Pint drinkers unite – Birmingham Beer Week begins

A week-long celebration of all things beer starts today (July 21), bringing together the city’s best breweries, pubs and restaurants, as well as a whole host of events based on one of life’s finest pleasures; fantastic beer.

Birmingham Beer Week, which launched last year, will take place at 16 venues in the city centre as well as the suburbs. A number of local breweries are also opening up their tap rooms for locals to take a look around and understand the process of making a pint.

Organisers Krishan and Tim decided to set up the event as an extension to Birmingham Beer Bash. Tim said: “With bCubed (Birmingham Beer Bash) taking a well-earned rest, we saw this as an opportunity to re imagine what could be achieved in the beer week setting having seen how well this particular format had been received in places like London, Manchester and Leeds.

“Rather than approach this year with a similar attitude as in the previous year, we looked at what worked well in other areas and applied the idea of spreading the beer festival spirit across the city effectively collaborating with as many venues, breweries and retailers across Birmingham to celebrate where beer intersects with culture, like music, food and art. “

This year’s event will see some of Birmingham’s best venues get involved. Original Patty Men are running a ticketed event, which will see them pairing a specially created Brooklyn themed menu with several fresh kegs from Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn. Stirchley Wines and Akrams Restaurant in Stirchley are also teaming up to bring a five course Indian meal paired with 5 beers “Chak De” aiming to prove that where Indian food is concerned beer doesn’t always need to just wash away the unique spice choices.

Clink, based in the Custard Factory, will be running a week-long tap takeover featuring the beers of one of Holland’s breweries De Molen. There will also be a number of rare and interesting bottle tastings from Cloudwater, Mikkeller and Beavertown.

To round out the week, John Bright Street’s collective of bars Brewdog, Cherry Reds, The Victoria, The Railway and The Stable are having a “Street Party” which will include BBQ food, pop up bars and tap takeovers. Further out of town The Dark Horse bar are putting on their first craft beer festival, Brewing Company for Birmingham Beer Week.

With the popularity of craft beer rising – a new brewery opened every two days in 2016 – it’s no surprise that events like Birmingham Beer Week are becoming a huge success. Tim said: “We have watched the rise of Craft Beer over the last 10-15 years and are immensely proud of what is now being achieved by the British brewing industry.

“With this rise, there has been a sea change in the image that beer and its related culture now attracts, this is largely down to the efforts of smaller breweries who have increasingly innovated and engaged with their audience. It’s an industry with an awful lot of creative ability to make thoughtful and flavourful products that can work across a range of levels.”

Tim is hoping that Birmingham Beer Week becomes a regular fixture on the calendar of pint drinkers. He said: “We are very much hoping that it can continue to grow and draw in interest both locally and from further afield.

“Across the length of this year’s event calendar we have counted 30 separate events, across a range of different formats; expect guided walking tours, specially designed menus paired to beer, meet the brewer events, collaborative brewing, local breweries opening their doors to the public to put on brew taps and a couple of festivals to book end either side of the week.

“But, to date, the feedback from the public at large has been very positive.”