IMBC 19 Tickets on sale Tuesday 4th June 2019

INDY MAN BEER CON 2019
Tickets go on general sale Tuesday 4th June 2019 at 8pm
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We’re back with four-day celebration of beers from here, there and everywhere at Victoria Baths, Manchester, Thursday 3rd – Sunday 6th October 2019.

Pick up your tickets HERE.
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EARLY BIRD IMBC 19 TICKETS
For your exclusive chance to pick up LIMITED PRE-SALE TICKETS head to Port Street Beer House or The Beagle on Tuesday 4th June at 6pm to pick up EARLY BIRD TICKETS two hours before their general release at 8pm.

Both Port Street Beer House and The Beagle will be launching TWO IMBC 19 COLLABORATION BEERS with WYLAM as well hosting IMBC 19 brewery sponsors on their taps.

IMBC 19 artwork by Kate Prior.

#IMBC19

Independent Manchester Beer Convention 2019
3rd – 6th October 2019
Victoria Baths, Manchester
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IMBC 19 SESSION TIMES
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Thursday 3rd October: 17.30-22.30 | £10 + booking fee

Friday 4th October Day Session: 11.00-16.00 | £10 + booking fee

Friday 4th October Evening Session: 17.30-22.30 | £15 + booking fee

Saturday 5th October Day Session: 11.00-16.00 | £15 + booking fee

Saturday 5th October Evening Session: 17.30-22.30 | £15 + booking fee

Sunday 6th October: 13.00-18.00 | £10 + booking fee
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Tickets on general sale at 8pm Tuesday 4th June 2019 via indymanbeercon.co.uk/tickets

Posted on 21st May 2019

Wylam Q&A | IMBC 18

We recently caught up with Dave Stone of Wylam ahead of their steering the good ship Room 3 at IMBC 18 as official room sponsor. Wylam have been all guns blazing for quite the while and big players on the IMBC scene for years now. This year will see them toting more beers than ever at the festival and you will find Wylam pouring beers at ALL sessions in the pool in Room 3. Here’s what Dave has to say about it…

Ahoy Dave. We are excited to welcome Wylam to IMBC 18 as the sponsors of Room 3 AKA the party room. Can you let us in on any plans for the space?

Well we like to party… everybody does ;) So we are looking to make sure that the party room is well served with new brews and classics a bit like a liquid 6music I suppose.


Wylam are no strangers to beer festivals – either attending or putting on your own great spread in the shape of Craft Beer Calling. What makes a good beer festival?
A beer festival is made by the people who buy tickets and attend the festival. Without them it’s just a room full of foisty beer nerds comparing yeast strains. The reason we dived in to take over the pool this year is that we love the crowd at IMBC and we wanted to be able to pour as many great beers as possible for them.

The Palace of Arts! What a place! Can you tell us a little about the history of the building, how you came to inhabit it and what you guys offer there to visitors? 
The Palace was built in 1928 as part of the Great Exhibition of the North which was a World Trade fair designed to stimulate trade during the depression. It lay barren for many years prior to us taking it over and transforming it. We often wonder what the folk who attended the original exhibition would think if they saw how the building has been repurposed. It’s an incredible Grade II listed building in a beautiful park in the City Centre and we are honoured to be custodians of this amazing space.


By The River! We’ve heard rave reports but have yet to dip our beak. What’s going on over there? Sounds wild! 
By The River Brew Co is a project that has been developed by two of our Directors. It’s a separate entity to Wylam. It is indeed wild with a 15 barrel brewhouse, tap room, open flame restaurant, custom build bike shop which serves coffee and brunch plus an amazing street food market that opens at weekends. The idea is to brew beers mainly for site so we can ensure they are served fresh and in their best condition. You can find out more HERE.

Wylam have been producing some fantastic beers recently and have been at the forefront of the UK’s quality pale output. What beers are you particularly proud of from the past 12 months? 
To be honest there isn’t one particular beer or beers we would say we are prouder of than others. It took us a little time to dial the new kit however once we did we were super proud of all our output.

