Harrogate Beer Week starts today and here's everything you need to know about what's on

Proof of Harrogate’s transformation into a bastion of quality beer in a world once the preserve of the famous ‘bearded hipster’ comes in the launch today of the first-ever Harrogate Beer Week.
Cold Bath Brewing Co owners Jim Mossman, Mick Wren and Roger Moxham at Cold Bath Brewery Co bar in Harorgate.  (Credit: Cold Bath Brewing Co. Instagram)Cold Bath Brewing Co owners Jim Mossman, Mick Wren and Roger Moxham at Cold Bath Brewery Co bar in Harorgate.  (Credit: Cold Bath Brewing Co. Instagram)
Cold Bath Brewing Co owners Jim Mossman, Mick Wren and Roger Moxham at Cold Bath Brewery Co bar in Harorgate. (Credit: Cold Bath Brewing Co. Instagram)

Backed with financial support from Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID), the new event organised by Rachel Auty will offer 40 events in the town’s independent bars and craft breweries from today, Monday, September 20 to Sunday, September 26.

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Among the highlights of the talks and the tastings, the takeovers and the tours, the locally-brewed beer and the expert food and beer pairings are:

Harrogate Beer Week highlight: Tuesday, September 21, 7pm: A Conversation on Harrogate Beer with award0winning writer Melissa Cole at Cold Bath Clubhouse.Harrogate Beer Week highlight: Tuesday, September 21, 7pm: A Conversation on Harrogate Beer with award0winning writer Melissa Cole at Cold Bath Clubhouse.
Harrogate Beer Week highlight: Tuesday, September 21, 7pm: A Conversation on Harrogate Beer with award0winning writer Melissa Cole at Cold Bath Clubhouse.

Monday, September 20, 6pm: Launch Event with Jules Gray - founder of Sheffield Beer Week - at Cold Bath Clubhouse, Kings Road, Harrogate.

Monday, September 20, 7pm: Home Brewers Social at Major Tom's Social, The Ginnel, Harrogate.

Tuesday, September 21, 7pm: A Conversation on Harrogate Beer with award-winning writer Melissa Cole at Cold Bath Clubhouse, Kings Road, Harrogate.

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Tuesday, September 21, 5pm: Turning Point Cask Takeover and Meet The Brewer at Major Tom’s, The Ginnel, Harrogate.

Wednesday, September 22, 7pm: Modern British Beer - A Beer Tasting and Reading with beer author Matthew Curtis at Roosters Taproom, Hornbeam Park, Harrogate.

Wednesday, September 22, 8pm: Live music with The Paper Waits at the Little Ale House, Cheltenham Crescent.

Thursday, September 23, 7pm: Award-winning beer writer Pete Brown Presents ‘Craft: An Argument’ at Cold Bath Clubhouse, Kings Road, Harrogate.

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Thursday, September 23, 5pm: Overtone Tap Takeover at Blind Jack’s in Knaresborough.

Thursday, September 23, 5pm: Mikkeller Tap Takeover + Beer Pong at Major Tom's Social, The Ginnel.

Thursday, September 23, 7pm: Craft Beer Club with beers from Tartarus Beers and more at The Disappearing Chin, Beulah Street, Harrogate.

Friday, September 24, 7pm: Aperi-Beer - Guided Tasting of Local Beer Paired with Deli Food with Paul Fogarty, The Aperitif Guy, at Cold Bath Deli, Cold Bath Road.

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Friday, September 24, 8pm: Get Down night of funk, soul, reggae and dancing at Major Tom's Social, The Ginnel, Harrogate.

Saturday and Sunday, September 25-26, 2pm and 6pm: Harrogate Beer Tours.

Saturday, September 25, 1pm-7pm: Treasure Beer Hunt starting at HUSK Beer Emporium, Kings Road.

Saturday, September 25, 3pm: Discovering Harrogate Beer with Beer Sommelier Annabel Smith at Cold Bath Clubhouse, Kings Road, Harrogate.

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Sunday, September 26, 5pm: Live music at The Disappearing Chin, Beulah Street.

Harrogate Beer Week: All week events and special deals

Monday, September 20 to Sunday, September 26: Yorkshire Tap Takeover, The Harrogate Tap, Harrogate rail station.

Monday, September 20 to Sunday, September 26: Local Beer Cask Takeover, The Little Ale House, Cheltenham Crescent, Harrogate.

Friday and Saturday, September 24-25, 2pm: Brewery Tour at Turning Point Brew Co, Grimbald Park, Wetherby Rd, Knaresborough.

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Monday, September 20 to Sunday, September 26: Pizza and pint deal at Starling Independent Bar Cafe Kitchen, Oxford Street, Harrogate.

Harrogate Beer Week: full programme and all tickets are available at www.harrogatebeerweek.co.uk/programme

HARROGATE BEER WEEK HEADLINER EVENTS

A special guest series.

The Cold Bath Clubhouse events are brought to Harrogate Beer Week in partnership with Cold Bath Brewery, who are an event sponsor.

Monday 20th September, 6pm

Launch Event

Cold Bath Clubhouse

Join us at a gathering of local beer people as we take a look at what’s in store for the inaugural Harrogate Beer Week and officially thank our sponsors and partners.

