2011 Beer Festival

Mid Summer Madness

The Festival is over for another year.

The Rugby CAMRA beer festival is being hailed as a massive hit with local drinkers. Over a thousand drinkers supped nearly four thousand pints of real ales and ciders from the forty nine beers on show. Steve Heighton from the local branch stated "The festival was a huge success. The world exclusive first outing for a beer made from spelt was very good and the first to go.  We also had nineteen ales from Warwickshire alone and all were excellently received. One of the six beers being judged for West Midlands beer of the year, Salopian Oracle, was judged beer of the festival'' .The West Midlands Golden Ale going through to the GBBF final, by the tightest of possible margins will be Hobsons Town Crier. Steve then added ''Despite the poor weather all fifteen speciality ciders and perries were all consumed, as were all the international beers with the New Zealand black lager the pick of the bunch''.

From a local point of view the festival had a record sign up for new memberships, (despite Mikes shirt ), a record return of beer of the festival votes, with the winner winning, just, and only just. Richard Potter's excellent cider and perry choices were superb.  A sterling effort from David Hine, the landlord of the Raglan Arms, in getting beers and also providing the fridge for the foreign beers which again were a wide and select few chosen by Ivan Farrell. Jonathan Potter hosted an entertaining auction but star turn must be the simply superb choice and quality of the beers that Steve Durrant not only sourced but also picked to ensure we had 19 LocAles, the new Spelt beer as well as brand new beers and breweries. This is the main reason we are still the best little festival in the Midlands.  Lastly brilliant effort from all the staff who helped out, the Thornfield Bowls club and the beer sponsors.