Craft Beer Rising returns to Glasgow

Sequels can be a tricky proposition. There’s no use just repeating what you did first time out, because you did that already. Remember, it was like this but without all the references to things 'returning'. On the other hand, as that great philosopher The Fresh Prince once said, if it ain’t broke then don’t try to fix it. When you hit upon a winning formula, it seems only right to see whether that formula can help you win again. Thankfully when it comes to Craft Beer Rising, the returning celebration of the new wave of craft breweries sweeping the globe, the situation appears to be well and truly in hand.

Having made its Scottish bow last September, the London-based beer festival returns to these parts this month for its second outing, with a refined and improved take on last year’s event. Once again, CBR will take over the Drygate brewery in Glasgow for a weekend of beer and beer-related activities, as well as a mix of music, street food, and other generally fun stuff. Beer, food, and fun stuff? Okay, you've twisted our arms, on you go.

As with any event of its ilk, Craft Beer Rising’s success will depend in no small part on its beer list, and things look to be in good shape on that front. There’ll be about 200 beers from around 40 breweries in attendance at CBR 2015, with a handy clutch of local breweries, big and small – Jaw Brew, Innis & Gunn, Eden Mill, WooHa and Williams Bros to name but a few – to show off what jolly old Scotland has to offer. As well as stuff from down the road, Craft Beer Rising have programmed a more-than-decent spread from further afield.

Expect contributions from breweries across the length and breadth of the UK, as well as beers from across Europe and beyond courtesy of the likes of Harpoon, Rodenbach and Stiegl. The beer list even features a handful of things that aren’t beer (ciders and gins to name but two) in an attempt to keep everyone on side. It's fun for everyone, even those who don’t really like beer but still turned up to a brewery-hosted festival with the word ‘beer’ in the title.

So there’ll be plenty of beer, and a nice beer-friendly venue to boot – so far so good. To go with that beer you’re going to need some activities to involve yourselves in, and Craft Beer Rising have pulled together a host of discussions, masterclasses and Q&As to run over the course of the weekend. Melissa Cole, beer writer and certified cicerone (a beer equivalent of the sommeliers of the wine world) leads a pair of masterclasses over the two days that should help you with the two fundamentals of our fair section – eating and drinking.

Cole hosts classes on the finer points of cooking with beer (and we don’t mean spilling it on your dinner and claiming you’re 'making a jus') in her guide to moules à la bières and saison flatbreads. Cole will also help out on the drinking front with a beer tasting masterclass to help you spot the differences between the various styles on offer at your local bar, as well as leaving you confident in spotting when a beer has taken a turn for the worse.

Add to that a line-up of street food and live music and a whole host of other jolly beery japes over the course of the weekend, and Craft Beer Rising seems to have negotiated the food and drink equivalent of the difficult second album. They’re back, and we guess they’re in the mood for a party. Suppose there's only one way to find out...