The hall is filling up now, the bustle of the post-work mob raising the volume significantly. The new kid drops a bunch of crackers from a plate, whilst the old hand serenely covers the room, dispensing his small glasses and making his mark. As soon as one group leaves, another swoops in to claim the table, their beer before them quicker than jackets are removed. The waft of pork knuckle and sauerkraut fills the air: but I am here for the kölsch, the wondrous pale gold served straight from the wooden barrels racked up by the door. He glides by my table on another round, one more tick added to my mat.

Cask - in Marquee

FESTIVAL BAR (CASK):

BRIGHTON BIER ‘Spaceman’ 3.3% CASK
Pale Ale. I always wanted you to be... Beginning with a light white grape vinousness, then becoming orange sherbet and lemon curd. Putting the bright into Brighton.

KENT ‘Born To Be Mild’ 3.4% CASK
Mild. With an herbaceous thread running throughout, the nose goes from honeyed figs and fresh fennel to new leather and dunking biscuits on the palate. Drink fast, try young.

FIVE POINTS ‘Dark Mild’ 3.4% CASK
Mild. The dose of oats in the malt bill translates to a beautifully creamy mouthfeel. Reminding us of an excellent latte, this sits perfectly on the bridge between new and old-style milds.

NEPTUNE ‘Selkie’ 3.9% CASK
Mild. A touch of fruit, a hint of nuttiness, a base of chocolate, even a smidgen of marshmallow – we're thinking rocky road here. Nothing fishy about this beer, it will seal your love for Neptune.

NEPTUNE ‘Forecast’ 3.9% CASK
Bitter. Posidedly on point. Pear skins give way to apricot jam, with that classic earthy base that will please even the most devoted of bitter drinkers.

IRON PIER ‘Mack’s Milk Stout’ 3.9% CASK Contains Lactose
Milk Stout. A lovely bold hit of dark chocolate leaps out of the glass immediately. Underneath lurks red berries to give a ganache-like richness to the final impression.

ASHOVER ‘Littlemoor Citra’ 4.1% CASK
Pale Ale. A blast of harvest time, think plump ripe fruit alongside rows of hay bales. There is extra depth from the Citra, with a soupçon of grapefruit and melon for a wonderfully sessionable beer.

BY THE HORNS x KANPAI ‘Momo’ 4.2% CASK
Pale Ale. Peaches come from a cask, we will put it in your glass. Definitely leaning towards the sweeter end of things (it’s Haribo, through and through), there is no mistaking the fruit added here.

GLASSHOUSE ‘Narcis’ 4.3% CASK
Pale Ale. Super soft and bursting with all those tropical fruits you want in a proper East Coast – lychee, guava, pineapple, papaya. An absolute treat that will disappear very quickly.

DURATION ‘G’Day’ 4.4% CASK
Pale Ale. The smell is resinous, dank, with a touch of eucalyptus coming through too. Rather sticky, with a sweet aftertaste that has a tang of fresh ginger and pineapple to it.

FYNE ALES ‘Suede’ 4.5% CASK
Mild. A surprisingly deep beer, with a smattering of whisky and red wine tannins emerging on the nose. The taste mellows into more traditional fayre, as chocolate and coffee come forward.

BRASS CASTLE ‘Saltwater Taffy’ 4.5% CASK Gluten-Free
Brown Ale. Somehow Brass Castle have done it again, taking something so leftfield and making a remarkably drinkable beer out of it. Still very much a brown at heart, the taffy is perfectly layered.

BUXTON ‘Featherbed’ 4.7% CASK
Pale Ale. A very green beer in many ways, with fresh-cut grass and nettles and hedgerow leaves amongst the more expected fruity esters. The first shoots of spring decanted.

REDWILLOW ‘Ruby Mild’ 4.8% CASK
Mild. A beer that seems to take its cue from the brewery name rather literally. Leading with cranberry, before a fierce woodiness emerges; the balance and evolution is superb.

TRIPLE FFF ‘Whole Of The Moon’ 5.0% CASK
Bitter. Another classic bitter, leaning into the apple and blackberry crumble homeliness. It hides the elevated ABV expertly, with nary a hint of warmth giving it away. Potentially dangerous.

