Another month and another Event Spotlight, just sneaking in at the end of September all stealthy like. This month it’s the turn of Nicholson’s, who are hosting a Beer Showcase which includes a new IPA from Tony Hadley of all people! I hope it’s a golden ale (ho ho ho). Anyway, get along and get some beer down yer necks.
Nicholson’s Beer Showcase
(17th September – 15th October)
This Autumn, from the 17th of September, Nicholson’s Pubs across the nation will play host to the Beer Showcase, a month long celebration of all that is great and good in cask and craft ales. Partnering with some the UK’s best breweries, Nicholson’s Beer Showcase will offer the chance to try a plethora of fantastic beers and take part in events including craft beer masterclasses, beer sommelier tastings, giveaways and celebrity brews.
The Beer
With a colossal 139 beers to be sampled across 80 pubs around the country – including a range of seasonal autumn beers and cask ales, kegged craft beers and regional specialties – the Beer Showcase will be one of the UK’s biggest celebration of great beer and unmissable for any beer enthusiast.
Events
To educate aficionados and novices alike, the majority of pubs will host pop-up beer schools by craft beer specialist Brewdog, where guests can learn about the intricate brewing processes and ingredients, the principles of beer tasting and beer and food pairings. For a chance to sample brewery fresh beer, tanks of Pilsner Urquell will pop-up for the whole month at selected pubs and will launch with appearances from their very own beer sommelier to complete the brewery experience. Fuller’s London Roadshow will showcase three cask ales and host beer tastings with the brewery’s master beer taster. Meanwhile, Meantime will be offering virtual tours of their brewery through the futuristic virtual reality ‘Oculus Rift’ device across 10 of the pubs. ‘Cornish Nights’ will serve various high quality Cornish ales courtesy of breweries St Austell and Sharp’s, and will be accompanied with traditional Cornish pasties and a beer tasting hosted by Rugby Union star Jack Nowell at select pubs.
Celebrity Brews
Nowell won’t be the only celebrity taking part as Nicholson’s welcomes music fans to sample the beers of rock royalty Madness, Iron Maiden and New Order as well as launching Tony Hadley’s new IPA. The singer himself will be making an appearance at the London launch on 30th September. Besides serving the beers and offering tastings across various pubs, fans will have the chance to win prizes including personalised signed products from the artists themselves. In addition to the star studded line-up, comedian and pub landlord legend Al Murray will be pouring pints on the 14th October at four London pubs for a true beer and banter experience.
The Nicholson’s Beer Showcase will run nationally from the 17th September to 15th October. For full listings of events and dates visit www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/beershowcase .
You can check out more events that are going on this month via the Crafty Beeress Events Calendar, which I update as often as possible with events that are occurring all over the UK and Ireland.