IMBC 16 The Thirsty Games breweries

A few months back we made a call out to nano/cuckoo brewers (operating professionally on a sub 2bbl capacity) to submit their beers for a new initiative at IMBC 16, The Thirsty Games. The idea being to feature smaller breweries and represent their beers at IMBC alongside the modern greats in the brewing world. A good thing for the brewers and hopefully a good thing for you, the IMBC goer, in terms of sampling fresh beer from fresh breweries.

Of the entrants, of which there were many (and of a very good standard), we whittled down the breweries to a top three. The following three breweries will make up the first Thirsty Games at IMBC 16. We are asking the chosen Thirsty Games breweries to bring what they think are their best beers to IMBC.

At the festival you are encouraged to sample the Thirsty Games range and vote, via twitter or traditional ballot box, for your favourite brewery from The Thirsty Games bar. We’ll also be getting a little input from brewers at IMBC. The chosen one will be announced winner of The Thirsty Games 2016.

Here are your Thirsty Games breweries, find them pouring every session at IMBC on The Thirsty Games bar…

MAREGADE
Brewing out of Mare Street in the basement of The Old Cock, London.

maregadewww
WILDE CHILD BREWING CO
Leeds based micro brewery specialising in the production of big, bold and hard hitting bottled and kegged beers that make you think about what you drink.

wildechildwww
FIVECLOUD BREW CO
A small 1BBL cuckoo brewery based in Leek, Staffordshire but brewing out of Torrside Brewing. Fivecloud focus on brewing seasonal, forward thinking beers in keg and cask.

fivecloudwwwSee you at The Thirsty Games bar!

 

Posted on 1st September 2016

Aficionado at IMBC 16 / Sunday

We ain’t just beer at IMBC. Each year we look to provide some immaculate pairings to your immaculate tilting. This year we are delighted to welcome back Aficionado to steer the good ship Sunday 9th October with a delectable showcase. Here’s what they have lined up for you at IMBC 16. Hone in on the links to have a listen to what’s forthcoming…

Aficionado Recording’s Moonboots and Boardman once again host the legendary Sunday Session at IMBC this year and they follow up their previously memorable sessions with another specially curated line up.

 
James Holroyd requires no introduction for his long and distinguished career as a DJ, holding down a residency at Back to Basics for over 25 years and being the go to guy for support services for the esteemed Chemical Brothers.
 
He’s also been carefully honing his own production skills releasing a bevy of beautiful singles under his Begin moniker.
 
Popping his live cherry with a much loved Begin live performance at the Love International Sunrise Sessions in Tisno Croatia earlier this year we’ve managed to coerce him into a further performance exclusively for IMBC in support of his forthcoming album.     
 
Melbourne production wiz and friend of Nado Len Leise touches down in Manchester for his inaugural visit to the city, those familiar with his Landscape language single for Aficionado Recordings and his LP Lingua Franca for International Feel will enjoy a rare opportunity to get lost in his tribal ambience, joining him will be Disko Bizarro DJ partner Salvador. The pair are briefly in the EU to launch their new label-not-label General Purpose with fresh records due out on the imprint from each of them in the coming months.

Tickets for the Sunday 9th October 2016 (1pm-7pm) session are available HERE. 

Posted on 25th August 2016

IMBC 16 Volunteers

VOLUNTEER APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR IMBC 16

We are now looking for our amazing volunteer team to help deliver IMBC this year. There’s only one way to get free beer…..get involved!

From beer pourers to event support, a whole range of volunteer roles are available.

You’ll work in the friendly, dynamic environment of IMBC and be valued as a core part of our event.

In return for your time, you will get:

1x ticket to a session of your choice

15x beer tokens

1x IMBC t-shirt

1x free meal at your volunteer session

A ruddy good time!

We ask that you:

Volunteer for at least 1x session.

Bring a positive, friendly attitude and be willing to muck in and help.

Leave the drinking for your free session.

We are also really interested in volunteers who would like to volunteer for more than one session. You will get a free session for each session that you volunteer, and a fistful more beer tokens. Please let us know if this is of interest.

If you would like to apply, please download and read the volunteer-application-information then submit the Volunteer Application Form.

Before you apply, please make sure you will be available to attend a volunteer briefing on the evening of either Sunday 25th September or Monday 26th September. If this is an issue, please make a note on your application form.


 imbc16volsposterwww

 

 

Posted on 24th August 2016

IMBC 16 Sponsors Announced

Hear ye! Hear ye! Tickets are a-flying for this year’s Indy Man Beer Con. At record speeds no less! The Thursday and Sunday sessions are the only tickets still available. The most fabulous of bookend sessions – be there at the beginning, be there at the end. We’ve yet to announce the brewery list (asides our beautiful sponsors below) for IMBC 16 but the line-up will be significantly different on the Thursday and the Sunday. Snap up those remaining golden tickets HERE.

We are delighted to announce the room sponsors for this year’s festival. The following breweries will be the key holders and feature breweries of their respective spaces. The good news is that all of the following will be at IMBC for the duration, catch them at ALL of the sessions.

the Food Village / WILD BEER CO.

Commandeering our outside vista will be Somerset’s beacon of excellence, Wild Beer Co. Find them amidst the sights and (great) smells of our bustling Food Village. We recently blended a beer with Wild Beer for IMBC 16 and we can’t wait for you to try it. Always forward thinking, always wild.

wildbeerwww

Room One / BEAVERTOWN BREWERY

Well, it wouldn’t be a party without Beavertown would it? As highlighted by Beavertown’s emphatic takeover of Room Three at last year’s IMBC. They gripped it and indeed ripped it making the space their own. We can’t wait to see what London’s Beavertown will be bringing up to Manchester for you.

btownwww
Room Two / CLOUDWATER BREW CO.

