FESTIVE CHEERS AS BREWERY OPENS CHRISTMAS GROTTO AND BAR

With the Christmas countdown well underway, Ilkley Brewery has announced it will be opening a special festive grotto and bar at its Ashlands Road brew house, Ilkley, during week commencing 17 December.

*The award-winning brewery will open its doors to the public from 17.00 to 19.00 every evening starting Monday 17th through to Friday 21st December and then again on Saturday 22 December from 12.00 to 14.00. Its Christmas grotto will be bursting with gift ideas for craft beer fans, while a fully stocked bar will kick start the seasonal celebrations.*

Available for pre-order now are gift packs and other beer treats, as well as hand pulled ale in firkins and polypins to serve at Christmas parties. Last pre-orders for Christmas beer is 17.00, Friday 15 December, with the beer available for collection during grotto week.

Grotto organiser, Luke Raven, said: “Last year, we were inundated with people keen to buy gift packs and beer in the run up to Christmas so this year, the grotto idea was born to give beer fans, and their nearest and dearest, the chance to get ahead of the game with their Christmas shopping and entertaining. Plus, we’re hoping our popular brewery bar will be a honey pot for seasonal socialising.”

Christmas shopping list
The Ilkey Brewery Christmas grotto will be stocking gift packs which customers can tailor with their chosen bottled beers and glasses. From the brewery’s core range, Christmas shoppers can choose from bottles of Mary Christmas, Mary Jane, Ilkley Black, Ilkley Gold, Ilkley Best, Ilkley Pale, Ilkley Jubilee, Stout Mary and Lotus IPA, and from its internationally-inspired Origins range, bottles of Dinner Ale and Siberia will also be available. Mixed-bottle cases of 12 can also be added to the Christmas cart. For the beer connoisseur, there will also be special limited edition, hand-bottled white label beers, available for pre-order only.

Businesses and party hosts now have the opportunity to stock up their own bars with larger quantities of Ilkley firkins, holding 72 pints, and polypins of 35 pints, each with their own handpump. Hand-pulled beer must be pre-ordered by 17.00 on Friday 15 December and will be ready to collect from the grotto during dedicated opening hours.

To find out more about Ilkley Brewery’s Christmas grotto and bar, “Visit Ilkley”: www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk and to place orders, call 01943 604604.

For all the latest from the spa town brewery, visit the brewery’s “blog”:www.ilkleybreweryblog.blogspot.com