This weekend saw the 3rd annual beer festival held by the folks of Forever Bury. This is an event that always promises to be entertaining and beer-riffically educational, and this year was no exception. This years event comprised of around 50 beers and ciders from all corners of the country and as usual I had to start with a cider or two. Cider never tastes right once your taste buds have been introduced to the bitters and stouts, still, that never stopped me from returning to it when the organiser plonked a barrel of the appley-goodness next to me and proclaimed that its contents were free. The evenings musical entertainment consisted of a three piece band (one acousitc guitar, an electric guitar and a saxophone), they were reasonably in time and didn't make many mistakes but I think they lacked the presence of a vocalist - make a note of that for the next event. The food stall also closed down quite early, around 8 o'clock; people generally fancy something to eat as they are leaving a booze-up so I'd have expected it to be offered around last orders but that didn't happen; still, I suppose there were plenty of other eateries close by. The choice of beer was very good, with a nice mixture of dark and light ales; there didn't seem to be any fruit ales (such as Framboisenbeire) but what they did have was of excellent quality, the most potent (with a whopping 9% ABV) being one made from licorice. Unlike most licorice ales I've tried, this one actually tasted of licorice! As with previous year, this weekends event was organised by-and-large by Bury FC enthusiast Dave Gifford who's passion for the club and the event was evident to anyone who could stop him from rushing around long enough to have a chat. The organisers of the event (Forever Bury) are always looking for members and donations. Please see the Forever Bury website for details of how you can help this good cause.

Do you want to learn how to make your own beer? Don't miss out on the 1-2-3 guide that is on offer from EZ-Brew for only $27 (around 18). Click here for more information on the EZ-Brew Beer Making Course.