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Maidstone's Original Beer & Hop Festival
 
featuring Live & Local Music
 
Sat 11 & Sun 12 September 2010
 
 FREE!! Pint of beer for every full paying adult
 
Join us in the beer tent and try a large variety of rare and more commonly seen Real Ales and Ciders and Lagers on tap and bottled, and not forgetting all those with a sweeter tooth...there will be Pimm's, Wine and Spirits available too. 
 
Join the 'festini' atmosphere with a variety of live and local music playing all day long! Rock out in the main stage area on Saturday or chill out by the acoustic lounge on both days. Sunday's tunes will be varied and a bit more mellow. 
 
Don't forget to try our sought after annual 'Cobtree Old Ale', brewed using our very own hops! and have a wander around our Traditional Hop Picking, see the last working coal fired Oast house in Britain in full production and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of a bygone years, with traditional hop picking by hand all weekend. Meet the Tally Man and Pearly Kings and Queens and more characters from Kent's past.
 

 
Don't forget to purchase our annual commemorative Beer Festival Glass, for only £3.
 

      

Times
Saturday 11 Sept 10am to 8pm.
Sunday 12 Sept 10am to 6pm.
Last admissions 1 hour before closing.
 
Prices
 
Gate Admissions:
Adults £8.00 plus a FREE pint of beer token
Concessions £7.00 plus a FREE pint of beer token
Children (4 to 15yrs) £6.00
Under 4's FREE
 
Advanced Booking: before 4pm Fri 10 Sept
Save £1 on all of gate admission prices stated above.
Members Offer: 50% off gate admissions for all valid Membership Pass Holders.
Please ask in shop/admissions for more info. We are encouraging all advance tickets to be purchase on the premises.
 
 
Special Bus Service
Kent Life and Arriva Bus Service are working together to ensure your safe journey to and from the beer festival. A special bus service will be in operation for the duration of the festival for only £1 single way. Click here for a timetable.
  
Live & Local Music
In partnership with 'Get Infested'... Get into the festival atmosphere!
Two full days of live music from local bands and acoustic artists. 
 
Confirmed acts so far...
 
Saturday on the Main Stage
11am to 8pm
Headlining - The Rosco Levee Band (6:30pm)
4:45pm - Crowns
2:45pm - Scott Brunger
1pm - The Elations
11:30am - Fleeting Hearts
 
Saturday on the Acoustic Lounge
11am to 7pm
Headlining - Andy White (5:45pm)
3:45pm - Mikey
1:45pm - Nick Woods
11:45am - Matt Brookes
 
Sunday on the Acoustic Stage
11am to 6pm
Headlining - Kris Martin (4:30pm)
2:45pm - Tom Harbord
1pm - Grainne Doyle
11:15 - The Psychadelic Skiffle Sons

 
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List of Alcohol on Sale
 
Main Bar Marquee
As well as a wealth of rare and real ales and ciders there will also be Lager, Spirits, Wine and Pimm's available too! Not forgetting of course our 'Cobtree Old Ale'
 
 Rare & Real Ales
SPECIAL: Cobtree Old Ale - A forgotten Ale from the 1950's recreated by Kent LIfe and Shepherd Neame Brewery, using hops from the Kent Life Hop Garden.
1.  Raw Brewing  Dark Peak Stout 4.5% ABV

