Leeds International Beer Festival Recap

Leeds International Beer Festival Geary's Recap

View of the Maine Beer Box from the steps of Leeds Town Hall

Why Was Geary's in Leeds?

Geary Brewing was among 65 other Maine craft breweries who participated in the second annual shipping of the Maine Beer Box. This box was the brain child of the Eimskip and the Maine Brewers Guild, headed by Sean Sullivan, to showcase and celebrate the plethora of Maine craft breweries that continue to grow in number. On it's maiden voyage last year, the Beer Box went to Iceland for a beer festival, and then was returned to Maine for the guild’s winter session filled with Icelandic craft beers.

The box is a recycled shipping container retrofitted with 78 taps for each beer on board. The sixtels (1/6 barrels, or slims) are inside the box, and are tapped right on site. It's basically a shippable tap room! The breweries that participate do it for the love of the industry and for a chance to see how their beers stand up in an international market, and in this particular case, against one of the longest standing beer cultures in the world!

The Maine Brewers Guild organized everything including a welcome reception for the breweries who sent representatives to travel to England to join the box. Geary's owners, Robin and Alan Lapoint, and their son and summer tasting room employee Matthew, were some of these lucky reps who went to promote the Maine Beer Brand in England.

Alan, Robin and Matthew (from left to right) enjoy samples in Leeds, England from the Maine Beer Box

So, How Did People Like Them?

Geary's received a surprise honor when the London Porter was chosen to be the first beer poured from the box at the opening of the event! The surprise was a tribute to New England's First Craft Brewery, that continues to brew in the traditional English style it has maintained for 35 years, and the innovators who brought the idea of craft beer to Maine and spurred the craft beer wonderland we now know!

Sean Sullivan from the Maine Brewers Guild pours the first pint from the box, Geary's London Porter. Photo from Yorkshire Post

Turns out, that guests who visited the Beer Box really enjoyed the Porter and said it was a fine London Porter. Geary's was also pouring their Hampshire Special Ale, an English strong ale, as yet another toast to our craft beer ties to England.

As for the beers from Maine as a whole, guests didn't pin point a specific brewery they just had to try. Everyone was new for these beer drinkers! Our reps did say, however, the most requested beers were New England style IPAs. No surprise here, since this is currently the hottest style of beer and also tied directly to our New England region!

What Was the Festival Like?

The Leeds Festival was particularly unique due tot he fact that a large part of the festival took place inside the Leeds Town Hall. Robin Lapoint reflected, "Breweries were set up in the old jail cells of the basement of the Town Hall. It was really unique because instead of just the set-ups like we are used to here, they actually set up like small beer cafes!" She went on to mention, "they had tables and chairs, some with added ambience of candlelight - it was dark in the basement after all - so you could sit and enjoy your sample."

Leeds Town Hall lit up at night

The Beer Box itself was outside of Town Hall, a nice beacon for those looking to visit our Maine beers. The visiting brewery representatives got to join in on the action, and also get to know other beers, because they all took turns pouring from the box but not necessarily pouring their own beers. This shows the collaborative and mutually supportive nature of our craft beer industry, which was probably a treat for international guests.

People "paid" for their beers instead of just being granted unlimited small pours like we are used to in Maine and the US. Tokens were traded like currency for pours up to an entire pint! High alcohol beers cost more than the lower ones, and having a "proper pour" is very important in England!