Let me make a confession. My experience of the drinking habits of the modern student is based mainly on my evenings of cowering in Arcadia, watching somewhat pimply screeching hordes in fancy dress following the Otley Run. The emphasis always seems to be on quantity rather than quality, and I’ve always wanted to keep well clear.

It was with some trepidation, then, that I received an invitation from Leeds University Union’s Real Ale Society. “There is a Beer Fest in the Old Bar”, they said. “Come and have a look!”, they urged. Now, your editor is always up for new experiences and challenges, so at 4pm on a
Friday I am waiting outside the Union Building. Everyone seems to be in normal clothing, so I stuff my Batman costume in my bag and await my guides.

We enter, and descend to the Old Bar, and the surprises start. The bar is long, and there is a promising sprinkling of hand-pumps along it. At one end is the temporary bar for the Beer Festival, with more pumps and some real cider behind. The friendly chap behind the Festival Bar is handicapped by not having any glasses to put our beer in, but this is quickly resolved and some Leeds Brewery Winter Spark is handed over. It’s rather good, and also rather cheap.

A stroll along the bar reveals quite a choice. The Black Sheep Rep has clearly been in, with Black Sheep’s Best Bitter, Golden Sheep and Black Sheep Ale on the bar. They even have one of those flashy new illuminated pumps. Acorn must have called too: Sovereign and Barnsley Bitter are present. Copper Dragon have chipped in with Golden Pippin and Challenger IPA, and there’s also some Abbeydale Absolution and some Wentworth Bumblebeer. Some of these are here just for the festival, but I’m assured that many are permanent fixtures.

The beer list for the festival shows me what’s to come. There are to be beers from Roosters, Kelham Island, York, Ossett, Fuzzy Duck, Anglo-Dutch and Fernandes. The last one causes a double-take; the Fernandes beer is to be their Malt Shovel Mild. Someone is going to sell mild in a bar full of students? Blimey.

By this time, I’m well on with a pint of Acorn Sovereign, and I’m not surprised that the cider list includes a perry. Three real ciders and a perry are on offer; I’m prepared to bet that Janet’s Jungle Juice sold quite well.

I learn that the best way to keep up with what’s being sold in the Old Bar is to check the Real Ale Society’s Facebook page. As I write this, the choice is apparently Roosters YPA, Leeds Best, Fuzzy Duck Cunning Stunt, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, Coppergate and Bradfield Jack-O-Lantern. That’s a range to rival most of the pubs in town!

I’m told that non-members are welcome in the Old Bar until 6pm in the evening, when the Union becomes a members’ club. You should still be able to get in after that, but you’ll need to find a friendly student to sign you in.

On leaving the Union, I find myself refreshed. I’ve had a few pints of rather good beer in pleasant surroundings. I’ve also met students happily enjoying some decent beer, appreciating the quality of some local real ale.

And none of them were wearing fancy dress!