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28th August 2012

For the love of hops – HopFest Sept 28 – 30th

Sussex brewery Dark Star will be hosting the very first ‘Hopfest’ in September – a three-day festival to celebrate hops and brewing

From 28th-30th September beer tastings, music and a hop exhibition will be on offer at the Partridge Green brewery, not to mention the ‘Home & Away Tour’ where ticket holders can take a journey to go behind the scenes of three major Sussex and Surrey breweries.

The celebrations will start on the Friday evening where the three local Dark Star pubs – The Partridge in Partridge Green, The Evening Star in Brighton and The Duke of Wellington in Shoreham – will tap the season’s first barrels of Dark Star Green Hop Ale.

Tours and free tastings will run over the three days at the Dark Star Brewery in Partridge Green from Friday to Sunday where head brewer Mark Tranter will talk through each beer and give a unique insight into future planned brews. The ‘Home & Away Brewery Tour’ will then see visitors board Dark Star’s very own bus and journey down to fellow breweries Hepworth or Horsham and Surrey Hills in Dorking before returning to Partridge Green.

There’ll be a ‘hop exhibition’ run by hop experts Charles Faram situated at the brewery throughout the weekend where people can learn all about hops, their history and place in traditional and modern brewing.

Commenting, James Cuthbertson from Dark Star said: “We’re all really looking forward to the Hopfest weekend, it’s a great opportunity for us to celebrate our relationship with hops. It’s also a chance for us to open the doors and let people see what happens in the brewery, with experts, well our brewers, on hand to explain the brewing process and talk people through the beers. Between the brewery and our Brewery Tap, The Partridge, they’ll be lots to see, do and of course taste – it should be a fantastic weekend”.

For the cyclists…

A ‘Pub2Brewery’ ride-out will also take place on both Saturday and Sunday, where groups of thirsty ale enthusiasts will cycle in their groups from either the Duke of Wellington in Shoreham or the Evening Star in Brighton, down to the brewery in Partridge Green, before collecting their free t-shirts and a well earned pint!

 

Hidden Treasure…

 

Locals to Partridge Green can take part in the Treasure Hunt from the Partridge Pub on the Sunday morning, and foodies can enter the ‘Cooking With Beer’ competition later in the afternoon, with the victor winning their weight in beer.

 

 

For more information and event schedule please visit www.darkstarbrewing.co.uk/hopfest or follow on Facebook and Twitter: @darkstarhopfest.

 

The festival will be free for all to enjoy however please note tickets for the Home & Away Brewery Tour are charged at £10 each and must be booked in advance.

 

www.darkstarbrewing.co.uk/hopfest

 

-ENDS-

 

Note: An image accompanies this release.

 

FOR PRESS ENQUIRIES

 

James Cuthbertson

instinctivepr

 

“Instinct is the gift of experience”

 

07841 742678

01403 712552

james@instinctivepr.co.uk

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