Collaborations – you have been very busy lately. Your Northern Powerhouse series went down a storm – are there plans for this to become a regular thing? What are some of the biggest positives of collaborating with peers?
The Northern Powerhouse series was a really exciting project to lead out on. It was such a pleasure to bring some of the finest brewers in the region to our home and collaborate with them in this celebration of all thing ‘northern’. Whether it will happen again is still to be decided. The biggest positives from collabs are knowledge sharing, breaking bread together and of course going on the lash after the brew.

Can you tease us with any special beers you’ve got up your sleeve for IMBC 18? 
We would love to… but we haven’t designed some of them yet :) There will be a good mix of exclusives, classics and collabs. along with some stuff we keep locked away in Ben our Head Brewers dungeon. If he asks you to go down there by the way just say no ;)

What’s next for Wylam?
What’s next is what is past and present. Continue to make beers the best we can and to get them out to inquisitive pallets. It’s the best time in history for beer… so let’s party.
Lastly, any advice to visitors to the festival on where to head in Manchester before/after their session? 

To be honest when we attend IMBC we tend to stay within the festival but there is an abundance of great beer bars in the city so free your mind and your ass will follow.

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Cheers Dave!

Follow Wylam online wherever you can. They have a website! They have a twitter! They have an instagram! Go visit Wylam in Newcastle and come drink their beer in October in Victoria Baths!

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IMBC 18 / 4th-7th October 2018. Victoria Baths, Manchester
Tickets for Thursday 4th, Friday 5th day session, and Sunday 7th October are available HERE. 

Posted on 14th September 2018

Cloudwater Q&A | IMBC 18

Cloudwater are back at IMBC for their fourth appearance since first exploding onto the scene in 2015. This year Cloudwater are the room sponsors of Room 1 at Victoria Baths and you will find them pouring them freshies at every session of IMBC 18. We spoke to Cloudwater about upcoming plans for IMBC 18 and more besides…


Your new brewery tap is now open at Unit 9, huzzah! What can visitors to the tap expect now and over IMBC weekend? How does the new tap differ to the barrel store experience?

In Unit 9 we wanted to create a more comfortable space for our customers as well as a more permanent space that we as a brewery can take pride in. The Barrel Store was a great stop gap, but with Unit 9, we have a better environment for people coming in to see what we are all about, as well as to showcase great beer we are inspired by. We had our first tap takeover from Bagby Beer, coming all the way from Oceanside, California, which included freshly air-freighted beers and an evening in conversation with Jeff Bagby, who is a phenomenal figure in the Southern California beer industry and an absolute don of the West Coast IPA. 

Plus, Unit 9 has a fantastic dispense system installed by Yvan of Jolly Good Beer, with beer direct from our 3ºC cold store, maintaining temperature until it leaves the tap.

We’ve been in discussion with Linzi, our awesome Unit 9 tap room manager, as well as our new events crew in creating some IndyMan fun in the lead-up to and alongside the festival. We are still finalising these details, but expect some guest beers from friends of ours on the taps, collab brew launches, and some one-off brews alongside some single barrel releases from our Barrel Store and the launch of our new Autumn/Winter range of beers, which will also be integral in our IndyMan offering. 

Cloudwater have been holding down Room 2 at Victoria Baths the past two years at IMBC. This year Cloudwater are the sponsor of Room 1 INSIDE a pool. What are you hoping to bring to the space?

We are excited to be dispensing our beers through a direct-draw cold store, which will be a first at the festival. It might be a bit geeky but dispense is so important for presenting your beer in the best possible way, and we are really hoping to take it to another level.

Also, two words: Crispy Corner. (Ed: Lager heads, take heed)

What are the latest developments at Cloudwater HQ?

