In the run-up to the weekend, a new tour will be walking ale lovers - quite literally - through the beer-making traditions of some of the city's favourite breweries.
Martin Ellis, a man who knows his beer and also happens to be a member of the local branch of The Campaign for Real Ale, is leading new tours which will take in visits to breweries in the Ouseburn area of Newcastle. And - aimed at fellow enthusiasts - the upcoming event on Friday promises to be as informative as it will be enjoyable.
It's a walking tour, and part of an occasional series, which is inviting those who sign up to pay what they like to take part. And it no doubt will be popular as Martin is well-placed to showcase the local beer scene, having first started drinking in the Ouseburn back in the 1980s and seen huge changes and developments there over the years.
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Back then he says it would have beyond every beer drinker's imagination to have so many breweries, producing a diverse range of beer styles, in the Ouseburn but the area has since developed into a hub for microbreweries, with a cluster of small independents now contained within a compact area. It has also grown a countrywide reputation amongst so-called beer tourists and recently featured in a national CAMRA podcast.
Martin first led a walking tour around Ouseburn’s breweries in 2018 after hearing about Free Tours by Foot, a global organisation which promotes walking tours led by locals. A friend had booked such a tour in London, with a 'pay what you like' policy in place at the end of it - and the idea stuck.
Keen to showcase local attractions, he will taking people on visits to Brinkburn Street, Full Circle, Northern Alchemy, Out There and Tyne Bank breweries and a key part of the tour will be short presentations at each venue so that people can learn about the independent business and their beer. Martin said: "People always comment at the end of each tour how every brewery has its individual character and personality."
While the event is aimed at people with an interest in beer, he expects it to appeal to both those who have wide experience of breweries and others visiting for the first time. And the experience can prove a two-way thing.
He recalled: "When a couple from Portland, Oregon, came on a tour, every brewery took the opportunity to discover more about Portland craft brewing scene. The tours aim to be interactive, with wide-ranging discussion about beer."
The June 17 tour will take place in the afternoon and will be followed next month by a tour on July 15. Places need to be pre-booked: see here.
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