People knew exactly what to expect thanks to the Derby Beer Con venue’s bright, colorful signage that screamed street food, cocktails, craft beer and good times. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
Organizers of one of the city’s biggest beer festivals are already planning next year’s event after a packed Derby Beer Con event this weekend.
Derby Beer Con, now in its sixth year, took place on Friday, September 15 and Saturday, September 16, 2023.
It featured 89 beers from breweries including Little Brewing Company from Derby, Bang The Elephant Brewery and Pentrich Brewery from Derbyshire, Black Iris Brewery, Liquid Light Brewery and Neon Raptor Brewery, all from Nottingham and others from across the UK.
All ticket holders received a commercial list of drinks and beers, to make the event easier to navigate. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
The event was also a celebration of European brewers who offered 44 beers to the festival’s discerning beer lovers.
The mood was high and rightly so after a number of beers were released to make the event even more special.
Truckasaurus from Ripley-based Pentrich Brewery has been going down a storm, with people enjoying the hoppy IPA with hints of tropical fruit and a hint of fragrant lime.
Arpus Brewing, which flew the flag of Europe, whose BA Imperial Stout Cognac looked festive with its Hennessy finish.
Tom Ainsley, co-founder of the beer festival, thanked the brewers for their “incredible” beers and is already looking forward to next year’s event. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
Here are 17 photos of brewers, beer fans and food from last weekend.
Cornhole, which is considered a popular lawn game in America, may seem as simple as trying to throw a mini beanbag into the hole – but give it a try after a few pints. These people seemed to be having a good time trying though. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
This brewery featured Reptile Dysfunction, a fruity IPA with notes of passion fruit, mango and a hint of habanero. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
Brewers know how to have fun: this giant dinosaur head was a real talking point at the Oktoberfest. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
Eton Mess beer can be a fun way to try beer, have you tried it yet? This drink is a colorful confection from Little Brewing Company that uses a strawberry lager base. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
The event was enjoyed by a wide variety of people, from large groups of friends to couples with their four-legged friends. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
The big smiles of the brewers from Little Brewing Company, who treated us to Little Eton Mess, and which can also be described as a Barbie-tastic drink, show how welcoming and fun the Oktoberfest was. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
Black Iris Brewers, pictured here, served up some beer delights including a delicious West Coast blood orange IPA called Meandering Stream Of Murky Blood. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
Another brewer to mix desserts was Firerock from Sutton-in-Ashfield. Their Black Forest Cakes, Imperial Stout and Sour Strawberry Cheesecake were like a beer and a sweet treat in one. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
It was a big day for Norwegian brewer Tapp & Kork, which also unveiled a unique Klem mead, of which there are only three bottles in the world. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
This Leeds-based brewery came to Derby to serve four beers, one of which gave an Elvis-shaped nod to Nephele, a peanut butter and jelly imperial stout, which is also a collaboration of Neon Raptor. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
This Portsmouth-based brewer came up with a flavorful sour IPA with hints of lemon zest and pistachio in their earth-shattering name The Comet Is Coming. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
Brewers are taking innovative steps to stand out from the competition. The Market Harborough-based brewer is making waves with its Night Market pilsner, which is an intriguing collaboration with Bundobust, a Manchester brewery and Indian restaurant. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
Distant Lands, a specialty purveyor of craft beverages, showcased many intriguing drinks, including rare BA stouts and mixed fermented beers. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
There was a range of street food available from vendors including KoolKata. The savory jeera fries with a delicious grilled twist were so good, while the light paratha-like kati rolls were filled with lightly spiced marinated meat. (Photo: Ria Ghei)
