6 weird and wonderful brews for you to enjoy at Manchester Beer Week

Fancy a chocolate and salted caramel imperial stout served with vegan ice cream as a ridiculously indulgent beer float?

Or what about a langoustine and pineapple Gose – a sour and salty unfiltered wheat beer made with 50-60% malted wheat originating in Germany?

These are just two of the exclusive food-inspired beers which will be served at this year’s Manchester Beer Week, the city-wide festival taking place between June 23 and July 2 this year.

Six of Manchester’s finest independent food and drinks producers have teamed up with breweries to create a series of weird and wonderful brews for you to enjoy.

Each team has been charged with creating a drink designed to reflect the unique approach and flavours of the producer involved.

The initiative is designed to shine a light on the city’s burgeoning indie scene.

The six exciting concoctions will be launched at a food and drinks fair at Runaway Brewery – former site of the popular Grub Food Fair – on Sunday, June 25.

The chocolate and salted caramel imperial stout served with vegan ice cream has been created by Cloudwater Brew Co and Afflecks-based ice cream parlour Ginger’s Comfort Emporium.

The langoustine and pineapple Gose is produced by Marble Brewery and seafood trader Holy Crab.

Other beers you can enjoy at the festival include a New England-style IPA brewed with fresh citrus peel, a collaboration between Manchester Brewing Co. and Manchester Gin.

Runaway Brewery will attempt to recreate Pollen Bakery’s winning formula in a white oatmeal stout conditioned over whole coffee beans and cocoa nibs, inspired by Pollen’s oat porridge sourdough and super rich chocolate brownies, washed down by a fresh coffee.

Waste fruit and herbs will add a unique twist to two IPAs – one with grapefruit and one with apricot and basil – created by Beer Nouveau and The Real Junk Food Project, the social enterprise behind Manchester’s first waste food restaurant.

The final collaboration is a one off, dry-hopped cider made by community-sourced cider producers Moss Cider with Chorlton Brewing Co.

“This is one of the most exciting things to emerge from this year’s Manchester Beer Week because it’s really encouraging to see a variety of the city’s independent producers are so willing to work together to create something special for the people of this city,” said Manchester Beer Week organiser, Connor Murphy.

“This idea grew from a chat with Mark Welsby, the brewer at Runaway, who suggested it would be interesting to break the usual mould of brewers collaborating with other brewers. Since then, it has taken a life of its own and has really helped to strengthen the sense of community and co-operation around the city’s independent beer and food scene.”

All the creations will be available at the bar at Runaway on June 25 between 12pm and 6pm. Food traders will be on site serving up tasty treats throughout the day.

www.mcrbeerweek.co.uk