2. Raw Brewing Co. Grey Ghost IPA 5.9% ABV

3. Buntingford Brewery Twitchell 3.8% ABV 

4. Buntingford Brewery Highway Man IPA 3.6% ABV

5. Amber Ales Samuel Slater 4.2% ABV 

6. Amber Ales Original Stout 4.0% ABV

7. Tolgate Brewery Mellow Yellow 4.0% ABV

8. Tolgate Brewery Red Star IPA 4.5% ABV

9. Blue Monkey Brewery Original 3.6% ABV

10. Blue Monkey Brewery BG Sips 4.0% ABV

11. Townes Brewery Speedwell Bitter 3.9% ABV

12. Townes Brewery IPA 4.5 % ABV

13. Spire Brewery Dark Side of the Moon 4.3% ABV

14. Spire Brewery Britannia Cream Ale 6.4% ABV

15. Thorn bridge Brewery Wild Swan 3.5% ABV

16.  Thorn bridge Brewery Jaipur 5.9% ABV

17. Wirkswort Brewery First Brew 4.2% ABV

18. Wirkswort Brewery Snowfield 5.0% ABV

19. Howard Town Brewery Dinting Arches 4.4% ABV

20. Nutbrook Brewery Banter Bitter 4.5% ABV

21. Nutbrook Brewery Bitlyke 4.4% ABV

22. Peak Ales Swift Nick 3.8% ABV

23. Peak Ales Bake well Best Bitter 4.2% ABV

24. Brampton Brewery Golden Bud 3.8%ABV

25. Brampton Brewery Impy Dark 4.3% ABV

26. Derventios Brewery Emperors Whim 4.2% ABV

27. Derventios Brewery Cleopatra 5.0% ABV

28. Howard Town Brewery Wrens Nest 4.2% ABV

29. Milton Brewery Dionysus 3.6% ABV

30. Milton Brewery Minotour 3.3% ABV

31. Milton Brewery Pegasus 4.1% ABV

32. Milton Brewery NGRO 5.0% ABV

33. Milton Brewery Sparta 4.3% ABV

34. Ashover Brewery Rainbows End 4.5% ABV

35. Ashover Brewery Butts Pale Ale 5.5% ABV

36. Ashover Brewery Hydro 4.3% ABV

37. Ashover Brewery Poets Tipple 4.0% ABV

38. Barlow Brewery Heath Robinson 3.8% ABV

39. Barlow Brewery Carnival Ale 4.0% ABV

40. Moonshine Brewery CBI Best Bitter 4.2% ABV

41. Moonshine Brewery Budding Moon 4.5% ABV

42. Moonshine Brewery Nightwatch Porter 4.5% ABV

43. Moonshine Brewery Black Hole Stout 5.0% ABV

44. Moonshine Brewery Redwatch Bitter 4.2% ABV

45. Hydes Brewer Sumertime Blue 3.5% ABV    

46. Hydes Brewer Loose Cannon 4.0% ABV

47. Black Sheep Brewery Golden Sheep 3.9% ABV

48. Batemans of Wainfleet Thirsty Work 4.0% ABV

49. Wyre Piddle of Pershore Summer Splash 4.2 % ABV

50. Marstons Long Hop 4.0% ABV
51. Highgate of Walsall Davenports Heatwave 4.1%  ABV

52. Mauldons of Suffolk Thomas’ Tipple 4.5% ABV

53. Wychwood of Witney Wychraft 3.8%  ABV

54. Titanic of Stoke-on –Trent Rule Britannia 4.2% ABV

55. Wells & Young’s Brewing Wells Eagle IPA 3.6% ABV

56. Coach House of Warrington Cheshire Gold 3.9% ABV

57. Brains of Cardiff Steaming Wagon 4.4% ABV

58. Everards Brewery Golden Zest 4.0 % ABV

59. Meantime London London Pale Ale 4.3% ABV

60. Roosters Brewery Gcb 3.7% ABV

61. Theakston Legendary Ale Lightfoot 4.1% ABV

 
Rare & Real Ciders

62. Aspall Draught Suffolk Cyder 5.5% ABV

63. Gaymors Addlestones 5.2% ABV

64. Symonds Founder’s Reserve 5.5% ABV

65. Thatchers Gold 4.8% ABV

66. Thatchers Pear Cider 4.5% ABV

67. Westons Stowford Press 4.5% ABV

68. Moles Black Rat Cider 6.0% ABV

69. Thatchers Cheddar Valley Medium 5.0% ABV

70. Westons Country Perry 4.5% ABV

71. Westons 1st Quality 5.0% ABV

72. Westons Old Rosie 7.3% ABV

73. Westons Organic Vintage Still Cider 7.3% ABV

74. Westons Traditional Scrumpy 6.0% ABV

 
 
Village Hall Bar
Our Village Bar will be serving a range of wines, spirits, Carling on draught and bottled beers including Spitfire and for the first time the Kentish Cider Company will present 4 of their best brewed ciders.
 
1. Bittersweet Oak matured in rum casks 7.5% ABV A superb blend of heritage bittersweet varieties. It is medium/dry in flavor, with (as the name suggests) a sweet, fruity tang.  
 
2. Bittersharp  ( whiskey cask) 7.5% ABV A superb blend of heritage bittersharp cider apple varieties including the infamous, full bodied ‘Kingston Black’ apple.  A stunning, pale cream cider. Lightly perfumed, sharp and very refreshing. 
 
3. Gala/bram 7.5% ABV  (last years gold medal winner) Gala is a beautiful red apple with a light honeyed, juicy flavor. When combined with bramley it produces a wonderful pale cream cider with hints of peach and caramel. A very refined flavor that compliments a wide range of foods 

4. New season Discovery 5.5% ABV Light, fruity apple flavour. The first of this years cider to be ready. 

Acoustic Lounge Beer Tent
This tent will be located near the Acoustic Lounge Stage and will serve a small selection of rare and real ales including our Cobtree Old Ale and Cider.
The main stage and beer tent will be closed on Sunday and only the Acoustic Stage & Bar Tent will be open.
 
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Click on the below to view a video about brewing our very own Cobtree Old Ale at Shepherd Neame brewery in Faversham and our Hop Garden.

 
Sponsors & Associates
Terms & Conditions
  • Membership passes are not accepted at this event, however show your valid pass on arrival and all members will receive 20% off the gate admission price, if have not already advanced booked.
  • The above mentioned 20% is not in conjunction with any other offer and will not be accepted as an additional discount when advance booking tickets or booking in a pre-paid group.
  • Beer tokens will only be given to adults over the age of 18 years on receipt of entrance payment.
  • Kent Life has the right to refuse service to any persons and request ID at any time.
  • Beer tokens will be issued on arrival to Kent Life.
  • Beer tokens are only accepted on purchases of beer and cider sold from firkins (barrels) all other beverages are payable in cash only.
  • If you have advanced booked your admission tickets you must bring your ticket with you on the day otherwise entrance to the site and festival will be refused.
  • All alcohol will be served in plastic glasses and we encourage you to continue using these throughout the festival. 
  • We will endevour to offer a full range of real and rare ales during Saturday's event, however we cannot commit to supply this full range during Sunday.
  • Last admission is one hour prior to closing and the car parks will be locked half an hour after the closing time.
  • Remember Kent life is a farm so please wash your hands after touching the animals and before eating. Hand Gel is available form all food outlets.

                     







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