Known for years as the UMIST Beer Festival, but now the universities have merged it is the unwieldily titled University of Manchesterⁱ Students Union Beerfest'08.   However since I last went they now have it in the Underground as the bowling green has been landscaped.   Still they have cheesey music for request & still its a right old laugh.

We only remembered it was on at 21.00 on the Thursday evening so we got a taxi into town (along with a sympathetic non-drinker who was expecting our local pub quiz - thanks Lisa!).

Despite the late start & only having 2 real real ale fans (ever present DM & MN) we still got to taste a few;

Blue Bear - White Bear

Butcombe - Gold

Caingorm - Nessie's Monster Mash

Caingorm - White Lady

Caingorm - Trade Winds

Hopback - Entire Stout

Wooden Hand - Corn Mutiny

Derby - Dashingly Dark

Hogsback - TEA

Oakhams - White Dwarf

O'Hanlons Port Stout

Robinsons Old Tom

Salopian Hoptwister

Salopian - Shropshireⁱ Gold

St Austell - Black Prince

Overall: its still a great beer festival but don't expect to be able to hold a conversation or get a seat.   Obviously nostagia has a large part in enjoying this.   Still, good beer is good beer.