The 25th June fest seeks to introduce craft beer lovers to the beauty of real craft cider.
Sheffield has long been known as one of the best places for beer. Now, an upcoming festival hopes to get the city just as excited about its growing cider scene – teaming up with a brewery to lure in the cider-curious as well as cider lovers in general.
On Saturday 25 June, the Sheffield Craft Cider Festival will take place at the Heist Brew Co taproom in Neepsend. The event, which will feature some of the best artisan cideries from across the UK, is being curated by The Cider Hole, Sheffield’s only urban microcidery and bar, home to the city’s only permanent cider brand, Exemption Ciderhouse.
“Sheffield has a great brewing history and today has many awesome breweries,” said Adam France, owner and co-founder of Heist Brew Co. “What we haven’t had previously is great cider. Now we do, courtesy of The Cider Hole, so we wanted to celebrate that and give rise to the cider revolution.”
The free-to-enter festival – which runs from noon until late – will be pay-as-you-go with cideries offering small pours, allowing attendees to experiment with a large range of different drinks. Additionally, most tables will be run by the cidermakers themselves or representatives of the brand so visitors can learn more about craft cider by meeting the people behind the products.
Cideries scheduled to attend include Blue Barrel, Butford Organics, Find & Foster, Galtres, Rebel Root, Ross-on-Wye, Welsh Mountain, Wild West, and Wilding, along with Sheffield’s own Exemption.
Mike Pomranz serving his Exemption Ciderhouse
“At The Cider Hole, we offer over 60 craft ciders – but often times, guests haven’t heard of any of them, despite representing some of the best cidermakers in the world!” explained Mike Pomranz, the bar’s owner. “While craft breweries have become household names, equally mind-blowing craft cideries often still languish in obscurity. By working with Heist Brew Co, I’m hoping more drinkers will discover these two craft movements aren’t as different as they may seem.”
Speaking of craft beer, Heist Brew Tap will be serving its entire selection of beer, wine, and spirits, including its 30 draft lines, as usual. Additionally, Slap & Pickle will also be open as usual, selling its beloved burgers, fries, and other items.
The Sheffield Craft Cider Festival will take place on Saturday 25 June, 2022, from noon until late at the Heist Brew Co Tap, which is located at 107 Neepsend Lane, S3 8AT.
Entry is free. Children are welcome until 21:00. Dogs always welcome. For more info, go to heistbrewco.com and istheciderholeopen.com.
