So the Nottingham beer festival is confirmed at having around 800 beers, toppling the already heady heights of last years 700, now that’s a lot of choice…

So here are my runners and riders for the festival, after-all horse racing and beer festivals are very much alike, they’re always full of stupid people who don’t really know what they’re doing, and some mare always ends up on its back.

I’ll get the obvious one out of the way first, if you’re not from Nottingham, or if you are and have been living under a rock (maybe castle shaped) you need to try 3 Castle Rock – Harvest Pale it wasn’t made supreme champion of Great Britain for a laugh.

So, if you’ve not tried any of the below, here are my home bankers for a decent drink,

104 Blue Monkey – Evolution 4.3%
132 Derventio – Venus 5.0%
261 Loddon – Ferrymans gold 4.4%
263 Loddon – Hoppit 3.5%
344 Potbelly – Potbelly best 3.8%
361 Nottingham – James Morton’s legacy 3.8% (although I think it’s supposed to be James Fellows of Fellows Morton & Clayton)
382 Rebellion – IPA 3.7%
418 Steel City – Masters of the spooniverse 4.2%
431 Thornbridge – Hopton 4.3%
432 Thornbridge – Jaipur 5.9%
433 Thornbridge – Kipling 5.2%

Bandstand Area

620 Brewdog – 5AM Saint 5.0%
623 Brewdog – Punk IPA 6.0%
647 Fat Cat – Cougar 4.7%

Beers on ‘reserve’ status,

RES Leila Cottage – Ace Ale 3.8%
RES Oldershaw – Caskade 4.2%

If you like the dark stuff it’s hard to see past,

101 Blue Monkey – 99 Red Baboons 4.2%
399 Sarah Hughes – Dark Ruby 6.0%
712 O’Hanlons – Dry Stout 4.2%

Of course, the real point of a beer festival is to try beers new to you, so don’t forget to do some blind shooting and choose some randoms! drop a comment below of any tips of your own.

The Nottingham / Robin Hood beer festival opens Thursday at 11am and ends Sunday 3pm, we will of course be updating live so check back for more beer suggestions, and again leave some of your own. official website