Here is the talk and tasting line-up for IMBC 16. To sign up for the below events state your interest on entry to that session. Pop-up tastings will also be happening throughout the festival at brewery bars – listen out for the megaphone!

Thursday 6th October 2016

TASTING: Six Degrees North
6.50pm / Pineapple Room / free
Tastings beers such as the beer that started it all, Hop Classic, alongside others that show the best of the Belgian Brewers of Scotland.

TALK: Wild Beer / DECONSTRUCTING A BLEND
7.30pm / Pineapple Room / free
King blenders and all round good guys Wild Beer take you on an adventure in to the skill of the blend. Expect to taste bourbon, red wine and a really acidic barrel then a few iterations of Modus Operandi accompanied by the wise wizard guidance of Wild Beer. You can deconstruct my blend any time.

TALK: Craft Beer UK: WTF just happened???
8.15pm / Pineapple Room / free
It’s five years since IMBC changed the game for UK beer festivals, we’ve pulled together a panel of industy bigwigs to discuss what exactly has happened in wirlwind of the the UK beer scene. Where we were, where we are and where we’re going next. The panel will include Matthew Curtis (Total Ales, Good Beer Hunting), Paul Jones (Cloudwater), Jenn Merrick (Beavertown), Claudia Asch (IMBC), Ian Garrett (Bieres Sans Frontieres CAMRA) and Sue Hayward (Waen).

TASTING: Lost and Grounded
9.30pm / Pineapple Room / free
The UK’s newest brewery reveal their range and Alex Troncoso chats about their story so far in building one of the UK’s most exciting new breweries.

Friday 7th October day session 2016

DEMO: In Truffle We Trust / TRUFFLE MAKING
12.30pm / Pineapple Room / free
Join In truffle We Trust for a 30 minute demonstration to see how a truffle is made using beer from Beavertown Brewery.

TASTING: Fourpure x Cloudwater collab beer release
1pm / Green Room Cellar / 1 token
When North meets South, amazing beer happens. Join the Head Brewers from Cloudwater and Fourpure for the unveiling of their collaboration beer; Optare, an 8.0% Double Belgian Black IPA. A good beer story isn’t complete without a plot twist and you won’t be disappointed. I guess you’ll have to turn up to find out what all the fuss is about…

TALK: Simply Hops / AN INTRODUCTION TO HOPS (in depth)
1.30pm / Pineapple Room / free
What’s new in the world of Hops? Alicia, Simply Hops’ resident hop doctor, gives you an overview of all that is new and exciting in the land of lupolin. New ideas and new varieties await.

TASTING: Even More Jeppe
2.30pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens
How much Jeppe? Plenty. This collaboration between Jester King and Evil Twin has taken AGES to make and has gone through many stages – the intention was to create a beer that echos the flavour of NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Packed full of Nelson Sauvin Hops and Elderflowers – this has turned out to be a tropical monster of a beer…

TALK: We Can, Rexam-Ball, Fourpure / YES, WE CAN
3pm / Green Room Cellar / free
Cans have revolutionised the UK craft beer industry and helped many people to realise how important it is to look after beer even after it has left the brewery. But what is next for the can? Just how much has the craft beer industry affected can production? Is sustainability in canning really as good as we have been lead to think? Join Fourpure Brewing Co., Rexam-Ball and We Can for the alternative talk on canning.

Friday 7th October evening session 2016

DEMO: In Truffle We Trust / TRUFFLE MAKING
6.15pm / Pineapple Room / free
Join In truffle We Trust for a 30 minute demonstration to see how a truffle is made using beer from Beavertown Brewery.

TALK: Left Handed Giant / I THOUGHT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN
7pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens
Bruce Gray and Jack Granger from Left Handed Giant Brewing Co are here to enlighten wannabe brewers on the lessons learnt from their first 18 months in the Gyspy brewing business. Financial risks, unforeseen setbacks and hop shortages are just the half of it! All of this while drinking one beer from each of the breweries that LHG work from.

TASTING: Redchurch
7.45pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens
Redchurch Brewery have made themselves a name for exciting farmhouse style beers and complex mixed fermentations, here’s a chance to find out a bit more about the beers and to taste a few from the reserves!

TASTING: Boundary Agada
8.20pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens
This Cuvée saw Boundary collab with friends Neill and Ross. They racked a Saison into some Louis Jadot Chardonnay Barrels on top of some spent Raspberries. They then blended with some Girardin Lambic. It tastes like the frikkin business!

