The White Horse in Fulham
The stars and stripes bunting is going up... and the pints will be going down. The annual American Beer Festival returns to the White Horse, in Parsons Green, with foaming transatlantic ales filling the glasses.
The Sloaney Pony’s celebration of some of the most flavoursome beers from across the pond gets underway on Thursday 30 June 30, and continues to Sunday 3 July.
A packed programme of events includes tastings of new ales and presentations by brewing experts.
The pub’s deputy manager, Mariano Blanco, said that festival-goers could look forward to days of fun, and added that he was keeping his fingers crossed that the weather would play ball. “On Thursday the festival launches with the first wave of craft beers being poured; we’ll have samples of three or four new beers available and experts talking about them,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll get some good weather!”
On Friday, Josh Smith from the Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago, which specialises in creating new ales tailored to festivals, hosts a tasting event with a range of beers not found anywhere else in Europe. Later there will be live music from Jimmy C and the Blues Dragons.
Among other Uncle Sam breweries taking part in this year’s American-themed festival is the Founders Brewing Co of Grand Rapids, Michigan, which recently launched the intriguing All Day IPA.
Founders will be hosting an evening’s food and beer-matching event on Saturday 2 July, where grilled vegetable wontons will be washed down with Azacca IPA, and where tiger prawns with avocado puree will be accompanied by glasses of Misty Mountain hop brown ale. Later there will be live music from Big Joe Louis.
On the Sunday, Two Roads brewery introduces drinkers to its new signature beers.
Other beers available throughout the festival include Rogue 7 Hop, Oskar Blues Pinner, Founders Mango Magnifico, Lagunitas High West Imperial Stout and Firestone Double Jack.
It is the ninth year that the White Horse has hosted an American Beer Festival, with a barbecue and hog roast staged on Parsons Green every day.
