The 1990 London Drinker beer festival took place 35 years ago this week (14-16 March 1990) at the Camden Centre in central London opposite St Pancras Station.
I posted the cask beer list a few days ago but the above is reminder that beer festivals were and are about more than just British beer. The foreign beer list is limited compared to what it became as is the cider and perry list, The food menu is a reminder that the festival wasn’t just about good beer but also good food, although of course this was before the rise in vegan, vegetarian diets, and for that matter pescatarian diets as well.
Laura Hadland has a book coming out from CAMRA shortly celebrating the tradition of beer festivals and as someone who has been attending them for 50 years I will certainly be reading it with interest.
It is perhaps a sobering thought that anyone old enough to have attended the 1990 festival (I was of course there), that is 18 years or older, will now be somewhere in their mid-50s at the youngest end.
Traditions are invented and require renewal..
Cheers Keith!