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Sorry folks, the 31st Derby City Charter CAMRA Beer Festival has packed up this year after another record breaking season. To give you a flavour of what you enjoyed, or missed if to your frustration or shame you never entered it's doors, here's the edited highlights from Derby's Evening Telegraph.
STAGGERING is the best word I can come up with to describe the variety of beers drank at this year's Derby Beer Festival.
I wondered about the extent to which the average beer festival-goer cared just how many different beers were being offered and I also wondered, as last year, if the inevitability of not being able to serve them all at once lead to disappointment.
But let's not be churlish. This year's 31st festival showcased beers from all 31 of the breweries currently known to be operating within 25 miles of the city.
That was just the start of it. The assiduous collectors of ale then went off to Wales and found 46 beers from 19 independent Welsh breweries.
Mindful of the fact that they have sometimes ignored longer-established, bigger family breweries in recent years, they brought on board companies like Archer's, Everard's, Marston's and even Fuller's, who were all serving from sponsored bars.
Fuller's wais arguably the one to take most notice of. You can see their London Pride as a guest beer all over the country but you will very rarely find any of their other beers outside the capital, let alone see them at a regional beer festival.
Yet there was Fuller's as the showpiece bar in the foyer with five beers, including their London Porter at 5.4% and their exceptional, not to mention rare, 8.5% Vintage Ale. Connoisseurs will be well aware this was a coup for the Derby festival.
Here's another thoughtful touch. This year's Derby festival specials were all originals with Derby CAMRA members being invited along to help brew them. You can't get much more hands-on than that.
Throw in a stack of foreign bottled beers, 26 ciders and perries, plus, by my reckoning, a better than usual selection of music – with a sensible number of “quiet” sessions for those who prefered just drinking – and everything was in place for a cracking event.
MORE than 10,000 ale fans almost drank the 31st Derby Beer Festival dry at the Assembly Rooms.
Organised by the Derby branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, the five-day event saw 97% of all ales sold, plus all ciders.
Organisers also raised a glass as, for the first time, the festival was awarded a prestigious Cask Marque certificate, which recognises excellence in the quality of real ale.
One of the organisers, Derby Beer King Les Baynton, said: “We are the only large festival in the country to achieve this accreditation, which says a lot about the quality of our beer and the beer team.
“This is one of the biggest beer festivals in the country, supported by the people of Derby and the City Council and we're very proud of it."
Derby CAMRA Pubs of the Year 2008 - The Presentations
The Derby Branch Pub of the Year awards were presented at two special Socials that Branch members were encouraged to attend.
The Country Pub of the Year and overall Branch Pub of the Year Award was presented to the Barley Mow at Kirk Ireton on Sunday 22nd June.
There was a small 16-seater minibus that left Derby with a full compliment of members eager to venture out on a mild summer evening into the Derbyshire Peak District.
Mary Short (pictured left) has run the pub for the past three decades and was there to give a warm welcome to our party who eagerly came through the door of this multi-roomed listed 17th-century Jacobean building.
We weren't disappointed with the quality of the ale selection on offer, all reduced to 2.00 per pint for the night, with some tasty nibbles on tables to boot!
After trying the erstwhile local Whim Hartington IPA poured from a jug, I opted for a more robust darker ale called Amnesia (I think) brewed by ... the name of which I've now forgotten!
I think I must have been very, very happy by the time we all clambered aboard for our short minibus ride back to Derby, dropping a few off on the way to wind their way home.
Cheers - another cracking night out!
The City Pub of the Year Award was presented to the Babington Arms on Babington Lane in Derby on Tuesday 10th June.
Manager, Tom Taylor ensured us all some great hospitality on the night.
All pints of real ale were only 1.39 so it guaranteed a great evening for about 40 Derby CAMRA members who came along to help Tom celebrate his second Derby City POTY award.
The beers were all on great form, especially the Acorn Sun Storm (far left in the picture) which was a true star of the night - a very good evening indeed.
Both pubs were more than worthy winners of these awards where good beer and atmosphere are guaranteed.
It was indeed a well deserved tribute to both licensees that so many of you were present to celebrate on both of these occasions!
CAMRA mission
CAMRA's mission is to act as champion of the consumer in relation to the UK and European beer and drinks industry. It aims to:
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Maintain consumer rights
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Promote quality, choice and value for money
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Support the public house as a focus of community life
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Campaign for greater appreciation of traditional beers, ciders and perries as part of national heritage and culture
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Seek improvements in all licensed premises and throughout the brewing industry
CAMRA also seeks to promote real cider and perry through a sub-organisation called APPLE. Like ale, these are traditional British drinks and like ale, the traditional product is very different from the 'dead' version.
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