The Newcastle Beer and Cider Festival is returning in April celebrating 50 years of the Campaign for Real Ale in Tyneside and Northumberland.
The festival is being held at the Northumbria Students Union Building from 10th to 13th April. The beers and ciders will includes brews specially made for the festival and others making their first appearance before general release.
Local breweries from Tyneside and Northumberland have been invited to create either a golden ale or an entirely novel beer, to mark the 50th anniversary.
There will be special beers from, among others, Campervan Brewery, in Edinburgh, Hawkshead Brewing, in Cumbria, and Tiny Rebel, in Newport, the latter with a selection of chocolate beers.
With around 100 beers and 50 ciders on tap, ranging from quirky microbreweries to established names, the Northumbria University Students Union will host the biggest showcase of its kind in the region. And this year, a spirits bar will make its debut on Friday and Saturday.
The festival offers traditional pub games, such as Shut the Box, table skittles, crown top sShives, and Ring the Pump, and there will also be live music performances.
“Every year we get better and better, both in terms of the breweries taking part and visitor numbers,” said a festival spokesperson. “We are looking forward to welcoming back old and new friends who attend the festival each year.
“This year, our first tickets were bought by a couple who travel from Germany every year to sample one of the most diversely curated selection of beers.”
Fast-track admission packages are now available at £19, which includes a commemorative glass and four beer tokens. For more information, including sponsorship and volunteering opportunities, visit the festival website.
