Weymouth Octoberfest

Tickets are selling fast and it looks to be another West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) sell-out event. The Original Weymouth Octoberfest returns to Weymouth Pavilion Ocean Room over the weekend of Friday October 4^th and Saturday October 5^th split into 4 sessions.

The festival was originally in Brewery Square in a marquee before being moved into the old Devenish brewery premises. In 2011 the festival re-located to Weymouth Pavilion where it remains as Weymouth’s premier cask ale and cider festival.

The event makes a superb Saturday night out with musical entertainment this year from Patrick Clark who plays covers of sing-along boogie-woogie classics on his piano from the likes of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee and The Beatles to name but a few. 

Weymouth Pavilion will be providing hot food to accompany the vast selection of beers and ciders on offer.

The theme for the beer and cider list this year is beer from King Alfred’s 871 A.D, Wessex region. Customers can expect a selection of over 70 ales and ciders from Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The guest brewer this year will be Copper Street Brewery who will have a selection of their own brews on their bar which will also feature a “Mild” brewed by members of the Octoberfest committee on August 1^st. Customers will be able to chat to brewery owners Alistair and Tina Burrell over the weekend.

Bar manager and beer procurement is down to Rich Gabe, he said “The committee are really looking forward to giving the opportunity for lovers of beer and cider to sample the range on offer from Dorset and the surrounding counties, it’s amazing on the quality of breweries within the Wessex region”.

Dorset high-lights to look out for will be Palmers of Bridport’s 230^th Anniversary Ale, Small Paul’s , Rich’s X75 a strong Barley Wine last brewed in2012 exclusively for this festival. From Devon’s Country Life brewery, Country Bumpkin and the Beer Engine brew pub, Old Iron Horse. Hampshire offers a one off “Pillows” from the Winchester Queen Inn brew pub and a Thai inspired Thai-Ranno Citrus Pale ale from Portsmouth’s Staggeringly Good brewery alongside beers from Goddard’s and Yates of the Isle of Wight. Wiltshire will offer beer from Dark Revolution, Three Daggers and Hop Kettle breweries with “Keep on Spinnin’ gluten free hazy pale ale. A very rare beer to see at a beer festival in our area will be a brew from Ralph’s Ruin brewery in Bath, Somerset “A walk on the Mild side.

The West Dorset Cider Rep Alex Bardswell has selected the cider range she states” Ciders, and Perry, being showcased at Octoberfest are all made direct from the apples, and pears,  off the trees, none from concentrate, which is used by most large cider makers.  Our Wessex region cider makers also use fresh juice, flowers, fruit, roots (ginger) , and spicy veg (chillies!) as flavourings, to get distinctive taste without  adding large amounts of sugar. “Customers can expect to sample Dorset Nectar Elderflower, Noddy’s Dorset Ginger, Twisted Stormy Lemonade all three from Dorset producers that have proven very popular in the past. Mr Whitehead Toffee Apple Sweet from Hampshire alongside Taste of the West Gold award winner Harry’s Somerset Scrummage.

To avoid disappointment and missing out on a superb selection of cask ale and cider please visit the following online sites:
camrawdorset.org.uk/shop/tickets/Weymouth-octoberfest-tickets/ Price £12
Weymouthpavilion.com/shows/Weymouth-octoberfest/ Price £14.50 (includes Booking fee)

Customers will receive a souvenir glass, programme listing beers and ciders with tasting notes and a free pint.