Drink-up at Norwich Beer Festival

By Phil Daley BBC Norfolk

The Norwich Beer Festival 2009 promises to be bigger than last year

The Norwich Beer festival fills St Andrew's and Blackfriars' Halls in Norwich for six-days of beer tasting and cider sipping.

"There will be around 55,000 pints of beer, plus 5,000 pints of cider and enumerable bottles of continental beers," said Martin from the festival.

After 31 successful years, the festival returns with more than 200 different beers and ciders to suit everybody.

The event runs from Monday, 26 - Saturday, 31 October, 2009.

The Norwich Beer Festival, always attracts a big crowd and queues will trail down the side of St Andrew's Hall as beer drinkers wait to sample the various ales on offer.

St Andrew's Hall

Plans for a major restoration of the St Andrew's and Blackfriars' Halls in Norwich have been planned, meaning the Beer Festival may have to move in future.

The restoration group Norwich Heritage Economic and Restoration Trust (HEART) believe that almost £20m should be spent on turning the complex into something that can host international conferences and concerts.

But with 32 years worth of history with the venue, Martin is in no hurry to move elsewhere.

St Andrew's Hall has staged the event every year so far

"We like the venue - the staff do and so do the customers," he said.

"We could do with it being slightly bigger though," he added.

Although there will be bottled beers available from across the world, the main appeal of the festival is that you can sample some locally produced ale.

Norfolk has a variety of brewers, some produce vast quantities while others just a few thousand pints.

"Although cask ale sales are on the increase, relatively, the number of pubs to which a brewer can sell to has dropped so they have to be more persistent and inventive," said Martin.

Festival virgin

If you are a beer festival virgin and are wondering the best plan of attack when entering a room full of lager and ale, Martin has some good advice to heed.

"Whatever it is, don't try the strong ones first. There are some people that come along and ask what is your strongest ale? A little later on we look for them and they've fallen on the floor," he said.

"Start on the low gravity beers, 3.3 - 3.8%, ask for a taste if you're not sure," he added.

The Norwich Beer festival 2009 runs from Monday, 26 - Saturday, 31 October, 2009.