Today I am at Liverpool Beer Festival.
This festival is a ticket-only even and sells out several months before the event! As with other pre-sale beer festivals CAMRA members get extra beer tokens. Tickets for the session I attended were £7!
The event is held every February in the crypt of Liverpool's Metropolitan cathedral, known locally as "Paddy's Wigwam", so is nicknamed "Ales From The Crypt".
The event has been by advance ticket only for many years now, unfortunately the tickets sell out by November!
Electronic tickets are scanned up entry and a passout wristband issued. Proceed down the stairs to collect your free glass (a half pint glass with no 3rd line on it!), proceed down again and into the crypt. Every similar beer festival I have ever been to has has beer tokens available on the door, not this one! You are required to proceed all the way to the opposite end of the beer festival, where you must then buy sheets of beer tokens, minimum £10! CAMRA members get an additional £3 of vouchers upon showing a current membership card. Even though remaining tokens are refundable, this is one of the most expensive beer festivals I have ever atteneded with an initial cost of £17.
Once in and beer tokens bought, there was an initial range of 220 beers. Not all were on, The festival started at the sponsor bar, who this year were Liverpool Craft Beer Company. The pricing wasn't too bad. Under 4% £1/half 4%-7% £1.50/half and over 7% £2.00/half. The staff I delt with were nice and friendly and usually gave generous tasters! I even got talking to a member of bar staff who was on a break.
It was busy, but not heaving. Although there was room to move in at main hall, finding a table to sit at to eat at in the next hall was next to impossible.
This festival is a ticket-only even and sells out several months before the event! As with other pre-sale beer festivals CAMRA members get extra beer tokens. Tickets for the session I attended were £7!
The event is held every February in the crypt of Liverpool's Metropolitan cathedral, known locally as "Paddy's Wigwam", so is nicknamed "Ales From The Crypt".
The event has been by advance ticket only for many years now, unfortunately the tickets sell out by November!
Electronic tickets are scanned up entry and a passout wristband issued. Proceed down the stairs to collect your free glass (a half pint glass with no 3rd line on it!), proceed down again and into the crypt. Every similar beer festival I have ever been to has has beer tokens available on the door, not this one! You are required to proceed all the way to the opposite end of the beer festival, where you must then buy sheets of beer tokens, minimum £10! CAMRA members get an additional £3 of vouchers upon showing a current membership card. Even though remaining tokens are refundable, this is one of the most expensive beer festivals I have ever atteneded with an initial cost of £17.
Once in and beer tokens bought, there was an initial range of 220 beers. Not all were on, The festival started at the sponsor bar, who this year were Liverpool Craft Beer Company. The pricing wasn't too bad. Under 4% £1/half 4%-7% £1.50/half and over 7% £2.00/half. The staff I delt with were nice and friendly and usually gave generous tasters! I even got talking to a member of bar staff who was on a break.
It was busy, but not heaving. Although there was room to move in at main hall, finding a table to sit at to eat at in the next hall was next to impossible.
