Discover more from expert-led tastings at the Great British Beer Festival 

The Great British Beer Festival (GBBF), taking place from 2-6 August at Olympia London, has announced its Beer Tastings and Discovery Bar line-ups. This year GBBF will be hosting ticketed tastings, alongside informal brewery and cidermaker led sessions at its Discovery Bar.  

Ticketed tastings will be run by experts and writers such as Roger Protz, Tim Webb and Des de Moor and take place throughout the week. Sessions include:  

• Introduction To Beer 
• History of the Champion Beer of Britain Competition 
• Beer & Cheese Tasting 
• Introduction to IPA 
• Small World: How the beers of others are shaping UK brewing and vice versa 
• A Tasting Tour of London 

To find out more about these tastings, and to purchase tickets, go to the GBBF website: https://gbbf.org.uk/beer-tastings/ 

Festival attendees can also discover more about their favourite beverages from the brewers and cidermakers that created them. GBBF’s Discovery Bar, which can be found in the festival’s brand-new CAMRA Village, will play host to a range of walk-up, informal tastings provided by a diverse selection of beer and cider champions. Tastings include:  

• Wild Beer Co. – Discover Thiols: through their brew ‘Thiology’ and yet to be titled collaboration with Siren Craft Brew 
• Modern British Cider – with Gabe Cook (The Ciderologist) and The Real Al Co.- getting keg craft ciders onto the bar 
• Anspach & Hobday – Anspach & Hobday – London Black vs Cask Black: London’s original Nitro Porter goes head to head against its special one-off cask version 
• Bittersweet Symphony – with Albert Johnson: talking about the apples at the core of cider 
• Siren Craft Brew – Time Hops project showcasing four beers, brewed with single varietal hops that changed the face of brewing.  
• Let’s Talk Bubbles – with Alison Taffs: – tasting how much fizz is in a Sparkling Cider  
• Coalition – 3 Beers brewed with different yeasts & hops: Unity Lager, Always with a Twist IPA, TOCA Social Half Time Orange 
• London Got Cider – with London Cider Club and The Real Al Co.: East meets West in one City  
• Rock Leopard Brewing Co – West Coast (Taking on The World) vs New England IPA (Perched Beneath the Tree We Know Well) 

The Discovery Bar will also be home to a display of fresh ingredients, thanks to sponsors Crisp Malt and Charles Faram Hop Merchants, so visitors can experience them first hand. Homebrewing experts The Malt Millers will be on hand all week to answer homebrew questions and help visitors learn more about how to craft the finest brews at home. 

Learning and Discovery Manager Alex Metcalfe said: “This is a really exciting year for the Great British Beer Festival. The range of breweries, cidermakers and experts sharing their wisdom, as well as their excellent drinks, is the most ambitious line-up we have produced so far. The Discovery Bar is a place for attendees to learn more about the ingredients, techniques and people behind the UK’s best beers and ciders.” 

To find out more about the Discovery Bar at GBBF, visit the website: https://gbbf.org.uk/whats-on/discovery-bar/