BrewDog is opening its doors to the only beer festival you want to be at in August, The OK British Beer Festival. Taking place at BrewDog’s Shepherd’s Bush bar in London, the festival is the brewers’ response to a long-running dispute with CAMRA, founders of the Great British Beer Festival, which will be happening in London on the same dates.
Since the feud began in 2011, when BrewDog was omitted from the festival due to opinions on ‘real ale’, the Scottish brewery has now decided to launch a festival of its own, where all craft brewers are welcome.
BrewDog will also be giving CAMRA members who attend The OK Beer Festival their first pint of Shore Leave on cask absolutely free, because everyone (even rival festival goers) is welcome.
BrewDog’s beer festival bonanza is not only a celebration of craft beer but also an unmissable event for craft beer enthusiasts interested in trying out a brand-new BrewDog beer before it hits the shelves and bars. For five days only, BrewDog will be giving guests an exclusive first taste of the new ale “Shore Leave,” before its general release in September.
Shore Leave is not the real ale you’re used to. Unlike the dusty old brands your dad likes – all badgers, bishops, goblins and ageing speckled chickens – this new unreal ale is here to rock the boat. A lightly toasted biscuit and caramel aroma navigates light fruitiness and a balanced bitter finish for a 4.3% sessionable beer that will change the way you think about real ale forever.
Attendees will also be able to explore beers from several other emerging UK craft breweries, including Tartarus’ Valkyrie, Newbarns’ Sparkling Ale, and the iconic Raspberry and Vanilla Milk Stout from Play.
In recent years CAMRA has come under fire for its old-fashioned, elitist attitudes. While a diversity drive in 2022 attempted to shed its ‘male, pale and stale’ image, the group hasn’t yet showcased inclusivity for all brewers, pubs and drinkers alike.
James Watt, Co-Founder and CEO of BrewDog, says: “At BrewDog, we make beer that we want to drink. That’s what ‘real ale’ should be all about. So, when CAMRA not only barred us because we did not meet their standards of ‘real ale,’ but also made it clear that any small craft breweries who brew their beer in ‘the wrong way’ are not welcome, it got us thinking. That’s why, 12 years later, we’ve decided to start our own festival. We don’t think cask or keg should define what ‘real ale’ is – as long the ale tastes amazing, it’s welcome at The OK British Beer Festival.”
For more information on The OK Beer Festival and to book a table at BrewDog Shepherd’s Bush, visit here for more information.
