One of Manchester’s biggest, beer festivals is making a big comeback to the historic Victoria Baths this September, and it’s bringing along a whole city full of fun with it. Independent Manchester Beer Convention (IMBC or Indy Man Beer Con), which will take place from September 29th to October 2nd, showcasing and celebrating beers from across the UK and into Europe returns following a two year hiatus.
Ticket holders heading to Victoria Baths from all over the country can expect craft breweries such as Bristol’s Lost and Found and Cheltenham’s Deya whilst those heading into Manchester for the weekend can head to a range of Fringe events. Check out some of the Manchester venues hosting events during IMBC below.
Port Street Beer House
On September 29, Balance Brewing and Blending take over the saloon to launch Ripple, a blend of barrels from August and December 2021. These barrels were blended onto 300 g/L of macerated British raspberries and the beer was allowed to marry with the fruit for two months before bottling. The beer has a beautifully clean raspberry aroma accompanied by subtle funk and woody vanilla. Full, raspberry jelly flavour and quenching acidity work in harmony as the tannic, vinous qualities of the base beer shine through. The finish is fruity funk with Pinot Noir rosé dryness. They’ll have the Ripple and Saison de Maison Blend 2 on keg as well as having a few bottles for sale/pours and T-shirts while they last.
Then on September 30, Port Street Beer House will host Unity Brewing: May Provisions beer tap take over, including their Skin Contact Wild Ale ’21 6.8%, the latest vintage of an ongoing project with Charlie Herring wines. The ’21 is a simple pale ale is base aged on the UK’s only Riesling skins for five months before further conditioning in tank and package. The Takeover also features Zapato with their Brett IPA 8.2%, a West Coast IPA secondary fermented with wild yeast and bacteria from grape skins.
The Beagle
On September 29, The Beagle in Chorlton will host a tap takeover with Pomona Island. The brewery based in Salford will be at The Beagle for the entire weekend, taking over the taps with a range of keg and cask offerings, including Somebody’s Had Too Much To Think Wild Cherry Sour Farmhouse IPA 6.2%, Put An Iron Shirt On- west coast IPA 7.1% and Volt Thrower ESB 6%.
Kampus
The Runaway Brewery Tap Room is temporarily upping sticks and relocating to the Bungalow at Kampus for the whole IMBC weekend. Revered locally for their beautifully balanced, modern interpretations of classic styles and their thoughtful approach to collaboration and seasonality, the brewery will be hosting a four day residency at Kampus in conjunction with Nell’s Pizza and other friends of the brewery. Offering a huge range, with fresh beer on tap and a full selection of bottles (including a few rarities from the cellar) available to drink in or take away, the brewers will be on hand to help make your selection and answer any questions you might have about the beer. The Runaway Bungalow Tap Room will be open from mid-afternoon on Thursday 29th September until the evening on Sunday 2nd October
Common
The Drop Project Den will pitch up at Common for Saturday and Sunday (October 1 & 2) sessions, with a tap takeover showcasing six of their beers. Keep your eyes peeled for a shifty special pizza from the team at Nell’s and the opportunity to bag some Drop Project goodies. Drop Project, heading up from London, are known for creating fresh, premium, flavoursome beers with consistent high-quality results. They push creative boundaries and create beers that inspire their passions for both the industry and their lifestyles.
Find the full list of IMBC fringe events in Manchester on the the convention’s website.