Moate set for annual craft beer festival this weekend

Breweries from Athlone, Ballymahon, and a distillery from Lanesborough are among those whose crafty concoctions will be on offer at the seventh Midlands Craft Beer Festival in Moate this weekend.

The annual event at Don's Bar is taking place this Saturday, August 28, from 3pm. This is the first time the festival has been held in person since 2019, as last year's gathering was a virtual event.

The craft beer scene in the Midlands has developed significantly in recent times and will be represented in Moate by Wide Street Brewing from Ballymahon, Athlone's Dead Centre Brewery and Ballyilcavan Brewery from Laois. They will be joined by breweries from the west (Galway Bay Brewery) and the east (Rye River from Kildare).

Lanesborough's Lough Ree Distillery will be there serving its gin and lemon-infused vodka, while Monaghan's Nitro Ground is making its debut appearance at the festival and will be offering nitro coffee and kombucha.

Darren Doyle of Studio 93 in Moate is organising live streaming of the festival which will be shown on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook from around 5pm on Saturday.

Some live music is planned from DJ Keith Marshall (6-7pm) and Bishops Love Sci Fi (7-9pm). "Due to the current Covid restrictions no one is allowed to dance, so, eh, leave the dancing shoes at home," stated organiser Simon Broderick, who lives in Moate and works for Galway Bay Brewery.

Simon said that there would be no entry fee on Saturday but people would be invited to make a voluntary donation to help offset the running costs.

"Capacity is limited in the beer garden so you would be advised to arrive early to get a seat," he added.