National Winter Ales Festival
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.
Venues
- 1997 (Winter 1996/97) - Old Fruit Market, Glasgow
- 1997 (Winter 1997/98) - Old Fruit Market, Glasgow
- 1999 - Upper Campfield Market, Manchester
- 2000 - Upper Campfield Market, Manchester
- 2001 - Upper Campfield Market, Manchester
- 2002 - Upper Campfield Market, Manchester
- 2003 - Old Town Hall, Burton-on-Trent
- 2004 - Old Town Hall, Burton on Trent
- 2005 - New Century Hall, Manchester
- 2006 - New Century Hall, Manchester
- 2007 - New Century Hall, Manchester
- 2008 - New Century Hall, Manchester
- 2009 - New Century Hall, Manchester
- 2010 - The Venue, Manchester
- 2011 - The Venue, Manchester
- 2013 - Sheridan Suite, Manchester
- 2014 - The Roundhouse, Derby