Prestwich Beer Festival 2016: 90 beers, cocktail masterclasses & an Oompah Band

Prestwich Beer Festival is back for three days of hop-based revelry, featuring Badly Drawn Boy and lederhosen (because, why not?).

Food and drink festivals have become as much a staple of the cultural calendar as music festivals except with less camping and a lot more chance to sit down. With this in mind, north Manchester’s poshest suburb (Prestwich, formerly host to the acclaimed Aumbry) welcomes beer, beards and music with as much enthusiasm as Indy Man Beer Con (or any of Chorlton’s hip venues) – with the organisers of Prestwich Beer Festival even going so far as to invite the Venn diagram of all three that is Badly Drawn Boy to the launch on Thursday 25 February.

The three days of the festival will celebrate food, beer and, for the first time, gin

The three days of the festival will celebrate food, beer and, for the first time, gin – meaning that those less inclined to the yeasty side of things can still sip merrily. An Oompah Band and cocktail masterclasses will mean that everyone is catered for, especially if you like lederhosen and stumbling over tables.

Last year saw over 2,000 people descend on the festival, but with this being out in the more genteel side of the county, you can turn up on the day rather than scrabbling around nine months in advance of a squiffy night out; better still, the festival is in support of The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity. Over 90 beers on tap, poetry, food and music will make for three days in Prestwich that you will at least try to remember.