Stuart GouldenThe four-day York Beer & Cider Festival got underway yesterday showcasing over 300 beers and 70 ciders to the delight of thousands of attendees.
Organised by York CAMRA, marquees adorn York Knavesmire filled with 7,000 punters and hundreds of publicans all looking for the best new brews from independent local breweries. Yesterday saw the LocAle awards celebrate the beers from breweries close to home with 32 judges ranging from beer enthusiasts and professionals in the trade sampling a mouthwatering eight beers in each of the four tasting rounds, with the best progressing to knockout final rounds.
Winners including York Chocolate Stout by Rudgate Brewery of Tockwith winning best Speciality Beer, Kirkstall’s Dissolution IPA winning Best Premium Bitter, and American Style Milk Stout of Blind Jacks, winning both the Strong Beer category and Best Beer of the festival.
One of the judges, General Manager of Kennedy’s Bar & Restaurant Matty Redwood, told us: “It was a honour to be invited as a judge and a thoroughly enjoyable experience from the first sip to the last. The whole affair was incredibly well run with my personal favourite on the day being the Yorkshire Blackout and beers stored in whisky casks.”
Entry to the festival costs as little as £1, with all drinks served in official festival glasses costing £1.50, fully refundable on exit.
