Student Union beer & cider festival

As far as an impromptu socials goes, you can’t beat a beer festival in the sunshine. 

I arrived to join others around 17:00, to an already packed terrace with no seats to be had. The band was warming up, the food was cooking and the beer flowing. 

There was a change from last year, and to be honest, not for the better. The cider tent was placed in a small corner, unlike the double-fronted location of last year. This caused a very congested stand this time around. Fortunately the ciders made up for it and they were proving popular, looking like they were in danger of selling-out the next day!

To begin, I started with a Thornbridge not sampled before, Black & Gold. A nice hoppy pale of a blonde/golden character. Lots of flavour in its 3.4% though, and an easy starter. 

I joined Paul M, Bev, Dan, and Bev’s sister Teri and husband, Steve for a chat all things ale and beyond. Andy Morten of 50k+ beers fame joined the gathering, but wasn’t stopping too long. It wasn’t long before my friend Bleddyn made it there with his pint of Brew York’s Maris the Otter, a 3.9% bitter from this excellent brewery renowned for its stouts. 

We were a bit jaded, so decided to get a seat, where we were joined my another friend Gordon. We soon felt peckish after the beer, so a Currywurst was purchased, and it was very tasty with fries, sauerkraut and mini-gherkins at £6.90.

Paul, Bev, Dan and Co bade their farewells, as they were continuing on more beer trails. 

Being a suckered for a flavoured stout, my eyes were drawn to the Neepsend Jasmin’s Jamaican Rum Cake Stout. Quite thin and only 4.8%, but the flavour didn’t disappoint. 

Now the problem is, sitting opposite the TV advertising beers. You’re always going to see one you have to sample. In this case it was an old favourite Thornbridge Baize, the legendary Mint Chocolate Stout. 5.5% like an After Eight in a glass, not cheap but worth it.  

Time for departure, and a walk through town and the West Street Strip to catch my last bus, after a swift last one in the Bankers Draft. We’ll be back next year, possibly attending the Friday evening, and the Saturday, football fixtures allowing?