Aside from the recent opening of Unit 9, we are currently getting the staff and opening sorted for our London tap room at 73 Enid Street in Bermondsey. We are looking forward to joining the wonderful community in beer there, as well as other things food and drink related. We are looking to open not long after IndyMan. Hope you all like pink!

Additionally, we’ve just recently brewed our 500th beer, which will be a hefty little number inspired by parkin. For those of you who aren’t aware of the glory that is parkin, think ginger, treacle and sticky tasty cake vibes.

How was it sitting in on this year’s Thirsty Games qualifying tasting? The 2018 Thirsty Games brewery line-up is one of the best yet but there was stiff competition!

There were quite a lot of interesting entries for the Thirsty Games this year. We hosted this in our Barrel Store, and the competition was pretty close, particularly with how many breweries there were. Claudia and Connor both sat on the panel and tried a lot of beer. It’s hard work for some.


Cloudwater are no strangers to beer festivals. What for you makes a good beer festival experience?

The best beer festivals we’ve been a part of have been those that have a welcoming atmosphere. As breweries going to places near and far, it’s great to feel welcomed by the festival hosts as well as the attendees. We recently had a wonderful experience in the town of Hammerfest in the very north of Norway–within the Arctic Circle! The bar, Jernteppet, and its owners and staff really looked after all the breweries attending and were exceptionally kind, and that put us all in a great mood that was passed onto the attendees, which sort of fed back to us. It was a welcoming festival in a welcoming town, and we couldn’t have asked for much more! IndyMan has been amazing in that respect in showing Northern hospitality to attendees coming from all over.

We are really privileged to be involved in so many events with such positivity. Events surrounding beer should be positive, and ones that everyone should be able to enjoy! We shouldn’t miss out on the experience of meeting and connecting with people at festivals just to tick a few beers off a list. Beer festivals such as IndyMan don’t just bring great beer all in one place, but they also bring in a fabulous community of brewers, enthusiasts, industry folks and people just curious about what this whole beer thing is about and what DIPA stands for.

Also, if you don’t know what DIPA stands for, please come to the Cloudwater room, where we will likely have one on draft!

Any favourite memories from IMBC 17?

Big fans of the Blawd Doughnuts, particularly paired with impy stouts. Recommended food and beer pairing action right there. We also can’t forget the masses gathering around the huge wheel of cheese in the Wild Beer Co. tent, chanting “CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE” then animalistacally grabbing fist-fulls, bare handed, eating it plain. Plus, the beer from our friends Forest & Main were sublime. It was great having them pour with us!

CHEERS!

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Tickets for IMBC 18 are available for Thursday 4th October and Sunday 7th October sessions HERE. 

Posted on 4th September 2018

Burning Sky Q&A | IMBC 18

This year at IMBC, Burning Sky sponsor Room 2 – the central space at Victoria Baths. This Burning Sky’s first year as room sponsor and this means you’ll find Burning Sky at the helm of Room 2 with a host of their beers pouring at each and every session. We spoke to head brewer Mark Tranter about their plans for IMBC 18 and Burning Sky goodness in general…
Hello Mark! We are very excited to have Burning Sky as the sponsor of Room 2 at IMBC 18. What are you looking forward to bringing to the space? And can you can give us any teasers on any special beers that you will be bringing? 
 
Obviously we are super excited to be sponsoring IMBC this year – it ties in nicely with our 5th Birthday celebrations. We will be bringing a snazzy bar with a nice café vibe for people to be able to relax in and around. We will be pouring some special beers, including our first coolship release, vertical tastings of Anniversaire, the only keg ever of a single barrel Blackberry aged Provision and the debut of a couple of brand new beers. Amongst other things…
 
You’re coming up to your 5th birthday (only 13 more years before you can drink your beer!) – congratulations. Time flies but also Burning Sky have put out so many great beers in that duration, it’s hard to think of a time that Burning Sky weren’t on the UK scene. You’ve got a birthday shindig at the Prince Albert in Brighton – what’s happening? 
 
