Sierra Nevada link-up plus Monsieur Rock in Cornwall

Roger Protz pictured with Driftwood Spars head brewer Pete Martin and owner Louise Treseder

Beer and technology will be in perfect sync when the Driftwood Spars brewery and hotel, in St Agnes, on Cornwall’s north coast, holds a celebration of beer from March 15-17.

“We are lucky enough to have superfast broadband at the Driftwood Spars and have previously held wine tasting sessions with live video link ups to winemakers,” said Driftwood owner Louise Treseder. “I thought, why don’t we do the same at our beer festival?

“So we will be linking live to the Sierra Nevada brewery in California over the weekend for a Cybeer tasting session. In addition to that we are extremely lucky to have Monsieur Rock, from the Orval Brewery in Belgium, coming over to give a ‘Talk and Taste’ session.”

Also visiting the Driftwood Spars over the weekend is writer and Good Beer Guide editor, Roger Protz, who is staging a tasting on the Friday evening. He said: “The Driftwood Spars is at the forefront of the great Cornish beer revival.

“As well as producing delicious prize-winning beers itself, the ‘Drifty’ features not only beers from established Cornish brewers, such as St Austell, Sharp’s, Skinner’s and Penzance but ales from the new legion of small producers in the county.

“The pub is in an inspirational location for a beer festival and I’m looking forward with keen anticipation to sampling some great beers on March 15 — along with some fine pasties!”

The celebration includes, of course, a beer festival, with the range of Driftwood brews available. But head brewer Peter Martin told Beer Today: “There’s also a selection of beers from the Burton area, a few from Cornwall, a collaboration brew from Roger Ryman (St Austell) and me, and a special from Stuart Howe (Sharp’s) with a Belgian twist.”

Stuart is already good friends with Monsieur Rock, having collaborated with him on a beer of the same name which Sharp’s released as a special a couple of Christmases ago.

As if all this wasn’t enough, there’s live music, too — find out more on the Driftwood Spars website.