So, Farewell then IndyMan Beer Festival. An icon of craft beer

So, Farewell then IndyMan Beer Festival. An icon of craft beer

I was sorry but perhaps not entirely surprised to find that the organisers of IndyManBeerCon at the Victoria Baths in Manchester have decided, at least for the time being, to call it a day.

I attended most of the festivals up to the pandemic but not since.

The organisers statement rightly paid tribute to some of the great beers and stall holders that have featured down the years, rather than adding, as perhaps they might have done, a further chapter on the woes of hospitality in the midst of a cost of living crisis.

That is a general point as the organisers haven’t attributed any particular reason to the decision not to continue. It may well be, and I write as a former union organiser, and someone who still organises events, that just the toll of keepin on keepin on got a bit much. It can do and it does.

Its time to reflect on the considerable contribution that IndyMan made to the current beer scene in the UK and beyond and look forward to future developments. There will always be some.

And most of all to thank the organisers for all the hard work down the years. It meant a lot

Below is my memoir of IndyMan 2019, unedited

As usual I was at the Independent Manchester Beer Convention in early October with my partner Megan.

It is in one of the best venues for a beer festival, the Victoria Baths, and this year even more spaces were utilised, for example by the Mikkeller bar.

Its well organised and invariably sold out. It works on the admission charge (£10) for entry and glass and then tokens for beer plan. The (good) principle is that the tokens are priced for one third pours across a range of strengths to encourage people to sample. This year an individual token cost £2.80 while you could get 11 for £29. Certainly against beer prices in London, or indeed in craft bars in Manchester, the pricing is very much in line with what you’d expect to pay, so no complaints there.

This year there seemed to be a rise in 2 token beers (£16.80 a pint for any tabloid journalists reading this). I didn’t drink any but can see the logic for beers air-freighted in from the US at substantial cost or above 10% imperial stouts. I did notice one 8.2% dipa requiring 2 tokens and I’d suggest the organisers need to take action to stop that or perhaps at least do half tokens if we can accept that it might not be unreasonable to expect to pay £3.50/4 on occasion.

The beer range provided much of interest and quality.

I wrote last year that the organisers need to bring cask and that remains the case, but more so now. Obviously you don’t want huge amounts to be sold in a limited time but some cutting edge cask perhaps particularly in a location like Manchester should be possible

I particularly enjoyed several beers from Burning Sky perhaps especially the Raspberry Monolith and a cider/beer mix saison. They were all one token btw. A Thornbridge imperial stout at 12% impressed as did a Wild barrel aged plum beer. In short as you hope for and expect at IndyMan some examples of the best in where beer in the UK currently is and is going.

Elsewhere there was perhaps a little too much of the familiar (but then I’m familiar with the London beer scene). I really enjoy many of the beers that breweries like Deya, Siren and Verdant do. Equally I can find them on a bar near me in North London any day of the week. I accept that this is not the case for many and there were some excellent up and coming breweries also there. It’s a matter of balance.

Still all this is a matter of detail. IndyMan remains an essential part of the beer year and the organisers should be congratulated on that.