Brighton Tap Takeover beer festival returns for third year

01-May-2018 - Last updated on 01-May-2018 at 15:15 GMT

Festival hub: North Laine Brew House featured beers from all of the breweries involved in the event

Tap Takeover, the beer festival organised by Laine Pub Company and distributors the Beer Collective, returned to Brighton for the third year this weekend (27-29 April).

The festival saw breweries from across the UK take over 15 Laine venues across the city and, this year, focused on the theme of collaborations, with many of the attendees bringing beers created in tandem with other brewers.

Among the breweries involved in this year’s festival were Leeds’ North Brewing Co – which showcased a new fruited gose brewed in collaboration with Cornwall’s Verdant Brewing Co, and Brighton’s Lost+Found A.BL, which brought a double IPA brewed with Two Tribes from London.

Each of the 14 breweries invited to take part by Laine Pub Co took over a venue in the city for the weekend, showcasing its beers and giving punters the chance to meet the brewers. Attendees could purchase wristbands to the festival, which could be used in all of the participating venues, with a £1 discount per pint being offered.

The festival hub, North Laine Brew House, featured beers from all of the breweries involved in the event, as well as from Laine Brew Co, and a mobile canning station where drinkers could fill up a 330ml can of their favourite brew to take away.

Talks, DJs and live music

In addition, there were a series of talks across the weekend from industry figures and brewers, and live music, DJ sets and other forms of entertainment.

“The Brighton Tap Takeover is a unique and wonderful event in the annual calendar,” said Stu McKinlay, founder of New Zealand brewery Yeastie Boys. “It's a chance for beer lovers from Brighton, and further afield in Sussex, to feel like their city is the centre of the UK beer universe for one weekend.”

“But, even more than that, it's a great reason for beer drinkers across UK to get into Brighton for a selection of the nation's best beers while still enjoying the chance to discover the city.

“At most beer festivals you're stuck in one large building, often on the edge of town, and you don't get a chance to really be a part of the city you're visiting. The Brighton Tap Takeover allows you a chance to see the city in all its weird and wonderful little ways.”

Record-breaking weekend

Laine Brew Co director Jack Hibberd added: “It was a record breaking weekend all round. We had a record number of pubs taking part, a record number of wristbands sold and a record number of breweries involved.

“There was such a good vibe around town with people just wandering from pub to pub, and I think everyone had a really good time.”

On the subject of what the future holds for the festival, Hibberd said: “I think we're probably at the maximum number of pubs we can do now. The strength of the festival is that it is in such a small geographical area. We may expand the talks and educational part of the festival, but I think the key for us is to keep getting such brilliant breweries come down and keep spreading the word.”