I guess we started brewing just as the UK beer scene was really stepping up a notch – so in some ways it does seem like we’ve been around that bit longer than we have. For our Birthday, we are organising a small party/ beer festival at our favourite pub in Brighton, The Prince Albert. It’s a thank you to them and to everyone who has supported us over the years – so it’s a free event. Here there will be some extra bars in the pub, serving beer from some of the best UK brewers, friends and people that inspire us, the full details can be found here.

As you move into the second half of your first decade, what are your hopes and dreams for the future of Burning Sky?  
 
That’s a tough question! Time moves so fast – and nowhere faster than in this ‘craft’ beer world. I guess I just want us to continue down this path that we have started forging, being true to our ethos, whilst continuing to improve our beers through constant learning. Obviously, as we get older, our barrel library expands, which in turn allows us to release more things.
 
As you are so renowned for your saisons, blends and wilder ales, I think sometimes people forget that Burning Sky also produce some outstanding IPAs and pale ales. Do you ever feel that or are your pales (cask, keg, bottles) actually right up there in terms of actual real-life demand?
 
That’s kind of you to say! Obviously we are so proud that people like our saisons etc – we certainly do! I think that people who know about our pales and IPAs, love them for the same reason that we do they are full flavoured in terms of being hop forward but also balanced and really drinkable. We love pales that leave you wanting another, rather than them being a chore to get through. Are they up there? Well we never have any stock, so I guess they are!
Are there any particular styles you are focusing on expressing in the future? What’s left for Burning Sky! Tell us about your coolship…
 
We will continue in our way – I feel like there is so much variation and nuances in the beers we do, so it will be more exploration of these with our ‘house style’. With the coolship, we are releasing our first beer from this on the 5th anniversary of our first ever brew, 29th September. There will be a small National launch on that day with the beer pouring in Manchester for the first time at IMBC (bottles will be available at the Beer Merchants shop there too).
So now we are happy with the results we are seeing, we can step it up a gear in terms of production. This will be made easier insofar as we will be taking on another building next year, to house all our barrels. Big enough for us to really grow into.


Burning Sky resides in Firle – midway between Brighton and Eastbourne – how is the brewing scene down there? Any peers blazing a trail that we should watch out for? 
 
Historically, there hasn’t been much action in terms of modern style breweries but that is changing slowly with the likes of Gun Brewery (who have been going a couple of years now), some others are starting up, like ‘Good Things Brewing’, ‘Lost Pier’, ‘Lost and Found’ etc. Then obviously we have Harveys, who we all love and are finding new favour with modern beer aficionados.
 
What makes a good beer festival? 
 
Good people – obviously! Good beer – obviously! Organisation – I think it’s easy for people from the outside looking in to underestimate how much goes into these things. A nice venue always adds to the attraction – gone are the days of a municipal hall!
 
Any favourite memories from IMBC 17 / Burning Sky’s fringe takeover at Port Street Beer House? Unfortunately we couldn’t duck out of Victoria Baths to check that out but heard it was top notch! 
 
We were really pleased with the beers we managed to rustle up for that! I think my favourite moment was getting the Barrel aged, bretted IPA that we brewed with Harveys on the bar – it tasted amazing and was a perfect marriage of old and new!

Thanks Mark!

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IMBC 18 
4th – 7th October 2018
Tickets for Thursday and Sunday sessions remain. Buy yours HERE.

Posted on 31st August 2018

Beer Merchants Q&A | IMBC 18

Beer Merchants are back at IMBC once more this year – as joint sponsors of our Food Village tent with Lervig, and as glass sponsor alongside Magic Rock. We spoke to Luke at Beer Merchants about what you can expect from their extensive treasure trove at IMBC 18…


Beer Merchants are taking over one of our Food Village tents alongside your good friends Lervig. Can you tell us a little about what you’ll be bringing to the space?
 