Shaking up a storm from Manchester and reverberating far beyond, Cloudwater will be the feature brewery of Room Two at IMBC 16 and we couldn’t be more excited. Last year was their first appearance at IMBC and, unbelievably, their first year on the UK craft beer scene. If their debut was anything to go by then expect rarities galore and that infectious Cloudwater verve for freshness, seasonality, and above all – great beers.

cloudwasss

Room Three / NORTHERN MONK BREW CO.

Legends of the Leeds table, Northern Monk, will be the centrepiece of Room Three at this year’s festival. We can’t wait to see what Northern Monk come up with – it’ll take something to top their atmospheric and monk-tastic enclave of IMBC 15. Northern Monk know how to work a space, as highlighted by their excellent Refectory – a must visit when you find yourself Leeds-way. Here’s to the North!

nmbcowww

the Green Room / FOURPURE BREWING CO.

London’s absolutely capital Fourpure join us at IMBC for the very first time, taking control of the Green Room. Fourpure have been putting out some excellent beers of late and are making great shakes on the UK scene. Taste their sprawling range at IMBC 16 and lay back in the Fourpure curated confines of the Green Room.

fourpurewwwww
the Pineapple Room / SIREN CRAFT BREW

Huzzah! Delirious to announce that the fantabulous Siren Craft Brew, the blinding light of Berkshire, will be the guardians of the Pineapple Room at IMBC 16. Not only that but Siren will be close at hand for every IMBC goer as Siren are our glass sponsor for this year’s festival. We can’t wait for the Siren Craft Brew to start flowing…may it never stop.

sirenwww

the Turkish Baths / REDCHURCH BREWERY

Enamoured to enunciate that the wonderful Redchurch Brewery, they of London fame, will be the custodians of the Turkish Baths at IMBC 16. Be it their core range or experimental arm, Redchurch consistently delight. We can’t wait to see what they do with the place at IMBC this year. Roll out the Redchurch carpet!

redchurchwww
Thirsty yet? See you down the deep end…

Posted on 14th July 2016

IMBC 16 Ticket Launch

IMBC 2016 TICKET LAUNCH
Wednesday 15th June 2016 / 6pm – late / free entry
at Port Street Beer House and The Beagle
Manchester Beer Week

Join us for an Indy Man Beer Con 2016 ticket launch party as part of Manchester Beer Week. This will be your first chance to buy tickets for this year’s IMBC (Victoria Baths, 6th-9th October) and will be available on the night in advance of general release. General release tickets will happen at 9pm so get in a whole three hours early – a great chance to secure your place at the winner’s table for those savoured IMBC sessions.

The IMBC 16 Ticket Launch events will be happening simultaneously from 6pm at our very own pubs, Port Street Beer House and The Beagle.

PORT STREET BEER HOUSE is offering up free beer from Against The Grain (Kentucky, USA) and complimentary snacks from everyone’s favourite Indian street food supremos, Bundobust. Keep an eye and ear out for pop-up bottle tastings throughout the evening from Siren Craft Brew, Northern Monk, and Runaway. Manchester Beer Week favourites will also be in full effect across the bar, naturally.

THE BEAGLE will be plying you with free beer from Against The Grain and there’ll be pop-up tastings throughout the evening from Chorlton Brewing Co. Again, as it’s Manchester Beer Week, expect some MBW favourites firing across the taps.

Come along to either (or both!) and raise a glass to #IMBC16

—

Indy Man Beer Con / Thursday 6th – Sunday 9th October 2016 / Victoria Baths, Manchester M13 0FE
www.indymanbeercon.co.uk

Port Street Beer House / 39-41 Port Street, Manchester M1 2EQ

The Beagle / 456-458 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton M21 0BQ

—

Independent Manchester Beer Convention (Indy Man Beer Con/IMBC) is a world class showcase for the best breweries from the UK and beyond. Taking over the stunning surrounds of the Grade II listed, architectural gem Victoria Baths for its 5th year from Thursday 6th October to Sunday 9th October, IMBC brings together the most progressive, forward thinking breweries from across the UK, Europe and USA for a multisensory, headlong, hop- forward beer extravaganza. And then some!

IMBC 16 SKETCHES

Posted on 24th May 2016

The Thirsty Games

THE THIRSTY GAMES
Indy Man Beer Con 2016

The Thirsty Games is a new initiative at Indy Man Beer Con (6-9th October 2016) to showcase the best up and coming UK brewers working out of a small facility (Sub 2bbl capacity), or who are operating on a cuckoo brewery basis. The idea being to feature the top brewers of the future at IMBC and give them a leg up into the industry.

To enter please fill in the form below. Should your entry be successful we will be in touch and you will be asked to submit samples of your beers. Initial beer submissions must be received by Friday 15th July 2016. From the beers submitted, the IMBC team will pick their favourites and purchase 1-3 kegs from each qualifying brewer to pour on The Thirsty Games bar at the festival. The chosen ones will be announced on Monday 1st August 2016.

Throughout IMBC 16 attendees will be encouraged to sample The Thirsty Games beers and vote for their favourite via social media. Public vote along with IMBC judges will determine the winner of The Thirsty Games 2016.

If you would like to submit additional information or branding, please send to [email protected]

Good luck!

#thirstygames2016

thirstygameswwwfull


 

Posted on 19th May 2016

IMBC 16

The dates have been counted and verified and the verdict is in…We are coming back!

IMBC 16
6th-9th October 2016
Victoria Baths, Manchester

Details soon…

Posted on 20th January 2016