Pick of Craft Beer Week

Annie’s Street Party
Annie’s Burger Shack
Sat 2 July, 12pm

Can’t wait for Craft Beer Week to start? Annie’s Burger Shack and Ocean State Tavern are holding their annual street party to celebrate American Independence Day. The whole of Broadway will be rocking, as it welcomes an outdoor mobile bar offering craft keg beer and real ale, live music throughout the day, fun stalls, a burger buffet served from 12-4pm and much more. Reckon you’re a big eater? You can even test your belly’s mettle in Annie’s Deathray Burger Challenge. If the weather for American Independence Day turns out to be rather more British, head downstairs to the Ocean State Tavern, which has been handcrafted in the style of a Rhode Island portside bar, with a wide range of bottled beers from all over the world, as well as an ever-changing range of cask ales. Free

Luponic Distortion
Purecraft
Mon 4 July, 7pm

What a way to kick off Craft Beer Week – Adrian Walker, Export Director at the award-winning Firestone Walker Brewing Company, is jetting all the way over from California to present new hop-driven brew Luponic Distortion. It’s all a bit revolutionary in terms of brewing, as every 90 days, Firestone’s brewing team mixes things up and chooses new experimental hops to use in their next release. You know which edition you’ve got by the number on the can. Adrian will be talking through the idea behind it, and leading a tasting and Q&A session. To make him feel at home, Purecraft's kitchen will also be laying on some very authentic food from the good ol’ US of A – the price of admission includes a can of Luponic Distortion, a portion of Key Lime pie and what they promise will be “very sexy” American Independence beef cheek chilli hot dogs with beer-battered onion rings. Hot diggity! £12.50

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Craft Bottle Share
Kraftwerks
Tues 5 July, 7pm

Sharing is caring, according to Kraftwerks and Brew Cavern. They’ve got together to put on the first Kraftwerks and Beer Cavern Bottle Share – an event introducing some special larger beer bottles to show that sharing beer isn’t just about having a cheeky swig of your mate’s bottle while they’ve popped to the bogs. All bottles will be 750ml and carefully selected by the organisers, with six from Mansfield Road micropub Kraftwerks, and half a dozen from bottle shop Brew Cavern. As well as introducing the concept of big bottle sharing, it’s also a chance to taste and appreciate some weird and wonderful beer styles, and discuss tasting notes with your pals round one of Kraftwerks’ old bierkeller benches (and maybe grab a pretzel to soak it all up). There’s a maximum of ten places available though, so make sure you don’t sleep on tickets! £20

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Spice of Thornbridge
The Herbert Kilpin
Tue 5 July,  6.30pm-8pm

Get a bit of spice in your life during Craft Beer Week, as new pub The Herbert Kilpin teams up with Thornbridge brewery for a spicy food and beer tasting session. Sample five amazing Thornbridge beers (two in cask and three in keg) each beer paired with nicely spiced food.
Thornbridge’s Meghan Waites will take you through their beers and explain why they work with the food we have selected. Tickets are strictly limited to 30 people, so if you want to go down with friends, family or work colleagues, it’s best to book early! Get your tickets from The Herbert Kilpin and Junkyard next door or call 0115 9501758. £10

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Black Iris and INFL
Southbank City
Tue 5 Jul

 

If you were wondering what’s been going on over at the Approach in Friar Lane recently, we can tell you that owner Great Northern Inns has been having a bit of a refurb, including a rebranding as the Southbank Bar, Nottingham City (sister pub to the Southbank Bar on Trent Bridge). Fear not, they’ll be back open again in time for Craft Beer Week, and have a belter of an event to kick things off on Tuesday 5 July. They’re hosting a night in conjunction with Black Iris Brewery and I'm Not From London (Nottingham's DIY gig promoter, record company and music publisher), featuring some amazing local bands and musicians, not to mention some amazing beers from Black Iris as well as their resident NavBrew selection. If you’ve been to INFL’s music events at the Navigation brewery, you’ll know what to expect. Great music and great beer, but now in a shiny new city centre venue! Free

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Shiny Showcase
The Kean’s Head
Wed 6 July