We will be bringing an all-star line-up of bottles, cans & merch to takeaway. From the best of the UK, fresh American imports, new releases from Europe and of course, a good Belgian selection. Expect fresh IPAs, lots of lambic and a healthy dose of imperial stouts for good measure. Since we’re sharing the space with Lervig we’ll have a bit of focus on their specials too but keep an eye out for their Crowler filler to take home whatever tasty draught beer they have on.


Unit 101 in Manchester and the Beer Merchants Tap in London are fast becoming must-attend venues for fans of great beer. What can visitors expect at either location when they step inside Beer Merchants’ inner sanctum? 

 
Much the same as our online experience, we pride ourselves on bringing the very best beer from all over the world, in a welcoming and relaxed environment. A 300 strong beer list could be kind of daunting, but we have a great team on hand to make sure people find the perfect beer for them and enjoy their visit. We have moved our trade warehouse from Northwestern Street in Manchester so 101 will unfortunately be closing soon but plans are afoot to replace it with a much better space.


With Beer Merchants at IMBC the takeout options for attendees are always incendiary – what do you have up your sleeves this year? Any rarities you can talk about? Lower strength beers might also be a good shout – what low ABV numbers are you excited about at the moment?
 
IMBC is very fortunate as it kicks off just after our 2nd Cantillon shipment of the year comes in, so there will always be a great selection of lambic in attendance. We also work closely with loads of what we consider the best breweries around the world, so expect fresh Lervig, Garage, Collective Arts & more on the import side. A little closer to home we will also have all the latest releases from Magic Rock, Northern Monk, Cloudwater, Lost & Grounded etc so something for every palate.
 
Session beers are a hugely important part of the drinking culture in the UK and something we always keep in good stocks. We are all really enjoying House Party from our friends Lervig at the moment – a 4% juicy pale ale hopped with Citra & Bru-1. This has also been the summer of Keller Pils at Beer Merchants HQ. Lost & Grounded have been smashing it through the heatwave and a sub 5% unfiltered lager is the perfect choice.


You guys are aways involved in great events with the quality of the breweries you support. Do Beer Merchants have any forthcoming events around IMBC that drinkers can look forward to?

 
We will be running IMBC related tap takeovers during the festival at Unit 101 and the week after will be the Unit 101 closing party. Keep an eye out for that one as we want it to go out with a bang!

What makes a good beer festival for you guys? You’re no stranger to starring on some outstanding festivals. 

 
For us, a good festival is a combination of many things: A great venue, an awesome beer list, good friends & a great vibe (all things IMBC have in droves). Victoria Baths always has such a great atmosphere through the weekend with a real buzz from both the customers and the brewers alike about a particular beer or brewery. Its always fun to have such an open & inclusive environment at a festival.


Beer Merchants are the IMBC 18 glass sponsors alongside Magic Rock. You’ll essentially be in the hands of everybody inside Victoria Baths…what beer should they start on? 
 
Thats a tricky question as there are so many incredible breweries to choose from, but our friends Magic Rock are always going to be a good starting point. Burning Sky will undoubtedly bring a host of impeccable Saisons not to be missed and who can finish a night off without an Imperial Stout from Lervig (certainly not us)? 

 

Any favourite memories from IMBC 17? 
 
IMBC 17 was great fun but one of the standouts was The Thirsty Games. Its great to see smaller breweries get a showcase like this. Everything we had from Burning Soul was great, Affinity are good friends on the London scene & bonus points for showcasing Little Earth Project. Not only are they a seriously exciting brewery, but they are from my (Luke’s) hometown!

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Cheers Luke! Follow Beer Merchants on instagram and twitter to keep up with their developments.

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IMBC 18
4th – 7th October 2018 | Victoria Baths, Manchester
Tickets available for Thursday and Sunday sessions HERE. 

