It’s now just over a week until Chorlton Beer & Cider Festival 2023 but planning started way back in January.
One of the first things we did was approach 7 of our favourite breweries to ask if they’d be up for making a beer for the festival. And then we asked another 7 of our favourite brewers if they’d be up for helping! And they all said yes!
So these SEVEN collaboration beers will be winging their way to St Clement’s next week:
Brewsmith x Sureshot – If My Grandmother Had Wheels
Sureshot’s James Campbell headed to Ramsbottom to brew this 3.8% ultra pale ale.
Mango & Pink grapefruit flavours from the Idaho 7 leaf hop. Dry hopped post fermentation with bagful’s of Citra
Fell x Blackjack – Pub Piano Pale
Manchester’s Blackjack headed to Flookburgh in Cumbria to brew with Fell’s John Major. Back when John worked for Runaway brewery, he would regularly be found at the piano at Blackjack’s pub The Smithfield Market Tavern.
An initial flush of wild strawberry, melon and nectarine gives way to a raspberry hedgerow bitter finish with hints of summer barley and smooth oat from local grains grown close to the brewery on the Holker Estate. Balanced at 4.4% with a lovely dryness, a proper all-British hazy thirst quencher. Drinkin’ beer.
Neptune x Thirst Class – Morpheus’ Bramble
Thirst Class’ head brewer and owner Richard Conway travelled to Merseyside to brew with Les and Julie – possibly his final brew as Thirst Class Ale as sadly the brewey announced they were closing a couple of weeks before the scheduled brew day.
This 5% blackberry saison has a robust base of light malt, wheat and rye giving an earthy, and spicy flavour with a touch of tart sweetness from the blackberry purée.
RedWillow x Lakes Brew Co – Red Lakes
A special RedWillow Brewery and Lakes Brew Co. collaboration for Chorlton Beer Festival.
Brewed with 100% Red X Malt, hooped with Amarillo Centennial and Galaxy and fermented with lager yeast for a clean crisp finish and to let the hops sing.
Strange Times x Blackjack x Chorlton Beer Festival – Rasselbock
John & Caz from the festival team joined Strange Times’ Lauren and Blackjack’s Rich at Strange Time’s Salford brewery to make this pale ale dry hopped German Mandarina Bavaria & Callista.
Steelfish x Pictish – Thanks for Today
Local cuckoo brewer Steelfish’s first collaboration beer, brewed with no other than Rochdale legends Pictish Brew Co.
With summer beer festivals in mind they leveraged on the experiences of both breweries to produce this drinkable session strength Pale Ale. Featuring hotside hop additions of Citra and Cascade with a generous dry hop of Citra and Columbus and fermented on Pictish Brew Co’s house yeast strain. Expect pithy citrus fruit and spice notes finishing with a moderate satisfying bitterness.
Tom’s Tap & Brewhouse x Blackjack – Ey Up Treacle
Blackjack’s head brewer Kieran headed to Crewe to brew this Foreign Extra Stout on the tiny kit on Sean Ayling’s brewpub – meaning we have an exclusive cask of a beer only available at the festival.
Treacle in the boil allies from the burnt toast of the roasted malts in the grist and the deep toffee from the dark crystal malts pouring exclusively at Chorlton Beer Fest