We like shiny things, especially Shiny beers, so we'll be all over the Shiny Showcase and Meet the Brewer event at the Kean's Head like magpies on tin foil. Shiny started life at the Furnace Inn in Derby, and have rapidly grown from a small outhouse brewing operation to become one of the most prominent craft producers and distributors in the Midlands. The beer list for the event is yet to be confirmed, but among their extensive range of beers are everything from the SIBA gold-winning Affinity bitter and Soleil saison, right up to the rocket fuel-like 7% West Coast IPA, Rocket. On the night, they'll be shining light on the very best that Shiny have to offer, including some exclusive one-off specials, and there'll be an opportunity to meet the brewer and talk with the guys who bring so much great beer to the Midlands and beyond. Free

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Comedy and Beers
The Cross Keys
Wed 6 July, 6pm

Fancy a bit of a giggle during Craft Beer Week? Get your laughing gear around this event at city centre pub the Cross Keys. Their regular comedy night, Fowl Humour, is bringing a very special lineup of standup comedians, featuring local lad Patrick Draper and special guests. You can keep yourself well lubricated between laughs with plenty of craft beer on draught, including Navigation’s full NavBrew range. Entry is £7 which includes a craft beer (or soft drink, of course), or opt for a tasty homemade burger for £14 (including a craft beer or soft drink). Food is served between 6-7pm, or if you’re just there for the comedy, pop down around 7pm for an 8pm start. £7-14

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Barrel Ageing Beer
The Herbert Kilpin
Wed 6 July, 6.30pm-8pm

Black Iris and Junkyard have collaborated to come up with Nottingham’s first barrel aged beer, a honeyed dubbel aged in Girvan grain whisky barrels. And this Craft Beer Week, you’ll get the chance to sample it at the Herbert Kilpin. Give it a try both before and after barrel ageing, and drink alongside the beautiful Girvan whisky. Black Iris head brewer Alex Wilson will tell all about the process of barrel ageing, and the beer that went into the barrel, and Girvan’s Alwynne Gwilt (aka Miss Whisky) will be talking about Girvan and how beers and whiskies go so well together. This is going to be a corker, so as tickets are strictly limited to 30, we suggest getting in early! Get your tickets from The Herbert Kilpin and Junkyard next door or call 0115 9501758. £10

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Ilkley Tap Takeover
Ocean State Tavern
Wed 6 & Thu 7 July, 5pm

Check out what Ilkley Brewery have to offer as they take over the Ocean State Tavern (the downstairs bar at Annie’s Burger Shack) for a tap takeover. Ilkley Brewery is one of Yorkshire’s finest, with some exceptional beers (no tat), so this is one not to be missed. They’ve picked up countless awards along the way for their beers, which include highlights like the Dinner Ale Victorian pale ale, Siberia rhubarb saison, Stout Mary oatmeal stout, The Chief American double IPA, Westwood white chocolate stout, and many more. On the Wednesday, there’s also the chance to indulge in one of Annie’s infamous burger buffets for just £10. There’s no need to book, just toddle down from 5pm – Wednesday’s burger buffet is served at 7pm. Free

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Runaway Tap Takeover
The Ned Ludd
Thu 7 July, 5pm

The Runaway Brewery was founded in 2014 in Manchester by Mark and Darren, two old friends who came together to take on a new challenge – to join the movement to help modernise British beer and beer culture. As seasoned beer drinkers themselves, flavour and quality always come first at Runaway. Now, they’re taking over the taps at the Ned Ludd in Friar Lane, so head down for a chance to get to know their range of craft ales, which includes IPA, pale ale, American brown ale and smoked porter, and maybe even a couple of seasonal specials too. Everything’s brewed by hand in small batches at their microbrewery in central Manchester, and the beer is unfiltered, unpasteurised and conditioned in keg and bottle to retain as much flavour as possible. Free

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Meet Elusive Brewing
The Canalhouse
Thu 7 July, 6pm

Despite their name, we’ve managed to track down Elusive Brewing’s whereabouts over Craft Beer Week – they’ll be running a Meet the Brewer and Tap Takeover event at the Canalhouse on the Thursday. Elusive Brewing is the brainchild of Andy Parker, award-winning home brewer and all round good egg, who amazingly only established the 5 brewers’ barrel brewery earlier this year in Finchampstead, on the border of Berkshire and Hampshire. This will be the first time they’re bringing their beers to the city of Nottingham, and with interesting brews including their Cherrywood Road lightly smoked ruby mild, Starship Fleet English pale ale and Cherry Cola Imperial Milk Stout (oh, yes), we hope they’ll be coming back more often. Both cask and keg will be available, so pop along for a sample, and chat to Andy about his beer and plans for the future. Free

