The National Winter Ales Festival (often shortened to NWAF) is a yearly event organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The purpose of the event is to showcase the best winter ales (for example stouts and porters) in the UK. It was started in 1997 to give more exposure to these styles of beer as they are often not available during the summer when its sister festival, the larger Great British Beer Festival, is held. NWAF is home to the Champion Winter Beer of Britain awards.
The festival is generally held in January of each year; however there were two festivals in 1997, one at each end of the year. The first one gave the awards for 1996/7 and the second for 1997/8; there was no festival in 1998. The 2011 festival was held January 19–22.
Read more about National Winter Ales Festival: Venues
Famous quotes containing the words national, winter and/or festival:
“[D]rilling and arming, when carried on on a national scale, excite whole populations to frenzies which end in war.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“Climate of Egypt in winter is the reign of spring upon earth, & summer in the air, and tranquility in the heat.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the festival of unleavened bread, at the festival of weeks, and at the festival of booths. They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed; all shall give as they are able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Deuteronomy 16:16,17.