The Lamplighter Real Ale and Cider Festival

May Beer Festival

We simply adore May. The transition from Spring to Summer is in full swing and we are given more bank holidays than you can shake a stick at (well, two bank holiday, but still we aren’t complaining.) So with a wonderful 3 day weekend in sight, what are we to do we here you cry. Well our dear gent, there is no need to panic, for one of Northampton’s finest pubs is holding a special May Bank Holiday Real Ale and Cider Festival. That’s right our dear sir, the Lamplighter is bringing more than 24 different brews to the gents of Northampton which is sure to whet your beer appetite.

So as many of you know, the Lamplighter was the second pub in Northampton to have received a coveted 5 star burger review from the Northampton Gents (read here to see their burger in action). Serving up great burgers is not the only thing the pub does well however, and the pub has reputation in Northampton for throwing great events, hosting exceptional live music and serving up a brilliant selection of real ales and ciders such as their upcoming festival. Apart from selling a large range of award winning beers, the pub itself  has recently won the Northants CAMRA Pub of the Year and are now in the East Midlands CAMRA Pub of the Year judging process.

So what is so special about this upcoming event we hear you say? Well allow us to regale you with tales of all the wonderful things the Lamplighter’s ale and cider festival has in store for you lucky gents.

Lamplighter beer bar

Thursday 22nd May: Gregg Cave Album Launch (Free entry)
Kicking off procedures on the Thursday evening is the album launch for Gregg Cave. Heralding from Northampton, Gregg is well known for his powerful songwriting and his contemporary folk sound. Having played at a range of festivals in the UK and Europe, this album launch will bring a fresh and modern approach to traditional folk and is the ideal night for the gent with a fondness for live music.

Friday 23rd May: Glam Racket DJs (9pm-1am)
The Friday night for many a gent will be the beginning of the long weekend. So what better way to start said long weekend than listening to an eclectic mix of disco, indie and hip hop served up by the Glam Racket DJ’s? We have a feeling this will have a lot of energy so it will be the perfect way to blow off some steam from a long week at work.

Saturday 24th May: Porky & Bombers Blues (12pm-6pm)
A lazy Saturday afternoon. No work in the foreseeable future (well till Tuesday). How should it be spent? Doing the laundry? Taking care of that bit of DIY? Cutting the lawn? Sorry dear sir, but those tasks shall have to wait. On the Saturday, the Lamplighter will be occupied by DJ’s Porky and Bomber as they play the very best in RnB, Alt Country and Americana whilst you sip down a fine beer. The way a gentleman is supposed to enjoy a Saturday afternoon.

 Saturday 24th May: Blair Mix Project (9pm-1am)
Ok, so you were unable to get out of doing the DIY. Fear not for all is not lost; the Lamplighter’s evening entertainment is set to be filled with some of the finest music to accompany the drinking of delicious ales and ciders. The Blair Mix Project will be keeping the party going into the early hours with Garage Rock, Soul, R&B, Mod Jazz and more.

Sunday 25th May: Sunday Roast (12pm-7pm)
So it is certainly worth mentioning that crafting brilliant burgers is not the only thing the Lamplighter can knock up in the kitchen. Their Sunday Roasts all well known in Northampton and for good reason. We could write an entire article about it (and we will) but for now you will have to trust us that it is one of the best Sunday Roasts a gent will find in Northampton.

Sunday 25th May: Revolver DJs (9pm-1am)
Sunday evening. Normally this would be the day when we start to plan and prepare for the working week ahead of us. But as we all too well know, this is not a normal weekend. Sunday is no longer the day we look back with fond memories of the antics of the weekend past and the grimace at the working week ahead. Instead, this Sunday is the day when a gent has the opportunity to enjoy the musical sounds of the Revolver DJs. Alex Novak (Spiral Archive Records) from the band Venus Fly Trap is bringing with him a mix of Grunge, Indie and Alternative to festival attendees. What does this mean? Well expect tunes such as the Smiths/Oasis/Pulp/Stone Roses/Nirvana and many more.

Monday 26th May: Open Mic (9pm-12am)
How does the Lamplighter intend to finish off such a weekend? With their Monday night Open Mic night of course. A chance for all performers to attend, entertain and delight. Established artists as well as new talent will play the beer festival out. Live music, real beer and candlelight; truly the perfect combination for any Northampton gent.

The Tipples

Hopefully we have convinced you that this beer festival most certainly deserves your attention over the bank holiday weekend. But we hear another question: ‘we want to know the most important thing, what drinks are being served.’ Fortunately gents, we are privy to such information and willing to share.

beer fest may

Available from Thursday 22nd May, the pub is going to be featuring a range of beers and ciders that are going to be new additions to the Lamplighter’s wide array of brews. The pub will be hosting beers from many award winning microbreweries from across the country as well as some local producers and will have more than 24 real ales and ciders on offer over the weekend.

Rather than tell you all 24, we’ll pick out some rather special tipples which deserve special mention.

Cider

On the cider front, the Lamplighter will be serving up Gwynt y Ddraig. Now the largest of Wales’ cider producers, the family cider farm started out as a hobby which grew into a fully fledged business. For the cider drinking gent, this will prove to be a treat.

The Lamplighter will also have cider produced closer to home as well, selling bottles of Saxby’s craft cider.

Beers

For the gent who likes to indulge in beer, we have some beers which should most definitely tickle your fancy. The Lamplighter will be selling Blonde/Golden/Pale/Ruby/Stout and Milds sourced from across from the UK for the first time in the pub.

Of particular mention:

Red Squirrel Black IPA 4.8% + Redwood American IPA 5.4%
The Red Squirrel brewery has been crafting great beers since 2004 and takes a lot of their inspiration from the continental Europe, merging the flavours of Spain, France and Italy with British heritage and traditional brewing methods. The result? A whole host of CAMRA awards.

Couch Vale Amarillo 5.0%
Running since 1981, the small brewery operating close to River Crouch in the county of Essex and brewing award winning beers ever since. The Amarillo is a premium golden ale with wonderful aroma and a lasting spicy flavour.

Oakham Curmudgeon 4.5%
Being brewed in Oakham, the small brewery has been operating since 2006. The Curmudgeon 4.5% is a wonderful amber colour with a smooth caramel base and bursting with berry, citrus and tropical fruit flavours.

The beer festival will also be hosting brews from Dukeries, Milestone, Bradfield Brewery, Newby Wyke and Nobbys.

Real beers and ciders. Amazing music. A 3 day weekend. The only thing left to say is that we will look forward to seeing you there.

www.thelamplighter.co.uk

[sc:postbanner]