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We will also hear from special guest Jules Gray, who founded Sheffield Beer Week in 2015. Jules also spearheaded Indie Beer Feast - Sheffield's craft beer festival - and Indie Beer Shop Day; she's the owner of Hop Hideout Speciality Beer Shop; and she's an unstoppable all-round beer pioneer and ambassador for women in beer. Jules will talk about her experience of setting up and establishing Sheffield Beer Week, the impact it has had on local beer business and her local community, as well as the wider benefits it has brought to Sheffield.

A very limited number of public tickets are up for grabs for £15 (includes a welcome beer on arrival)

Tuesday 21st September, 7pm

A Conversation on Harrogate Beer with Award-winning Writer Melissa Cole

Cold Bath Clubhouse

The inimitable Melissa Cole will host an entertaining and enlightening conversation with some of our local brewers and business owners from Turning Point, Roosters, Daleside, Harrogate Brewing Co, and Cold Bath Brewery as they chat about the local beer scene and the beers they brew, and share some of their personal highs and lows from their time spent working in beer.

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Award-winning writer, Melissa Cole, is widely acknowledged as one of the UK's leading beer and food experts. Renowned for her insightful and engaging writing style, sense of humour and ability to translate complicated beer jargon into something everyone can understand. From judging beer competitions from Amsterdam to Rio and Denver to Dublin - to brewing with some of the world's most respected breweries like Fuller's, Odell and Goose Island - she is also sought after by restaurants like the world-famous St John to help construct beer lists. She writes regularly for all the main food and drink titles, as well as being a well-known face on the food festival circuit and regularly quoted in the national press.

Tickets £15.00

Wednesday 22nd September, 7pm

Modern British Beer - A Beer Tasting and Reading with Author Matthew Curtis

Roosters Taproom

Join award winning writer and photographer Matthew Curtis as he takes his new book from CAMRA Publishing Modern British Beer on the road. The evening will involve a tasting of beers from Rooster's Brewery plus a talk from Matthew about his philosophy of what makes a British brewery "modern", plus he'll be reading a few passages from the book itself.

At the end of the tasting Matthew will hold a Q&A session, before being available to sign copies of his book, which can be purchased directly from him on the night.

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Matthew Curtis is an award winning writer and photographer based in Manchester. He's the author of Modern British Beer and An Opinionated Guide to London pubs, as well as being the co-founder of Pellicle Magazine, established in 2019 with his friend and brewer Jonathan Hamilton. He is as deeply enamoured with a fresh West Coast IPA as he is with a good pint of Bitter.

Matthew can be followed on Twitter and Instagram @totalcurtis

Tickets £15

Thursday 23rd September, 7pm

Award-winning Beer Writer Pete Brown Presents ‘Craft: An Argument’

Cold Bath Clubhouse

The craft beer boom is the biggest thing to hit brewing and drinking for more than a generation. What started off as a small band of idealistic hobby brewers is now a multi-billion-dollar global industry, but even its most passionate fans can’t actually agree what ‘craft beer’ is, with some arguing that it’s simply marketing hype, and others claiming it doesn’t exist at all.

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At this event Pete Brown brings his book ‘Craft: An Argument’ to life as he digs into this decades-long argument and in doing so, creates a fascinating, complex and hugely satisfying answer.

Pete Brown is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink, especially the fun parts like beer, pubs, cider, bacon rolls and fish and chips. Across twelve books, his broad, fresh approach takes in social history, cultural commentary, travel writing, personal discovery and natural history, and his words are always delivered with the warmth and wit you’d expect from a great night down the pub. He writes for newspapers and magazines around the world and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme. He was named British Beer Writer of the Year in 2009, 2012 and 2016, has won three Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, been shortlisted twice for the Andre Simon Awards, and in 2020 was named an “Industry Legend” at the Imbibe Hospitality Awards.

Tickets £12

Saturday 25th September, 3pm

Discovering Harrogate Beer with Beer Sommelier, Annabel Smith

Cold Bath Clubhouse

Yorkshire-based cask ale expert and Beer Sommelier, Annabel, has worked in the beer industry for almost 30 years as a licensee, educator, beer inspector, public speaker and author. We are delighted to have her along to Harrogate Beer Week where she will lead a fascinating guided tasting of beers from all five local breweries alongside insightful anecdotes on the history of beer in Harrogate.

Tickets £23 (Includes all beer)

Harrogate Beer Week: Covid safety guidance

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Harrogate Beer Week’s founder Rachel Auty is keen that everyone should take a responsible approach to Covid safety.

She is encouraging all attendees to take a lateral flow test within 24 hours of heading to an event.

But, she adds, with different bars and breweries involved in Harrogate Beer Week, each location will decide its own entry requirements.

Rachel said: “Each venue has their own individual Covid policy and safety measures in place with public health in mind and we encourage people to review those ahead of attending events.

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“We would encourage all attendees to take a lateral flow test within 24 hours of heading to an event in order to help keep our communities safe, and not to attend if they either test positive or feel in any way unwell ahead of the event.”

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