Popular Ipswich pub beer festival returns

Thousands of pints at the Dove Street Inn Spring Bank Holiday Beer Festival. Picture: DAVID VINCENT (Image: Archant)

Thousands of pints, half pints and thirds will be downed throughout the Bank Holiday weekend in the historic Ipswich pub and its Green Room garden extension.

Suffolk and East Anglian draught beers feature as well as others from as far as Liverpool, Tyne and Wear, Yorkshire. London and the West Country.

Beer enthusiasts have already started to gather to sample the delights of some weird and wonderful brews, with names like Uncle Monk's IPA, Ruffled Feathers, Summer Lightning. White Adder and Bloomin' Marvellous.

Some of the brewery names include Crafty Little, Bosun's, Pheasantry and Wild Weather among them.

This is the 59th Dove Street Inn Beer Festival and landlord Ady Smith said the interest in real ale was still growing.

"Real ale is still very popular and has a very large following and there is a growing interest in craft beers and real ciders," he said.

"We have a great range of ciders and the launch of Adnams' new Wild Wave cider.

"A lot of the beers are also vegan, which is becoming more popular with a lot of people.

"The weather is good and the forecast for the weekend is also good. There should be good business for the pizza oven and barbecue."

Third-of-a-pint glasses are available so drinkers could try a wider range of beers, he said.

"Over the festival more than 5,500 pints will be consumed. Some of the most popular varieties will probably sell out.

"We have a busy weekend ahead which is culminating in a charity race night on Bank Holiday Monday," he added.

The festival features a choice of 48 real ales and 24 real ciders as well as a range of craft beers, from this country and abroad.

The Dove's 60th Beer Festival will take place in August.

Before then, the variety of Suffolk beers will be celebrated on Suffolk Day, June 21 at the Dove.