Summerhall Beer FestivALE

So I was “in the area” last month and was lucky enough to have the time to check into Summer Halls FestivALE. As far as festivals go, this is one of the smaller one’s that I have been to, but what it lacked in size, it certainly made up for in ambience. Outside, in the courtyard, they had a fantastic food court, with a whole array of street food places, from pretzels to “Ultimate Stag Burgers”… very fitting. We walked into a fabulous upstairs bunker, with a victorian style balcony surrounding the room. This combined well with the psychedelic lighting and chilled out live jazz.[su_row][su_column size="1/2"][/su_column][su_column size="1/2"][/su_column][/su_row]As was the case with the food, there were a few different options when it came to the booze, with gins, ciders (Thistly Cross was on the go) and even a cocktail bar, which was a nice little cater for everyone. But as you all know, I wasn’t here for a Mai Tai or Cosmo, my eye was on something with a bit more of a head on it and sparkling. Speaking of which, there was a small outfit of breweries (which I like), and man what a selection!.. The famous Williams Brothers (that need no introduction), Barney’s,Fallen Brewing Co and six°north.

Our picks of the day!

[su_row][su_column size="1/2"][/su_column][su_column size="1/2"]Barney’s Volcano IPA - A brew that definitely packs a punch! A nice, hoppy,  American-style pale ale.six°north Saison - A nice fresh brew with hints of lime in the aroma and followed through into the flavour to combine perfectly with the perfectly balanced fruity, floral mix.Williams Brothers Movember Foxtrot Whiskey -  I’d had their Joker IPA which is a cracker and this one was no different... A deep ruby red appearance, (I'm not sure on this, as the psychedelic lighting may have fooled me!) Fruity aroma with hints of caramel and a slight bitter finish.[/su_column][/su_row]Fallen Brewing Co Grapevine - This was actually what I started with and was a really refreshing brew, the hops created a citrusy/ tropical flavour with a bitter ending that lingers slightly and begs you to take another sip.[su_row][su_column size="1/2"][/su_column][su_column size="1/2"][/su_column][/su_row]So all in all this was a definite "not miss" for me, a great advertisement for Edinburgh and Scottish beer, so it's definitely worth the trip next festival![su_row][su_column size="1/2"][/su_column][su_column size="1/2"][/su_column][/su_row]Images courtesy of Lisa Bray Photography