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Thornbridge Tap Takeover
Embankment Pub & Kitchen
Thu 7 July, 5pm

Checked out the Embankment Pub & Kitchen yet? If not, there’s now another reason to toddle down to Trent Bridge, as the newly Castle Rock-owned historical pub in Jesse Boot’s former office and pharmacy is hosting a Thornbridge Brewery Tap Takeover slap bang in the middle of Nottingham Craft Beer Week. Since starting out as a 10 barrel brewery in the grounds of Thornbridge Hall, Thornbridge have ballooned in size, moving to a very swanky modern new brewery and bottling line in Bakewell in 2009, but still retaining their traditional brewing values, mixed with a very modern and innovative twist. They’ll be showcasing a wide range of cask and keg for the takeover, so expect anything from their Huck double IPA to the Saint Petersburg imperial Russian stout, and everything in between (here’s hoping the Jaipur X Imperial IPA gets a runout too). Free

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Meet Alphabet Brew Co
Kraft Werks
Thu 7 July, 8pm

Founded in 2014, Alphabet Brewing Company are arguably the most creative brewery to come out of the exciting Manchester craft scene, with innovative brews like their Flat White breakfast stout, Canadian Chainsaw Massacre maple brown ale and Space Invader pink grapefruit and tarragon saison (even their labels are achingly cool). Now you can meet the brewers themselves, as ABC head down the M1 with beer in tow for a Meet the Brewer and Tap Takeover event at Kraft Werks. They’ll have some exclusive new brews for you to enjoy, from modern styles to reinterpretations of old ones, and you’ll get to meet the brewing team and ask them any burning beery questions too. Advance tickets cost £10, which includes six 1/3 pint tasters and a guided talk by the brewers in the price. Alternatively, just head down and pay on the evening. £10

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Omnipollo and To Øl
The Kean’s Head
Thu 7 & Fri 8 July

Omnipollo, from Stockholm, and To Øl, brewing out of Copenhagen, are two of the most exciting and progressive breweries in Europe, both of whom are consistently producing weird, wonderful and delicious beers. And now the Kean’s Head are delighted to welcome both breweries for a special, one-off Tap Takeover on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th July. The very fruity beer list includes To Øl’s Berry White, Hoppy Mondays, Tangerine Cream, Roses Are Brett and Mochaccino Messiah, and Omnipollo’s Fruit Tap #3 Sour Apricot, Ellis Mango Pils, Onda, Leon and Magic #3.5 Pineapple Gose. Free

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Meet the Brewers
Hopology
Thu 7 & Fri 8 July

Venture a little further south from the city this Nottingham Craft Beer Week, and you’ll be treated to a couple of free Meet the Brewer events at the excellent Hopology bottle shop in West Bridgford. The first, on Thursday 7 July (6-7pm), will see John from Beeston Hop talk about the Beeston-based artisan brewery and their beers, such as the Sauvin Blanc wheat beer, Pieter Brown Belgian dubbel and Spring IPA, and maybe why he gave over 50% of his net profits last year to local refugee and homeless charities. Top man. Next up on Friday 8 July (4-6pm) is your chance to meet Andrea from the family-run, Loughborough-based Charnwood Brewery. As well as their permanent Salvation golden beer and Vixen copper ale, Charnwood brew up two specials every month, and their bottled beers include the blonde lager-style Liska, an APA and IPA. Definitely worth making a slight detour for. Free

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Fourpure Tap Takeover
The Canalhouse
Fri 8 July, 6pm

Named after the four core ingredients needed to make beer (grain, yeast, hops and water), Fourpure Brewing Co. was founded in Bermondsey, London in 2013 by brothers Dan and Tom Lowe. And since then, they’ve been at the forefront of the beer scene in the capital – indeed, in 2014, they were the very first UK craft brewer to start canning their beers, seeing the benefits that cans can have on their contents (protection from light and a trusty seal, as well as the environmental aspect). They’ll be bringing up some favourites from their core range, which includes their Pils Lager, American IPA, Session IPA, IPA, Flatiron Red and Oatmeal Stout, along with some specials and seasonal beers for you to try. According to Fourpure, there may even be some free beer too, although they’re keeping schtum on what you may have to do in return… Free

