Brewers on the Bay Festival
As the May Bank holiday weekend rapidly approaches, lots of you are deciding where you should spend it. Nothing beats getting away to a vibrant city in the good weather and kicking back with your favourite beer and good company. Galway is the place to be and the place to be in Galway is at the first ever ‘Brewers on the Bay Festival’ in Salthill. It kicks off May 1st at 3pm and entry is free! Some people go to extraordinary lengths for their love of beer. Most of us enjoy a refreshing beer and a good old-fashioned road trip but how many of us would take planes, trains and automobiles to secure a crate of an exclusive sought after beer?
Beer lovers are a dedicated and passionate species and nothing, not even a volcano, will stand between them and their frothy friend. Even those among us who are not so familiar with the origins of our favourite beer, will know that Belgium plays host to many monasteries that make their own particular brew. The Abbey of St. Sixtus of Westvleteren is famous for it’s very own Trappist beer. The term Trappist is protected by law and may only be used on brews made by Trappist monks. The Westvletern Trappist in only sold at the Abbey so if you really want one, you will have to make your own way there. However, it ’s not as simple as just hopping on a plane and arriving at the monastery with an empty bag and unquenchable thirst. Those monks make you go through an exact process to obtain this, the Holy Grail of alcohol.
To secure your crate, you must first go to their website to find out when it will be possible to reserve your drink. Upon announcement of a window of opportunity, you must phone their dedicated ‘Beer Phone Operator’ and provide them with the license plate number of the car you will be using make your collection. They also stipulate that no third party may collect your crate for you. You have to pick it up yourself. Orders are limited to one per person per month. The beer can then not be sold to a third party. If you try to go against any of these rules, you will be blacklisted. Are people who make this type of pilgrimage crazy? Yes. Is their passion and dedication to this cause to be celebrated? Most definitely! While I myself enjoy many a road trip and a good old challenge, I have to say I like a good beer to be slightly more accessible than a voyage to some far flung monastery. Luckily our friends at Brewers on The Bay Festival do not require such a process to get your hands on the many craft brews that will be available this May Bank Holiday weekend.
The Irish masters of craft brewing are coming together on May 5th - 7th in The Oslo Bar and Microbrewery in Salthill, Galway for Galway’s first Craft Brew Festival. You can enjoy special brews from all over Ireland and try Trappist beers and more from their extensive beer menu. This weekend promises to be full of fun and froth and the best part is, it’s free in! The only requirement the team at Brewers on the Bay is that you love beer. Not too much to ask methinks.
For more information follow ‘Brewers on the Bay’ on Facebook and Twitter.