Posted on 30th August 2018

Lervig Q&A | IMBC 18

Norwegian powerhouses Lervig host their very own space at IMBC for the second year running, alongside brothers in arms Beer Merchants. Lervig will be co-sponsoring one of our Food Village tents and bringing the motherload to IMBC 18. We caught up with Liam from Lervig to see what they’re bringing to the party and to find out what else is happening Lervig way…

Hello Liam! This is Lervig’s second year as room sponsor at IMBC. Last year you were hosting the Turkish Baths, this year you’re sharing a big outdoor tent with your pals Beer Merchants. How was your experience at IMBC last year?

We had a ball last year. Indy Man is one of our favorite festivals and one we always want to “represent” at. We had a beautifully tiled room last year, but it was a little sweaty to be honest so when we got the chance to be in a spacious airy tent we jumped at it, and we have such a great relationship with the guys from Beer Merchants it was a no brainer that we should team up.


Can you tell us a little about what you’ll be bringing to your new outdoor space for IMBC 18? We hear exciting plans are afoot!

Well… We don’t want to give too much away. Certainly not in terms of the design in the room, that’s something our designer Nanna Guldbæk is hard at work on right now. It’ll certainly have a party vibe … Maybe even a House Party vibe. We’re bringing our own DJ this year, he’s a Mancunian living in Stavanger, so we thought it would be a great way to merge our two worlds :) Also, we’ll have some Barrel Aged special releases through out the festival. Keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram for info on those during the weekend.

Three Bean. It’s a modern classic. Do you think you’ll ever bring out a Four Bean? One Bean could be a single origin session strength stout too. You can have these ideas for free.

Ha ha. We’ve talked a lot about a Four Bean… Just haven’t found the right bean to enhance the already complex flavours thou (any suggestions?). One Bean might work, but let’s keep that on the back burner for now.
Lervig have a deservedly outstanding reputation for dark beers (the aforementioned Three Bean, Konrad’s Stout, Toasted Maple Stout, Big Ass Money Stout etc etc). Your sours and hazy IPAs are pretty great too. Are there any upcoming beers, or styles, that you are especially passionate about?

Well, we’ve been working on some lower ABV things recently as that’s what we’ve been digging over the summer. We released House Party in the UK market (4% Session Ale) and that’s been going really well so we’re keen to experiment a little around that end of the table. But then we’re also coming out with a 10.5% DDH TIPA in the coming weeks (Medicine) so we’re all over the board. We just love it all I guess!


Nanna’s artwork – the rebranding of core range stuff, the new can designs – is really great. The vinyl wall illustrations you had at IMBC last year really made the space your own. Are you cooking up any spicy visuals for the new space this year?

Yes – we are hoping to give people an even bigger experience this year – with lots of characters, colours and focus on textures – all revolving around our beers. Wiggly, wild and wonderful is what we are going for.


How is the beer scene in Stavanger? As regular travellers to the UK how do you find the beer landscape over here? Are there many similarities or stark differences between the two?

The beer scene here is really great right now. There are a lot of breweries up here (like in the UK) really pushing boundaries and experimenting with really cool and innovative ideas, and the beer fans are among the best in the world. The downside however are the strict regulations and restrictions around buying beer. For us anything over 4.7% needs to go through the government owned and run monopoly which can be quite restrictive. We can usually release beer in the UK before it gets to market up here for example which is frustrating for us and our fans alike. Apart from that the scene is quite similar. The trends seem to be the same as the UK and UK breweries do well up here.

Can you give any exclusive leaks of any beers that you’re be bringing to IMBC 18?

Hmmm… We want to keep the Barrel Aged things under wraps for now, but we’ll have Medicine along with us. We’re even trying to blend a couple of beers to have an IMBC only beer. It’ll be a sessionable hazy smasher! Plus we’ll have a Crowler station set up for take away beers of your choice.

When IMBC goers are in Manchester, where should they go? (Besides Victoria Baths, naturally)

We really like the Patron in the Northern Quarter. They have a great tap lineup and great food. Also we’ve had a lot of fun at Port St Beer House in the past… Can’t go wrong there.

