Think you know beer? You can become an expert at the Thanet Easter Beer and Cider Festival this weekend with CAMRA’s new learning and discovery space.

The learning and discovery space at the festival on Good Friday, April 19 and Easter Saturday, April 20, is part of a new initiative by CAMRA to playing a leading role in informing, educating and training anyone with an interest in beer, cider and perry.

It follows a successful pilot at Manchester Beer & Cider Festival and will be co-ordinated by CAMRA’s learning and discovery manager, Alex Metcalfe.

He said: “Our aim in bringing the learning and discovery space to Thanet is to give festival goers the chance to take part in fun and informal activities that can help improve their knowledge of real ale.

“The local CAMRA organisers saw the success in Manchester and wanted to bring this offering to the local people in Thanet. We’re delighted to be able to help them make this offering a reality this year, and hope local residents take the opportunity to come along and discover more about the nation’s favourite drink.”

Local brewers from Wantsum and Gadds will be at the festival to guide visitors through comparative tastings where they can explore different forms of dispense including cask, keykeg and can. The brewers will give talks on the brewing process and introduce the unique ingredients that go into making a real ale.

Thanking volunteers for their help, Nick Gurr from Thanet CAMRA, said: “It is very exciting to be asked to host the second learning and discovery space at our festival.

“We hope visitors will enjoy the activities and the chance to interact with brewers first hand.”

The festival, which is held at Margate Winter Gardens, will feature more than 250 real ales, ciders, perries and specialist bottled beers. Festivalgoers will be able to try a collaborative beer made by Thanet’s Wantsum Brewery and San Diego’s Thorn Brew Co, the Transatlantic Fog, which is a vegan-friendly 6% ABV hazy IPA. Also available will be a limited quantity of Gadd’s No.11 - an unfiltered, full flavour and low abv (1.2%). The festival is open from noon to 10pm on Friday and noon until 7pm on the Saturday.

More details at easterbeerfestival.com

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