BEER FANS ARE ready to toast the quality of local brews once again this month when they link up for what has become a much-anticipated annual Beerfest.
Bishopmill Hall in Elgin is the venue of choice for the 2017 event – organised by Moray Concert Brass alongside the Lossiemouth-based Windswept Brewing Co.
Windswept managing director Julie Smith is looking forward to the third running of the Beerfest, telling insideMoray: “We are delighted to be supporting the Friends of Moray Concert Brass by supplying all the beer at its Beer Festival for the third year.
“We’ll be bringing many favourites from last year as well as Clavie, our new 5.5% smoked porter, which we launched last month. Expect dark sugar and stone fruit aromas and a subtle smoky finish from the beech wood smoked malt. We’ll do everything we can to make sure it’s a great success for Moray Concert Brass.”
Other keg beers that will be available include Aurora, a Northern light ale, (ABV 3.8%), Wolf, a dark and strong Scottish ale, (ABV 6.0%), Weizen, a cloudy wheat beer, (ABV 5.2%),Tornado, a single hop citra IPA, (ABV 6.7%) and Werewolf, a chili infused dark ale, (ABV 6.0%).
There will also be two cask beers, Blonde, a hoppy pale ale, (ABV 4.0%) and APA, an American hopped IPA, (ABV 5.0%).
Windswept Brewery was the brainchild of two former RAF pilots Al Read and Nigel Tiddy, who in 2012 decided to take their passion from brewing to the next level creating a brand that reflected the wild and windswept coast and hills of the Scottish Highlands.
They pride themselves on keeping the ingredients in their beer simple: British malted grains, hops for flavour and bitterness, fresh wet yeast and local Speyside water and as all the beers are natural and unfined they are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
As in previous years, live music will be provided throughout the day by the ever popular Stein Brass, the North of Scotland’s own Oomph band. The band of trumpets, a tenor horn, a euphonium, a trombone, a tuba and percussion will play a selection of foot stomping, thigh slapping polkas, waltzes and sing-along tunes guaranteed to give Beerfest event a real ‘Hofbrauhaus’ feel.
Tickets are £15, which will include a free branded glass and £10 in beer tokens. Wine and soft drinks will also be available.
These are available be Email to beerfest@morayconcertbrass.co.uk or from Windswept Brewery in Lossiemouth – limited number will also be available on the door.
Doors open at 3pm on February 18 with last orders at 11pm for an event that caters for over 18s only.