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Return to Lambicland
Hopology
Sat 9 July, 1pm

Love lambics? Or don’t know your gueuze from your kriek? Get yourself down to the Hopology bottle shop in West Bridgford on Saturday lunchtime during Nottingham Craft Beer Week for their free European wild and sour beer tasting, Return to Lambicland. Lambics are Belgian beers characterised by their distinctive dry flavour and sour aftertaste, brought about by spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts and bacteria that are native to the Zenne valley near Brussels. They’re also hot property at the moment. Hopology pride themselves on a range of Belgian beer that’s unparalleled in the East Midlands, comprising a quantity from some excellent small producers, so this is a great chance to get some expert lambic knowledge to show off to your mates. It’s a free hour-long event, just make sure you’re there for 1pm. Free

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Kraft Cavern
Hopkinson
Sat 9 July, 2pm

Kraft Cavern is a collaborative craft beer event from Kraftwerks micropub and Brew Cavern, the bottle shop residing in Flying Horse Walk. They’ll be taking over vintage treasure trove Hopkinsons on 21 Station Street (next to the train station). Expect ten keg beers from the likes of Stockholm’s Omnipollo, Copenhagen's Mikkeller, Belgium’s Rodenbach, Hudd’s Magic Rock and London’s Beavertown for your quaffing pleasure, as well as brewers from Magic Rock and Beavertown hanging about to have a chat. Not only that, but Smoqued will be parking up their 1973 Citroën H van outside to dish out all manner of posh street food (steak quesadillas, pigeon tostadas, monkfish tacos and the like), and they’ll have DJs spinning Afro-Cuban disco bangers till midnight. All very on-trend. Free

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Wild Card Tap Takeover
The Ned Ludd
Sat 9 July, 5pm

East London-based Wild Card Brewery started as a hobby, but soon got out of hand – they now operate a 6 brewers’ barrel kit in Walthamstow, and have a firm reputation for no-nonsense, uncompromising beer. Head brewer Jaega Wise originally hails from Nottingham, and she’s now making a return trip to her home turf five years after leaving for the capital, and bringing a load of exciting beers with her for Nottingham Craft Beer Week. Head down to the Ned Ludd in the city centre for a Wild Card Brewery Tap Takeover, where you can expect to sample all sorts of Wild Card brews – these include the Jack of Clubs ruby ale, Queen of Diamonds IPA, King of Hearts blonde, and Ace of Spades London porter. Now that’s one heck of a hand… Free

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TryPA
Crafty Crow
4 – 10 July

Forget the referendum – this is the vote that really matters. Nottingham’s newest craft brewery, Pica Brewing (the craft arm of Magpie Brewery, based at Meadow Lane), are giving you the exclusive chance to not only try, but decide on, their next IPA. For the duration of Craft Beer Week, Crafty Crow (on the corner of Friar Lane, by Nottingham Castle) will be featuring four brand new IPAs from Pica to sample, and letting you vote for your favourite. Votes will then be counted and the winning beer will be added to the Pica range along with Twisted Wheat wheat beer, Jester American pale ale and their delicious Oatmeal Stout. Yes, this is truly great responsibility, but forget your usual allegiances, or what’s the current flavour of the month, and try to vote on the best IPA for the people. Free

Crafty Menu
Crafty Crow
4 – 10 July

Beer and food go together like, well, beer and food. Make sure you’re well stocked on grub during Craft Beer Week at the Crafty Crow pub, who are putting on a perfectly paired menu of great British food, along with great British beer. Each dish will not only be made fresh using some fine craft beer, but also paired perfectly by the expert team with one of their exquisite craft beers, either from tap, bottle or can (check out our piece on beer and food pairing on p21 for more). With the regular food menu featuring everything from Magpie ale-braised beef cheeks to moules frites, you can bet there’ll be something tasty for everyone to tuck into. The Crafty Menu is being served 12-9pm every day throughout Craft Beer Week, so ideal for setting yourself up for a day or evening’s beer tasting. Various prices