A site for real ale lovers (and other drinkers) to share experiences.
1996
INDEPENDENT BREWERS BEER FESTIVAL
Farnborough Recreation Centre, SU 868 553
Saturday: March 1996
A new festival put together by Andrew Clark of Clark Caterers, who had the franchise for the function suite at the Farnborough Recreation Centre. Located on the top floor of the centre, the function suite has a terraced area accessible from the bar and on which the beer marquee had been erected.
With over 60 beers sourced from the West Country, it turned out to be one of the best festivals attended that year.
| County | Brewery | Beer | % |
| Cornwall | St. Austell | Trewlawny’s Pride | 4.4 |
| - | Sharp’s | Cornish Coaster | 3.6 |
| - | Sharp’s | Doom Bar Bitter | 4.0 |
| Devon | Blackawton | Shepherds Delight | 4.6 |
| - | Blewitts | Wages | 4.5 |
| - | Jollyboat | Mainbrace | 4.2 |
| - | King’s Head | Hare Brained | 4.2 |
| - | Mill | Whinge Ale | 4.1 |
| - | Princetown | Jail Ale | 4.8 |
| - | Sutton | Hopnossis | 4.5 |
| - | Teignworthy | Spring Tide | 4.3 |
| Dorset | Goldfinch | Tom Brown’s Best Bitter | 4.0 |
| Avon | Smiles | March Hare | 4.0 |
| Somerset | Bridgewater | Cannon Ball | 4.2 |
| - | Cottage | Old Freckled Ken | 4.5 |
| - | Juwards | Ted’s Tipple | 3.9 |
Attended by:-
PV, ROC, KOC, RN & PC
FARNHAM BEEREX
Farnham Maltings SU 841 465
Thursday 25 April 1996
| Brewery | Beer | % |
| Brains | Dark Mild | 3.5 |
| Bridgwater | Amber Ale | 3.8 |
| Bridgwater | Coppernob | 4.4 |
| Burton Bridge | XL Bitter | 4.0 |
| Cains | Dark Mild | 3.2 |
| Caledonian | IPA | 3.8 |
| Cropton | King Billy | 3.6 |
| Exmoor | Gold | 4.5 |
| Greenwoods | Mahogany Mild | 3.5 |
| Juwards | Bitter | 3.9 |
| Little Avenham | Arkwright Ale | 3.6 |
| Little Avenham | Pickled Priest | 4.3 |
| Newale | Anna Valley Ale | 4.0 |
| North Yorkshire | Best Bitter | 3.6 |
| Rebellion | IPA | 3.9 |
| Roosters | Yankee | 4.3 |
| Woods | Sam Powell | 3.7 |
Saturday 27 April 1996
| Brewery | Beer | % |
| Ballard’s | Best Bitter | 4.2 |
| Bathams | Mild | 3.5 |
| Beer Engine | Piston Bitter | 4.3 |
| Bullmastiff | Bitter | 3.5 |
| Butcombe | Bitter | 4.0 |
| Cheriton | Double XX Gold | 4.4 |
| Hardy’s & Hanson’s | Kimberley Mild | 3.1 |
| Harviestoun | Original 80/- | 4.1 |
| Hook Norton | Mild | 2.9 |
| Oakhill | Best Bitter | 4.0 |
| RCH Brewery | Pitchfork | 4.3 |
| Ridleys | Dark Mild | 3.5 |
| Shepherd & Neame | Spitfire Ale | 4.7 |
| Smiles | Best Bitter | 4.1 |
| Woods | Special Bitter | 4.2 |
Attended by:-
PV, MG & ROC plus many others
GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL
Olympia, London TQ 242 790
Saturday 10 August 1996
| Brewery | Beer | % |
| Cartmel | Lakeland Gold | 4.0 |
| Hart | Squirrels Hoard | 4.0 |
| Mildmay | Colours Best | 3.8 |
| Teignworthy | Reel Ale | 4.0 |
| Buffy’s | Polly’s Folly | 4.3 |
| Chalk Hill | Tap Bitter | 3.6 |
| Scott’s | Blues & Bloater Bitter | 3.7 |
| Highwood | Tom Wood Best Bitter | 3.5 |
| Hull | Traditional Dark Mild | 3.3 |
| Leatherbritches | Belt n’ Braces | 3.8 |
| Maypole | Mayday | 4.6 |
| Burton Bridge | Summer Ale | 3.8 |
| Daleside | Midsummer Delight | 4.1 |
| Adnams | Bitter | 3.7 |
Attended by:-
PV and assorted others
INDEPENDENT BREWERS BEER FESTIVAL
Farnborough Recreation Centre, SU 868 553
Saturday: October 1996
The beers for the second ‘Indie’ Beer Festival came from Scotland and Northern England.
| County | Brewery | Beer | % |
| Orkney | Orkney | Raven Ale | 3.8 |
| Skye | Isle of Skye | Red Cuillin | 4.2 |
| - | Isle of Skye | Young Pretender | 4.0 |
| Grampian | Tomintoul | Stillmans 80/- | 4.2 |
| - | Tomintoul | Stag | 4.1 |
| Fife | Backdykes | Malcoms Ceilidh | 3.7 |
| - | Fyfe | Rope of Sand | 3.5 |
| - | Burnt Island | Alexander’s Downfall | 4.9 |
| Central | Harviestoun | Freshers | 3.9 |
| Durham | Durham | Canny Lad | 4.5 |
| Tyne & Wear | Mordue | Workie Ticket | 4.5 |
| Cumbria | Coniston | Bluebird Bitter | 3.6 |
| - | Old Cottage | Red Pike | 3.6 |
| - | Old Cottage | Barleycorn | 4.0 |
Attended by:-
PV, ROC, KOC, TM, RN & PC