The Ipswich Beer Festival is a popular event, and the date is already circled on the calendar in homes across Ipswich and Suffolk.

For the second year running, the Ipswich Beer Festival will take place at Neptune Quay, overlooking the beautiful Ipswich Waterfront. The dates for this event coincide with the Ipswich Maritime Festival 2014, which is the final weekend of Celebrate Ipswich 2014.

The partnership of Greene King, Woodford, Wibblers, Colchester Brewery, Mauldons, Elgoods, The Dove Street Inn and a Belgian Beer Bar will have a selection of ales, beers and beverages for you to sample. Whether you are a fan of beer or are a novice, this is an event worth visiting. Visitors are promised some of the best brews available, including British and Belgian brews, and with the vast array of food available throughout the Maritime weekend at the Waterfront Market, as well at the restaurants on and around the waterfront.

Councillor Bryony Rudkin, Culture portfolio-holder for Ipswich Borough Council, which is organising both festivals, said: “Maritime is a fabulous festival and we try to ensure that visitors from all over Suffolk and further afield have a great time down by the water. And our new-look Beer & Beverage event is also designed to make sure things go with a swing. We are grateful to our partners for getting together to offer so many fabulous tipples. All we need now is some sunshine!”

So what is Real Ale, some of you may ask? Real ale is the name that was gievn by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in 1973 for beer that was described as “beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide“. This is rather technical for those people who prefer to enjoy the taste of Real Ale, and are less concerned about the specification. However, what this really means is that when a beer is unfiltered, unpasteurised and where the yeast is still active, it is a real ale. It is regardless of whether the container is a cask or a bottle.

Ady Smith, of the Dove Street Inn, said: “This year sees the return of the Maritime beer festival with a change. By bringing in local brewers and drink suppliers to showcase their products along side beers and ciders from around the world, it really gives us the chance to see the very best of the drinks industry from around East Anglia. This year, we want to make the event available and affordable to everyone attending the Maritime Festival so as well as beer and cider, there will be wine and soft drinks, coffee and more.”

Ipswich is a town which celebrates local produce, and that includes locally produced beers and real ale. In fact, Ipswich currently has 56 Real Ale pubs, as listed on the CAMRA website. Pubs include The Arboretum, The County of Suffolk, The Fat Cat and The Grinning Rat.

The Ipswich Beer Festival runs from Thursday 13th to Sunday 17th August, and is open each day between 12 noon to 10pm. Entry is £1 per person.

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Natalie Chaplin