Ale and hearty effort to name best brews ahead of beer fest

More that 40,000 pints of beer will be sold as part of the four-day Rotherham Oakwood Beer Festival, which runs at the town’s Magna Centre until Saturday.

But before any pints were poured, a panel, inlcuding Rotherham’s mayor Shaun Wright, took part in a blind tasting, with the scores added up to decide on which would be the “beers of the festival”.

After a tough few hours, the favourite was named as Moonshine, by Sheffield-based Abbeydale Brewery.

Around 230 different ales have been laid on for the event which includes music stages and a series of smaller rooms with a more intimate pub-style atmosphere.

Organiser Steve Burns said last year’s event made £35,000 and it was hoped to beat that this year, with proceeds going to Rotherham Hospice, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, Weston Park Hospital and smaller Rotherham-based charities.

The festival will also see the launch of a new South Yorkshire-based website aimed at the real ale brewers and enthusiasts.

The site, called Hand-Pumped, went online yesterday and according to owners aims to showcase the work of Britain’s growing independent industry.