  Very drinkable and almost scarily like traditional lemonade making this a summer beer in the extreme.

7.       Les Saisonnier – Wylam Brewery

A lemon balm and rosemary saison, which I happily recommended to a few people at the festival.  There was something very special about this saison, the depth of flavour, the aromatics and the balance of acidic and fruit made it a stand out performer; although others enjoyed it, they weren’t quite as gripped as I was. Lemon drizzle with a delightful finish.  More please.

8.       Cascade – Wylam Brewery

A superb Cascade hopped ale and at 4.1% something that isn’t too strong to drink a little more.  Working brilliantly out of keg, there was a great amount of flavour present from such a simple beer; delicate brush strokes throughout of pine, fruit both tropical and citrus, crisp dry finish and a bit of the floral. Solid, drinkable and moreish.  

9.           Liquorice Lady w/ Raspberry infusion – Ad Hop Brewing Company

A beer with deep liquorice character (I wrote about its release last year) now with the added punch of raspberries, meaning a silky, oily mouthfeel and a lot of red berry character thrown into the mix for your palate.  This one is very rounded and very complex, the raspberries were a clever yet also straightforward twist on this porter.

10.       Sin City IPA – Summer Wine Brewery

Another great IPA from Summer Wine, who have a habit of producing very good bottled and kegged IPAs.  This is no different, though at 7.2% there’s a bit more punch than with their other IPA repertoire; oily, chocolate orange, spice and some bitter pine in there make it a slightly different proposition.  The mouthfeel was also very rich and backed up that this is a beer not to be enjoy too quickly.

I could provide a rundown of up to 20 beers, but the line has to be drawn and this makes things manageable!  There were a few brews that were not quite up to scratch along some of the lines, but in the main, there was nothing particularly awful, it’s very hard not to see how good the beer was and how well it was generally kept (the only reservations came from some of the cask beers possibly feeling a bit sorry for themselves towards the end of the festival).  An eye catching fact from the top ten above is the inclusion of 3 different beers from the Wylam Brewery, but credit where it is due, they really do deserve to be there. 

Thankyous must go to Terry and Paul from Liverpool Craft Brewery and especially to Joe Murphy for allowing me to brew with him before the event and also everyone who volunteered or organised the event and those who supported and provided feedback on the collaboration brew. A truly memorable event all round!

Pedro.