THREE ACRE ‘Cloud Drifter’ 5.3% CASK
IPA. Zesty yet also a little floral, the balance of flavours means there is plenty there to dig through, whilst it remains a very easy sipper. Just a hint of bitterness merely adds to its refreshment.

Kegs in Marquee

FESTIVAL BAR (KEG):

SIREN ‘Superdelic Soundwave’ 5.6% KEG
IPA. A souped-up version of the Siren classic, with a fancy new hop blend. The result is bigger, bolder, fruitier: like the freshest pint of Soundwave you have ever had.

ELUSIVE ‘One Trick Pony’ 6.0% KEG
IPA. Elusive are, rightly, lauded primarily for their West Coast IPAs, so they just had to brew one for their 8^th birthday. Citrus pithiness, piney bitterness, thirst-quenching drinkability... The works.

ELUSIVE x DOUBLE-BARRELLED ‘Two Trick Pony’ 6.0% KEG
IPA. And just to prove they can do more, the Pony has an East Coast sibling. A luxuriously soft mouthfeel with the ripe tropical fruits shows they can produce equally as good hazy beers.

TURNING POINT ‘Bockstreet Boys’ 6.8% KEG
Bock Lager. Texans doing dark German lager – and nailing it. Effervescent and crisp, the initial floral hit flows into fresh bread, before finishing up at caramel biscuit. Definitely not a loutish lager.

ALCHEMIK ‘No Half Stackin’’ 7.0% KEG
Sour. Of course we have to have some sort of bonkers sour on, so it's blueberry maple pancake this month. A rather indulgent breakfast, this is not shirking on any side of the fabled trio.

AZVEX ‘Void Eater’ 12.0% KEG
Imperial Stout. The nose is immediately so reminiscent of Ferrero Rocher, the decadence unmistakable as the chocolate and hazelnut intertwine. I stared into the void, and it was delicious.

Kegs In Bar

BURNT MILL ‘Roll With The Seasons’ 4.8% KEG
Pale Ale. A super fresh new Burnt Mill pale, because we can. Running the gamut of orange juiciness, cut through with a dank undertone, all over a really chewy malty backbone.

BEAK x VERDANT x TRACK ‘Biblio’ 5.6% KEG
Pale Ale. Three of the very best English breweries, all in one mighty beer. It does not disappoint on any level. All the fruits, all the flavour, all the joy.

DROP PROJECT x TAP SOCIAL ‘Gazin’ 5.8% KEG
IPA. One of those beers that has that perfectly rounded mouthfeel, allowing the dash of pineapple and its touch of fizzy sweets to shine brightly. As quaffable as they come.

ĀRPUS ‘TDH Cryo Simcoe x Galaxy IPA’ 6.5% KEG
IPA. Silkier than a David Gower cover drive, these incredible Latvians once again get everything out of their ingredients. The pillowy base combined with the dazzling top notes makes for a ludicrously extravagant IPA.

ALVINNE x RIVINGTON ‘Morpheus Sloe’ 5.0% KEG
Sour. Not the most obvious pairing, but my word they've crafted some magic here! The sloes give a new dimension to the legendary Morpheus: a biting tartness with a depth that lingers magnificently.

HUDSON VALLEY ‘Mirrorshield’ 7.0% KEG Contains Lactose
Sour IPA. Another outstanding concoction from these New York maestros. Adding camomile and lavender to a lychee sour is an inspired move, a blend that morphs in every sip, as mouth-watering as it is eye-opening. Pure genius.

FUERST WIACEK ‘Berliner Landbier’ 5.0% KEG
Lager. Rumour has it that the Germans know a thing or two about lager... Fuerst Wiacek make their solo debut here with a sublime helles lager, clean and crisp and oh so pleasing.

PÕHJALA ‘Enn Barrel’ 12.0% KEG
BA Imperial Stout. A rare keg from the Cellar Series, this is quite the trip. Inspired by Irish coffee, both the bean and the barrel sing so loudly, yet so harmoniously too. The complexity here is astounding, a symphony of flavours that slowly unfurl over time. Encore!

Cask - our normal wonderful range on the bar

MAIN BAR (CASK):

Seven

Ciders

Various

All available in thirds as well as pints and halves. Enjoy.