Thanks Liam. Anything else to add?

Just that we’re super pumped for the festival and hope to see you all in out tent :)

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IMBC 18 
4th – 7th October 2018
Tickets available for THURSDAY and SUNDAY sessions HERE. 

Posted on 28th August 2018

Magic Rock Q&A | IMBC 18

We are none more excited to welcome back Magic Rock to IMBC as the glass sponsor of this year’s festival alongside Beer Merchants. Find Magic Rock pouring at EVERY session of IMBC 18. We spoke to Marisa and Duncan from Magic Rock to see what’s happening…

Hello Marisa and Duncan! We are excited to have Magic Rock as the glass sponsors at IMBC 18 this year alongside Beer Merchants. Your designer Rich Norgate has collaborated on the glass artwork with the person behind our IMBC branding, Steve Hockett. Your glassware is always on point – how important is the right vessel?

Marisa: Well, thank you very much, our designer Rich Norgate does a great job. We are always really happy when we get good feedback from the beer community. Great glassware always improves the drinking experience

Duncan: The right vessel is important for the correct ‘mouth movement’, I’ve always believed beer tastes different with different mouth shapes, I’m all about the stout pout at the current moment.



Magic Rock are back at IMBC for all sessions this year after occupying our bar Common for the IMBC Fringe last year. What can punters expect from the return of Magic Rock at Victoria Baths this time around? Any exciting plans you can talk about?

Marisa: All I’ll say is that we missed it so much that you won’t be disappointed for what we have instore this year.

Duncan: Its been a bit like Glastonbury, we let the cattle have a rest last year, so the pastures are now greener and we have fuller bellies ready to be milked.

Magic Rock’s setup at IMBC 2014!

Sesh Fest! What a premise. A great time was had by all. Do you have plans to repeat the festival and what else is going on down at the Tap these days?

Marisa: We definitely plan on SeshFest making an appearance in 2019.

Ah, there is always something going down at the Tap. Particularly over the next few months, a lot of exciting things are happening; the Rainbow Project Launch in our taproom, gigs by local musicians and tap takeovers. Verdant just took over our taps and it was a great night! We also just had our annual Food and Drink Festival and it was a great time.

Duncan: we are planning to double the Sesh on one day now, so splitting it into two session, so we might re-brand as Double Sesh Fest? Maybe?

Given that you are lords of the Sesh Fest, do you have any advice to attendees on how to approach their chosen session at IMBC?

Marisa: Everyone has a different definition of what a ‘session’ is and how they approach it, so giving advice can be a little challenging. To us, a good session means something a little bit more than just drinking beer, it has a sense of community tied to it.

There was one comment I overheard at SeshFest that really stood out… “What makes a good session is the people around you.” As tasty as beer can be, nothing competes being in good company when out on the sesh.

Duncan: Shandy or Radlers, in pints.

Marisa in the house

Speaking of sessions, low ABV pales are all the rage these days and we are enjoying riding that wave! Your recent Micromachine collaboration with Northern Monk was a smash hit. Have you found that drinkers are turning to flavourful low ABV beers in favour of their higher strength DIPA brethren?

Marisa: Yeah, I think drinkers are turning to low ABV, flavourful beers although I still love a 8.5% DDH NEIPA.

Duncan: Yep I can’t drink any above 5% these days, gives me a ‘hops flush’.

We know you guys are no strangers to Manchester – any tips for festival goers over IMBC weekend?

Marisa: Get to Idle Hands before or during the sesh for a coffee and get to Siop Shop for the most wonderful breakfast sandwich you will have ever eaten. Oh wait, and Siop Shop does vegan donuts?! It’s a must. (Ed: backing this 100% and you might always find said duo at IMBC 18…)

Duncan: Oasis Café, Fab Café, This and That, Corn Exchange (bootleg tape basement) and the Arndale. (Ed: Follow This & That on Facebook and thank me later) 

Cheers! Any parting words?

