Manchester Beer & Cider Festival

About

CAMRA's Manchester Beer and Cider Festival returns to Manchester Central this month. The festival – now in its seventh year – is the largest in the North and takes over the former rail station. It showcases beers and ciders from the UK and beyond, and even has a gin bar. Manchester's longest bar straddles the width of the venue and will feature more than 170 hand pumps.

New for 2020, the Coast to Coast bar covers the very best of Northern breweries from Merseyside in the west to the East Riding of Yorkshire. It's not just Northern ales on offer. There's an enlarged Beers From The Wood bar, with over 70 ales served from wooden barrels from across the UK. A refreshed selection of international beers and keykeg and modern favourites also have dedicated bars.

Organisers know the attraction of the festival for many visitors are the brewery bars. This gives committed local and national brewers the opportunity to serve old favourites and new brews, while meeting and talking with drinkers about their work. Back for 2020 are some of the festival favourites. Welsh brewer Tiny Rebel and Brass Castle from North Yorkshire consistently pick up awards for beers of the festival. But there's a strong Greater Manchester contingent including Thirst Class, Blackjack, Runaway, Brightside and Outstanding. The cider and perry bar has a new focus for this year, with a carefully curated selection of traditional and modern drinks. The gin bar will concentrate on serving the best from Greater Manchester gin distilleries to discerning visitors. Together with a selection of hot and cold food stalls and an unrivalled number of seats, the festival is a must to brighten up January.

Image credit: James Darcey