Northamptonshire Beer Festival

Disclaimer: Subject to last minute changes or substitutions. Errors and Omissions Expected.

Here is an interim beer list for the Northamptonshire Beer Festival 2012. These beers are in addition to those previously published in the LocAle List. Expect several changes before the final list is published.

Once the beers have been delivered to the festival site at Delapré Abbey and racked up into the stillages, a final beer list will be created and made available for download via this site. Expect this to be available on the evening of Tuesday 22^nd May.

A selection of Beers at Northamptonshire Beer Festival, Delapré Abbey

One of the benefits of running the Northamptonshire Beer Festival site as a WordPress blog is the ability to update it from anywhere.

In previous years it has been difficult or impossible to keep up with e-mail and other electronic communications relating to the Beer Festival when we are all in a marquee away from computers and such like.

With WordPress applications available for many smart phones (for example this post is being written on a BlackBerry) it will be possible to post live updates during the Beer Festival.

Beer + Phone. Photo: Mike Fabio (BY-NC-SA) Russian River Brewing Pliny the Elder Double IPA and a BlackBerry device

If you are coming along as a volunteer of a visitor and want to contribute, for example by doing some online beer tastings or reviewing the bands, please contact the Webmaster to register an Author’s account.

Where has the time gone? There’s only a week to go until the beers start arriving on site!

The Council are having a final meeting on Friday to finalise the position of the Beer Festival marquee — depending on how much rain we are expecting, and then on Sunday up it goes. Once the marquee is up, then the stillage gets built inside.

On Tuesday it’s “all hands on deck” as over 300 barrels of beer are delivered, not to mention the approximately 800 gallons of cider and perry!

It’s not too late for YOU to get involved – download and fill in our staffing form at http://www.northantscamra.org.uk/downloads or alternatively e-mail Phil Greenway with your availability and contact details — it is not compulsory for you to be a CAMRA member.

Beer barrels being sorted at the 2011 Beer Festival

One of the great things about the Northamptonshire Beer Festival is the chance to relax on the beautiful south lawn of Delapré Abbey listening to some great music from a wide variety of bands who perform for us as we enjoy a refreshing pint of real ale, cider or perry.

This year’s festival culminates in a performance by 4-piece rock band RUSE; a local Northampton outfit who have played the likes of Santa Pod and Silverstone.

They play rock covers — pure and simple — but entwine their setlist with some improvised heavy riffs now and again.

Expect to hear great songs by Queen, U2, Kings of Leon, Feeder, Killers and a fair smattering of their biggest influence; Muse. There’s plenty to keep everyone on their toes.

RUSE are:

• Guy — Lead Vocals and Keyboards
• Rich — Guitar
• Andy — Drums
• Phil — Bass and Backing Vocals.

Text in this article is Copyright © 2006-2011 RUSE

Less than a month to go before we open the gates to the 2012 Beer Festival!  Just to tease your tastebuds here is a list of all the Northamptonshire beers we are expecting this year.

CAMRA LocAle Logo represents Local Ale

Digfield

• Barnwell Bitter (4.0%) — Amber
• Fool’s Nook (3.8%) — Gold
• Mad Monk (4.7%) — Brown
• March Hare (4.4%) — Straw
• Shacklebush (4.5%) — Tawny

Frog Island

• Best Bitter (3.8%) — Pale Gold
• Croak & Stagger (5.6%) — Dark Brown
• Fire Bellied Toad (5.0%) — Golden Brown
• Natterjack (4.8%) — Gold
• Shoemaker (4.2%) — Amber
• to be confirmed (4.4%)

Great Oakley

• Festival Special (tbc%) — Blonde
• Gobble (4.5%) — Straw
• Grand Affair (4.9%) — Dark
• Harpers (4.3%) — Brown
• Marching In (4.1%) — Gold
• Oakley Blonde (4.0%) — Blonde
• Tailshaker (5.0%) — Gold
• Wagtail (3.9%) — Straw
• Welland Valley Mild (3.6%) — Dark
• Wot’s Occurring (3.9%) — Mid Gold

Gun Dog

• Sun Setter (4.2%) — Copper

Hoggleys

• Golden Wheat (5.0%) — Wheat
• India Pale Ale (5.0%) — Pale
• Kislingbury Bitter (4.0%) — Brown
• Mill Lane Mild (4.0%) — Mild
• Northamptonshire Bitter (4.0%) — Gold
• Pump Fiction (4.5%) — Gold
• Queen of Diamonds (6.0%) — Dark Copper
• Reservoir Hogs (4.3%) — Copper
• Solstice Stout (5.0%) — Dark
• Summer Breeze (4.2%) — Dark Gold
• Three & Six (3.6%) — Light Copper

Hopping Mad

• American Pale Ale (5.0%) — Pale
• Balmy Days (3.9%) — Straw
• Black Jack (4.0%) — Black
• Hopnotch (3.6%) — Chestnut
• Hoppiness (3.7%) — Light Amber

Julian Church

• 10 pint Nun (5.0%) — Dark
• Canon Crisparkle (4.5%) — Light
• Monk Bee On Mild (4.8%) — Mild
• Parson’s Nose (3.9%) — Mahogany
• Rev. Tollemache (4.4%) — Dark Mild
• Vicar Of Dribbley  (4.0%) — tbc

Nene Valley

• to be confirmed
• to be confirmed

Nobby’s

• Best Bitter (3.8%) — Brown
• Biggus Dickus (4.2%) — Gold
• Guilsborough Gold (4.0%) — Gold
• Guilsborough Guzzler (3.6%) — Auburn
• T’Owd Navigation (6.1%) — Dark
• Tresslers XXX (3.6%) — Mild
• Wild West Ale (4.6%) — Mahogany
• Worts and All (4.2%) — Brown