Marisa: See you at Indyman 2018.

Duncan: Live well and work safe.

Duncan entering the house

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Follow Magic Rock everywhere on the internet and drink them dry at IMBC 18.

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IMBC 18 / 4th-7th October 2018. Victoria Baths, Manchester
Tickets for Thursday 4th, Friday 5th day session, and Sunday 7th October are available HERE. 

 

 

Posted on 15th August 2018

IMBC 18 Volunteers

Hark! Opportunities to volunteer at IMBC 18 are now open!

In exchange for your valuable time as a volunteer, you will be given…
1 x ticket to a session
15 x beer tokens
1 x free meal
1 x IMBC T-shirt
1 x good time!

Full details below – please read before applying as a volunteer!

Finally, PLEASE FILL IN THIS FORM BY CLICKING HERE to register your interest in volunteering at IMBC 18.

Photograph by Jody Hartley

IMPORTANT DATES

Deadline for volunteer applications: Monday 10th September, 12pm

Volunteer Briefings – You need to attend one of these sessions: Sunday 23rd September at 12pm or Monday 24th September at 6.30pm, both taking place at Port Street Beer House, Northern Quarter.

Day session and evening session volunteers required on:

Thursday 4th October  – Sunday 7th October 2018

Volunteers join us for at least x1 session on 1 of these days.

You will be able to indicate which sessions / times you are available on your Application Form. Please note, that there are a limited number of volunteer positions available at each session. We fill these on a first come, first served basis.

VOLUNTEER ROLES

Session Volunteers

All of our volunteers during the event join us as Session Volunteers, taking on various positions during each session. This includes pouring beer, welcoming attendees, providing information front of house, selling tokens and clearing the space.

If you have good beer knowledge and bar experience, please flag this up for the beer pouring position.

All volunteers need to be friendly, well-motivated and be able to remain calm in a fast paced, busy environment.

Set Up/Take Down

In addition to volunteering at the festival itself, we have x3 set up days (Tuesday 2nd – Thursday 4th October) and x1 take down day (Monday 8th October) which we require volunteers to assist at. The roles are incredibly varied on these days and we will need help with everything from setting up bars, putting beer in the right places, setting up furniture, and arranging glasses and tokens.  

We do not accept volunteers who will join us for only set-up and take-down, we ask that you also volunteer at the festival itself.

A FEW TERMS AND CONDITIONS

All IMBC volunteers are highly valued as part of the festival team and will receive a great experience and support.

We ask that all volunteer sign a simple Volunteer Agreement prior to the festival, which details what you can expect from us, and what we would like from you. This will be provided in the Briefing Session.

For now, a few things you need to know:

★ All volunteers must be 18 years or over on their first day of volunteering.

★ All volunteers must be available for at least 1 x briefing on Sunday 23rd or Monday 24th  September and for 1 x session at the event itself. Please let us know of any additional availability on your application form.

★ We trust our volunteers to fulfil their commitment. We ask that once all volunteers are committed to their role that they see it through. We rely on you! You’re important!

★ Drinking whilst on shift is not permitted (beyond tasting of the beers you are pouring, naturally). Any volunteer found to be drinking on shift will be asked to leave the event. You are more than welcome to drink as much as you like (responsibly) during your free session / when attending the event at other times.

★ Free sessions are allocated on a first come first served basis also and are limited at each session.

HOW TO APPLY

If you would like to apply to volunteer please complete the online Volunteer Application Form HERE.

The submission deadline is ​12pm on Monday 10th September ​​however we advise that you apply as early as you possibly can as places are limited.

Applications will be reviewed and places filled on a rolling basis before the deadline. We receive a high volume of applications, so please bob your application in quick sharp!

For any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us on [email protected]  

We welcome applications from all ages, abilities and sections of the community.

Posted on 7th August 2018