Pig’s Ear Beer Festival – ale drink to that!

A round at the Chapel: happy drinkers at the 2011 Pig’s Ear Festival

Exciting and innovative real ales from new and emerging breweries in Hackney and nearby will be showcased at the Pig’s Ear Beer Festival from 4-8 December. This will be held in Clapton at the Round Chapel.

Festival Organiser, Derek Jones, says: “Twelve months ago Hackney didn’t have a single brewery and now it has five! They are Beavertown in Haggerston, Crate in Hackney Wick, Cock Tavern in Mare Street, Hackney off Kingsland Road and London Fields in that district.

“All produce distinctive flavourful Real Ales in classic styles that are applauded by their growing numbers of customers. We’ll also be offering real ales from many other of London’s now 30-plus breweries, including award-winning ones from Redemption Brewery in Tottenham and East London Brewery in Leyton.”

‘Pig’s ear’ is rhyming slang for beer and ‘easy rider glider’ means cider. The festival will be supplying products from London Glider, the capital’s first commercial cider producer.

Operating since 2010 and based in Woodford Green, this firm enterprisingly collects windfall apples from urban gardens and processes them into cider. Mick Lewis, Pig’s Ear Festival Cider Manager, declares: “We’re delighted to promote an East London business that supplies so excellent a product from fruit which would otherwise go to waste. Their ciders are authentically clear, still and strong with well-balanced taste and texture.”

The festival is organised by the East London and City (ELAC) branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). Its chair, John Pardoe, comments: “ELAC looks forward to holding Pig’s Ear in the Round Chapel for a third time. Last year’s festival broke all records for attendance and sales and the superb architecture of this listed building appeals enormously to attendees.”

The festival will have some 200-plus draught ales from 90 selected breweries, including many from outside London, in an attempt to satisfy all tastes. In addition, there will be an exceptional selection of bottled and foreign Beers and the noted cider and perry bar featuring artisan producers – plus food stalls and pub games.

Pig’s Ear Beer Festival
4-8 December (Tuesday-Saturday)
12 noon – 11pm (late opening until 11.30pm on Friday)
The Round Chapel
Powerscroft Road
Hackney
E5 OPU