Potbelly

• A Limp Pig Gold (4.3%) — Gold
• Ambrosia (4.0%) — Mild
• Beijing Black (4.4%) — Dark
• Bellowhead (4.5%) — Light
• Best (3.8%) — Chestnut
• Captain Pigwash (5.0%) — Porter
• Crazy Daze (5.5%) — Light Gold
• Dark Tusker (3.6%) — Dark
• Hop-Trotter (4.1%) — Gold
• Pigs Do Fly (4.4%) — Light Gold

Rockingham

• Rockingham Saxon Cross (4.1%) — Gold/Red
• Rockingham White Rabbit (3.9%) — Blonde

Silverstone

• High Octane (5.5%) — Copper
• Pitstop (3.8%) — Copper
• Pole Position (4.1%) — Chestnut

Whittlebury

• Green Dragon (4.4%) — Amber
• Hillfort (3.9%) — Amber
• Mauis (3.8%) — Mild
• Old Tun (4.1%) — Chestnut
• Special (3.7%) — Gold
• Spring Frolic (4.0%) — Light Gold
• Whittlewood (3.6%) — Amber
• to be confirmed

That’s not all! This is just the LocAle list — there are another 200+ beers from all over the country to add to this selection.

One of the great things about the Northamptonshire Beer Festival is the chance to relax on the beautiful south lawn of Delapré Abbey listening to some great music from a wide variety of bands who perform for us as we enjoy a refreshing pint of real ale, cider or perry.

Presley Johnson

Presley Johnson's web logo

Presley Johnson’s unique take on the generalisation of Rock’n'Roll is best described as G-R-I-P Rock — Blending the styles of Garage Rock, Indie and Psychedelica it generates a diverse sound that appeals to broad audience.

With influences spanning the genres, from Joni Mitchell to Pink Floyd, Mansun to The Beach Boys, its vintage undertones blended with its modern edge, create a style that’s easily swallowed and can only truly be described as… Presley Johnson.

Text in this article is Copyright © 2006-2011 Presley Johnson

The article below was published on Friday 27th May 2011, in the Northampton Chronicle & Echo newspaper.

Originally published in Northampton Chronicle & Echo, All rights reserved © 2012 Johnston Publishing Ltd.

With the news that Royal Mail will be raising the prices of its stamps this month, members of the Marketing Department have been trying to find ways to take the bad taste out of people’s mouths. At last they have the problem licked, and are please to announce a new scheme, in conjunction with the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

A new series of six collectible stamps will be released at the end of May 2012 featuring prominent Real Ale breweries around the UK. The face of each stamp will feature a picture of that brewery and will be available both as part of a collectible set and for individual purchase in Post Offices.

The crowing glory of this new collection lies not on the face but rather on the reverse. In a new method known only to a team of scientists at CAMRA’s top-secret research laboratory, the signature glue on the back of the stamps has been carefully blended with a batch of beer from each of the breweries. Following a treatment process to remove alcohol and enhance the flavour, the glue is applied to the back of the stamp relating to its own brewery.

The stamps are due to be launched at a special event in late May by CAMRA and the Post Office. If you would like a chance to be on the guest list, please contact Joe King at CAMRA Headquarters, or April Foley at the Post Office Corporate Clients’ Office.

A selection of British stamps

One of the great things about the Northamptonshire Beer Festival is the chance to relax on the beautiful south lawn of Delapré Abbey listening to some great music from a wide variety of bands who perform for us as we enjoy a refreshing pint of real ale, cider or perry.

The Angels’ Share

Formed in 1997, the Angels’ Share perform what they describe as Celtic music that is guaranteed to get your hands clapping and your feet tapping. They have appeared at venues in Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes, Leicestershire, the South Coast as well as playing in the Lake District and Scotland including the Western Highlands and Islands. Their tour of Scotland also included Glasgow, Edinburgh and Falkirk. They have appeared on BBC Radio on numerous occasions, playing live and talking about their music.

Most recently they have had successful appearances at the Port Isaac Festival, Cornwall with The Fishermens’ Friends and at The Merry Tom Festival, Brixworth.

With an assortment of musical backgrounds from classical and opera to Rock’n'Roll, they are sufficiently different.

The Angels

• Gary A — Keyboards and Backing Vocals
• Ian A — Drums and Backing Vocals
• Rob W — 6 String, Bass and Backing Vocals
• Richard J — Lead Vocals, 6 and 12 String Guitars
• Mark O — Fiddle, Whistle and Backing Vocals
• Andy T — Manager, nursemaid and smoother of egos

The Angels’ Share – The Gathering  The Angels’ Share

Text in this article is Copyright © 2006-2011 Cousin Avi

One of the great things about the Northamptonshire Beer Festival is the chance to relax on the beautiful south lawn of Delapré Abbey listening to some great music from a wide variety of bands who perform for us as we enjoy a refreshing pint of real ale, cider or perry.

Cousin Avi

The unmistakable sound of Cousin Avi is brought to you by four talented musicians, all sharing the same infectious and unrelenting passion to produce unique and exciting music.

Drawing influence from a vast array of bands and artists of the last 60 years, Cousin Avi pride themselves on their ability to write songs that challenge musical boundaries and appeal to virtually everyone that hears them.

In the two years since Cousin Avi initially formed, they have gone from strength to strength. 2009 saw the independent release of their self-produced debut album, a mini tour of Germany, a collection of high profile gigs and small festivals around the UK, and an ever-growing fanbase.

They have also recently had the success of reaching and winning the UK Final for Global Battle of the Bands. Cousin Avi went on to represent the UK in the global final, which was held in April 2010.

Francisco, Stuart, Ross and Duncan invite you all to jump aboard The Avi Train and share their musical journey…

Text in this article is Copyright © 2006-2011 Cousin Avi