St Albans Beer Festival 2012

CHEERS! It’s time to raise a glass for the St Albans Beer and Cider Festival again.

St Albans Beer Festival 2012

The annual event opened today (Wednesday) and will be held at the Alban Arena from 11am to 11pm each day until Saturday.

The number of beers on offer literally runs into hundreds, with up to 500 British cask and bottled conditioned beers, plus foreign beers and ciders and perries on offer to tantalise the taste buds.

Up to 350 different British real ales will also be available to visitors, including one-off brews, festival specials and a wide selection of beers from new breweries.

There are now nearly 900 breweries in the UK and the 2012 St Albans Beer Festival will be showcasing a selection of these.

Styles will range from milds and bitters through old ales, porters and stouts, to barley wines, not forgetting speciality wheat beers, golden beers, real lagers, fruit beers and many others.

Being Hertfordshire’s largest beer festival, organisers will also be showcasing beers from all the county’s breweries at the Hertfordshire Bar on the left-hand corner of the stage.

But it’s not just about beer – although most of it is!

Visitors will also be able to enjoy games, the tombola, the team quiz, and breweriana auctions in a lively friendly atmosphere.

There is also some great music entertainment during the festival.

Nick Stephenson and his band will perform tomorrow (Thursday) from 9pm to 10.30pm, while Saturday will see Stompin’ Dave playing from 12.30pm to 2pm.

The Nimmo Brothers will also be entertaining drinkers from 9pm to 10.30pm.

So why not soak up the festival atmosphere? And enjoy a pint at the same time.

Admission is £3 to Friday and £4 Saturday. It’s free at all times for CAMRA members.