Festival of booze

The Baron’s Bar celebrated winning the pub of the year award last night and unveiled plans for a fabulous four-week beer festival in May.

In front of a cheering crowd of regulars, local Camra chairman Stuart Elliot presented manager George Sourbutts with the award, praising the quality of beer and warmth of welcome at the pub in a rousing and patriotic speech.

The Capital of Real Ale festival is to be split into four themed events.

Kicking off with a 6am start on May 1 with folk dancing, beer and bacon butties, the first concentrates on small independent brewers including cult favourites like Pot Belly and Purple Moose.

Week two puts Camra award winners in the spotlight and features 15 champion ales from the likes of Woodfordes, Crouch Vale and Harviestoun.

In honour of the cultural celebrations taking place in Liverpool, the third week focuses exclusively on brews from Merseyside, including Cain’s, the excellent George Wright’s in Rainford and the full Southport Brewery range.

Intriguingly the list also includes Higsons bitter, a name that will stir nostalgic thirst among older readers who remember the lost Liverpool brewery.

The Mayflower Brewery in Wigan has started producing pints to the original recipe and have recently opened a brewery in Speke. It will be interesting to see if they managed to recreate the taste of the late lamented ale.

Finishing off the festival is a week of Baron’s Bar favourites, including the indomitable Ossett Silver King and, one of my favourites, Brain’s SA.

Running alongside the festival is a series of drink-themed events including live entertainment, presentations from brewers, quiz nights and more.

The pub’s sister bar, Maloney’s, is also getting in on the act with a new cocktail menu and series of competitions.