As is customary, London’s beer festival calendar becomes more sparse in the last couple of months of the year. However, this November still offers a handful of great recurring beer-drinking opportunities, all of them firm favourites with ale aficionados...
3-5 November: Watford Beer Festival
Returning for its 22nd instalment, the annual Watford Beer Festival is a consistently predictable event. As with many previous years, it takes place in the West Herts Sports Club and will (ahem) sport somewhere in the region of 80 beers, ciders and perries (with a particular focus on local brews). Once again entry to each day's session will cost an inflation-busting £2.50 (or nothing at all for CAMRA members, or members of the sports club). Note: OK, Watford's not strictly in Greater London, but you can get there on the tube. And as we said, November's thin on the ground for festivals.
24-27 November: The White Horse Old Ale Festival
The White Horse on Parsons Green has long been a favourite of beer lovers, with a reputation for serving a wide variety of good beers from its myriad pumps, and a habit of staging semi-regular beer festivals. This month sees the 34th episode of the pub's Old Ale Festival, which will focus on serving old, occasionally rare, and sometimes rather strong beers, for the benefit of ale lovers with robust palates.
26 November: London Brewers' Market
London Brewers' Market makes its quarterly return to Old Spitalfields Market on the last Saturday of the month, from 11am until 6.30pm. Beers from more than 20 London-based brewers will be available to drink on-site or take away, and as usual a musical accompaniment will be provided by Independent Label Market. Entrance is free.
29 November-3 December: Pig's Ear Beer & Cider Festival
Hackney's Grade II* listed Round Chapel is once again the venue for CAMRA East London & City Branch's Pig’s Ear Beer & Cider Festival, returning for its 33rd year at the end of the month. As with previous years, this ever-substantial event promises a mammoth 230 real ales, plus ample ciders, perries and bottled beers for those that way inclined. CAMRA members can pay £3 for a day's entry, or £8 for a season ticket; non-members can pay £5 for a single day.
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