TALK: Craft Beer Channel / 9 KINDS OF IPA
9pm / Pineapple Room / 4 tokens
WHAT ARE THE 9 TYPES OF IPA????? Shout it loudly at the Craft Beer Channel’s Jonny Garrett and he’ll probably tell you. Better than that though just attend this tasting of all 9 and wobble out, blinking, in to the sunlight having been thoroughly enlightened as to said ‘types’.

Saturday 8th October day session 2016

TALK: Simply Hops / An (in depth) Introduction to Hops / free
12.45pm / Pineapple Room / free
Hops are pretty darned amazing! Simply Hops wants to give you a quick introduction in to what they are, how they work and some of the incredible things they do to beer.

TALK: Matthew Curtis / LIVE BLOG REVIEW
2pm / Green Room / free
Ever wanted to start a beer blog or a learn a little more about beer writing and photography? Well now you CAN. Join award winning beer writer Matthew Curtis (Total Ales/Good Beer Hunting) as he constructs a beer review of the new Fourpure/Cloudwater Belgian IPA in front of a live audience. Audience participation will be encouraged.

TASTING: Northern Monk and Bundobust / ALL THE HEATHENS AND TOO MUCH SPICY
2pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens
Northern Monk bring the head cracking heathens to the table in a tasting of their super tasty Heathen range accompanied by a few tasty treats from Leeds, and soon to Manchester’s, finest craft beer and curry spot Bundobust.

TASTING: Siren Craft Brew / TOO MUCH CHOCOLATE CAKE!
2.45pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens
How much Chocolate Cake is too much Chocolate cake? U ready to find out? BIG beers made BIGGER by barrel ageing and then Eisbocking! Chocolate cake your face right off…

Saturday 8th October evening session 2016

TALK: Craft Beer Channel / 9 KINDS OF IPA
6.45pm / Pineapple Room / 4 tokens
WHAT ARE THE 9 TYPES OF IPA????? Shout it loudly at the Craft Beer Channel’s Jonny Garrett and he’ll probably tell you. Better than that though just attend this tasting of all 9 and wobble out, blinking, in to the sunlight having been thoroughly enlightened as to said ‘types’.

TALK: CLEARING THE MURK
8pm / Pineapple Room / free
Murk has been a big issue in 2016. Varying levels of clarity are regarded by some as a way of classifying beers but there’s a lot more that goes in to the production of great beer whether it be crystal clear or a glass of custard on instagram. Our crack team of brewing experts lift the lid on brewery processes, beer polishing and the dos and don’ts of clarity – does it really matter?

TASTING: Brew by Numbers: BRETTED, BARRELLED AND RARE
8.45pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens
Right out of the cellar at BBNo and in to your salivating drink hole – brett conditioned beers, barrel aged experiments and rare beers hosted by craft beer wunderkind Chris Hall.

TASTING: Partisan / CUVÉES
9.30pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens
Bermondsey legends Partizan have dug deep in to the cellars and pulled out an impressive range of cuvées. Saisons blended with sours a spot of Giradin, wood and TIIIIMMMMEEEE…

Sunday 9th October 2016

TALK: Simply Hops / An (in depth) Introduction to Hops
1.30pm / Pineapple Room / free
Hops are pretty darned amazing! Simply Hops wants to give you a quick introduction in to what they are, how they work and some of the incredible things they do to beer.

TALK: Wild Beer / DECONSTRUCTING A BLEND
2.30pm / Pineapple Room / free
King blenders and all round good guys Wild Beer take you on an adventure in to the skill of the blend. Expect to taste bourbon, red wine and a really acidic barrel then a few iterations of Modus Operandi accompanied by the wise wizard guidance of Wild Beer. You can deconstruct my blend any time.

TASTING: Burning Sky
3.15pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens
Burning Sky are ACTUALLY setting the world alight just a bit with their brilliantly considered, heavenly farmhouse style beers. They’re only really getting started on their project but there have been some stunning beers released so far, here’s a chance to crack a dusty one and find out more about this brilliant brewery…

TASTING: Torrside / UP IN SMOKE
4pm / Pineapple Room / 2 tokens 
A brewery with a list of smoked and unsmoked beers? We can buy in to that – enter the pungent world of Torrside brewery and taste a range of delightfully smoky beers whilst learning about the various different smoked malts and their effect on said delicious beers…