Finding a delicious brew in London is never hard, thanks to its thriving pub culture. But if you’re in London this week between August 2 and 6, you may want to head over to Earls Court for the Great British Beer Festival, which bills itself as the largest beer festival in Britain.
Organized by the Campaign for Real Ale, a lobbying group that “promotes the brewing, selling, and drinking of real ales,” the GBBF is set to have more than 700 varieties of real ales, ciders, and perries. The international section of the festival, cheekily called Bières San Frontières, features the best beers from Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Tempering all these brews is a pukka selection of pub foods, including fish and chips, Cornish pasties, sausages, crisps, and curries.
As for activities, planners of the Great British Beer Festival thought of almost everything. In addition to the usual festivities, such as beer judging contests and musical guests, the GBBF will have a Games Zone to “satisfy the urge to chuck or roll something.” GBBF also provides a family room, the “Half Pints Club,” where parents can accompany bored or overactive kids in between imbibing. God bless Britain for having a culture that allows a beer festival to be a family-friendly event.
If you’re not able to make it to the Great British Beer Festival this year, don’t worry. The 84-page GBBF program, which doubles as a handy reference to hundreds of beers, is available online. You can also follow the Great British Beer Festival on Twitter @gbbf and Facebook.
[Photo credit: Flickr user bods]