Craft beer culture festival on track to sell-out in Aberdeen for second year running

An inaugural indoor craft beer culture festival is returning to Aberdeen for a second year, increasing its exhibitor offering by 300 per cent.

North Hop Aberdeen, the second stop of this years ‘North Hop on The Road’ festival tour, sold out in less than two weeks in 2015 and is anticipated to sell-out once again, looking to welcome over 3,000 festivalgoers and almost trebling its food and drink exhibitor offering.

The festival, which runs over three sessions from 30 April to 1 May 2016 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC), is set to boast a number of exhibitors from Aberdeen and across Scotland celebrating craft beer, cider, gins and artisan spirits, cocktails, and a selection of street food vendors, as well as an impressive line-up of up-and-coming Scottish music acts.

This year the festival welcomes 15 Scottish breweries including Thistly Cross,Swannay Brewery, WooHa Brewing Co, Windswept Brewing Co, Spey Valley Brewery, Williams Bros Brewing Co, Barney’s Beer, Cromarty Brewing Co, WEST Brewery, Fyne Ales, Six Degrees North, Tempest Brewing Co, Drygate Brewing Co, Eden Mill and Brewdog’s Truck Norris.

Five bars also will be in attendance including local drinks company 10 Dollar Shake, Cairn O’ Mohr, Solid Liquids with an offering of two bars specialising in gin and rum, and Dunnet Bay Distillers who will be showcasing their infamous Rock Rose Gin and latest spirit Holy Grass Vodka.

Catering to festivalgoers with an exciting and varied food offering will be Fresh Revolution, Aye Love Real Food, Crema Caravan, as well as local eateries FreshMex, The Bay on The Road, and CUE Barbecue.

There will also be a selection of market vendors including ice cream duo, Stew n’ Drew’s, Poporopo, Rebel Tattoo, Aberdeen’s gin distillery, Porter’s Gin, and Edinburgh-based Brew Lab with an exciting selection of coffee offerings.

A unique limited edition Festival Brew as well as a small batch Festival Gin are also being created specially for the Aberdeen festival. The Festival Brew which is a collaboration between Spey Valley Brewery and Holy Grass Vodka (Dunnet Bay Distillers) is a 7.0 per cent ABV limited edition beer called Holy Spey APA. The Festival Gin is being created by Eden Mill.

Festival organiser, Michelle Russell, said: “Returning to Aberdeen for a second year bigger and better than before is extremely exciting, and I can’t wait for everyone to get involved in the festival over the May Day bank holiday weekend.

“We have trebled our exhibitor offering and have created a bespoke festival gin and festival brew for those attending North Hop Aberdeen to exclusively try out. This event is not to be missed and tickets are on track to sell-out once again so get them whilst you can!”

North Hop Aberdeen will run over three sessions from 12 noon until 5pm, and 7pm until 12 midnight on Saturday 30 April, and 12 noon until 5pm onSunday 1 May.

www.northhop.co.uk/festivals/aberdeen