'Year of anniversaries' at Manx beer festival

A number of anniversaries are being celebrated this year at the Isle of Man's 12th annual beer and cider festival.

The event at the Villa Marina in Douglas is visited by thousands of people over three days.

While local brewery Okell's celebrates its 175th anniversary, Bushy's Brewery has turned 40, and the Manx branch of Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) is marking 50 years.

Festival organiser Matt Cox said to mark the milestone Okell's had "produced a smoked porter, which is the beer of the festival".

He said: "We're celebrating a lot of anniversaries."

Bushy's had produced a "special brew" to mark its 40th year, produced in wooden barrels, Mr Cox explained.

Organiser Camra Isle of Man was also celebrating its 50th birthday, he added, from when the group believes it was founded locally in 1975.

Mr Cox said there were more than 100 cask ales from all over the UK included in this year's event, and all the local breweries were involved.

There was also more than 20 craft beers in kegs, more than 50 real ciders and perries, as well as fruit wines and mead.

Mead was "very popular last year so we've upped our order", Mr Cox said.

Last year the festival attracted about 2,400 people over the three days, a number Mr Cox said they hoped to surpass this year.

The Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, the Venerable Patricia Hillas, poured the first pint of the festival ale at the opening on Thursday evening.

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