The beer!
We are now cramming into the hall about as much beer and cider as it will hold.
We had some 185 different cask beers with a significant turn-over from last year.
Beer & Cider List
You can download the Beer & Cider List. This includes a list of the imported beers and the beers 'on the floor' at the start of the festival.
Live Beer List
This year we also had a Live Beer List for the draught ales available during the festival via www.yourround.co.uk.
Desktop users version: bit.ly/BBF2013LiveBeers
Mobile users version: bit.ly/BBF2013beers.
Imported Beers List
You can also download a more detailed version of the Imported Beers List [94KB .pdf]. This includes ABVs, descriptions and prices as provided by the Imported Beers Bar Manager, Peter J. Sutcliffe.
New Brewery:
We had three beers from the newly opened Belleville Brewery based near Wandsworth Common Station.
These NEW BEERS proved to be very popular with visitors from the moment they were available on Thursday.
The beer: Avilability
Please be aware that we simply cannot put all of the beer that we have on to the stillage from the start.
You will see that many casks are on the floor below it.
They can only be racked when a space occurs, so that a beer that you particularly want may not be available immediately.
This is the only way that we can operate, so please understand our situation.
Those beers "on the floor" at the start are marked by a preceding * on the Beer & Cider List.
Alternatively, you should check our new Live Beer List to see what's on during the festival.
We would advise against making long journeys just to sample one or two specific beers; we simply cannot guarantee that they will be on whilst you are at the festival, so please do not expect it.
We do not hold back beer; once it is ready to go on sale - and it has to be ready because we will not compromise on quality - it goes on sale until it is sold.
Similarly, we cannot guarantee that all the beers that we have listed provisionally on this site will arrive but there will be substitutes of equal quality.
Beer prices:
Despite what some say, none of the beer is given to us.
It is all purchased from the breweries or beer agencies on normal commercial terms.
Battersea Beer Festival follows CAMRA guidelines in charging what is reasonable for the area without seriously undercutting local pubs or excessive overcharging.
Please remember that the very strong beers will now be more expensive because of the Government's recent increase in duty on beers over 7.5% ABV.
Selection policy and LocAle:
CAMRA's LocAle campaign is very important to us but both the Pig's Ear Festival last December and next Month's London Drinker Beer Festival (6th to 8th March) heavily feature London beers and so we have spread our net more widely to bring you what we hope is the best in British real ale, mostly from small or medium sized breweries.
We are not a 'winter ales' or 'dark beers' festival; we aim for a range that will cover all tastes.
Our particular speciality is the standard 'session' bitter but, following its successful introduction last year, we are keeping our small 'Strong Beers' bar next to the Foreign Beer bar.
We are sure that you will find something there to send you happily on your way.
Real Ale in a Bottle:
A range of British bottle-conditioned beers can be found in the Lower Hall.
See the Beer & Cider List.
Harveys Prince of Denmark - Special offer:
The sponsors of the festival glasses for 2013, Harveys of Lewes, were offering a discount voucher to anyone who boughts a bottle of their award winning Prince of Denmark at the festival.
Prince of Denmark (7.5% ABV) is described as being "a strong, dark beer of great complexity and depth."
It is a previous Winner of International Beer Challenge Best Stout/Porter Trophy 2009, Gold Medal 2009, 2010, 2012.
If you purchase a bottle at the festival (from the British Bottled Beer stand in the Lower Hall) you will be given a special voucher which entitles you to £1 discount on a pint of beer at either of Harvey's pubs in London:
- The Cat's Back,
- Point Pleasant,
- Wandsworth,
- SW18 1PP
- The Royal Oak,
- Tabard Street,
- Borough,
- SE1 4JU
Note: You will need to present both this special voucher and the empty bottle to claim the discount.
The voucher has no cash value. The offer ends on 31st March 2013.
Cider and perry:
Unfortunately 2012's miserable weather seriously affected the apple crop but we still hope to have a varied range of ciders and perries from small and medium producers.
These can be found in the Lower Hall.
They are listed on the Beer & Cider List.
Measures:
In line with CAMRA policy, our beers are served in oversized, lined glasses - both pint and half pint glasses are available.
Once again this year the committee has decided not to have 1/3rd pint glasses or lines because we feel that demand for them has not been sufficient to justify the additional complications involved.
Neither will we be using the recently legal 2/3rd pint 'schooner' measure.
Beer and cider/perry of the Festival:
On entry to the festival you will receive with your glass a voting form for 'Beer of the Festival'.
Please let us know not just your favourite real ale but cider, perry and foreign beer as well.
Breweries really value these awards.
Please put your form in the box on the Glasses Stand.
TRADE ENQUIRIES:
Brewers:
Our Beer & Cider list is usually finalised in the autumn so, sorry, it is too late to add beers and ciders to it at this stage.
If you wish to register an interest for the 2014 festival, please feel free to do so. We would be happy to hear from you but this does not guarantee you an order.
Contact Dave Plackett, the festival Beer Manager: beer@batterseabeerfestival.org.uk.
Stalls:
Sadly, we simply do not have any room for sales stalls.
We have also finalised our catering arrangements and we do not have space for additional outlets.