Release of the art-beer – Estival

Barnaby Bright is a collection of midsummer events that will take place this June around the summer solstice in the historic spaces of Macclesfield town centre, brought to you by the team at Barnaby Festival.
 
RedWillow brewery has teamed up with Barnaby for the release of the art-beer Estival to celebrate Barnaby Bright.
 
Devised by RedWillow’s expert brewers the beer is a hoppy session IPA at 4.2% ABV which will be perfect for summer drinking.
 
Bollington-based artist Sue Asbury, who created Barnaby Festival’s familiar mill logo, was commissioned to create an artwork for the beer. The name came from Sue’s partner Nick Asbury who works in collaboration with Sue as Asbury and Asbury.

Nick wrote the poem Barnaby Bright in 2010 inspired by an old folk rhyme. It refers to the longest day and the shortest night ‘Barnaby bright, Barnaby bright, Light all day and light all night’.
 
The name of the beer Estival means belonging to or appearing in summer and conjures up the warmth and light of the midsummer sun.
 
The label design is from one of Sue Asbury’s paintings, from a series inspired by the summer solstice, when Barnaby traditionally takes place. It also takes inspiration from the opportunities for us to come together in the town in our hospitality venues.

Sue’s work is also influenced by the music that she listens to whilst painting, the track that inspired the selected artwork for Estival is Funkadelic’s Can You Get To That.
 
Estival will be released with its artwork, available to buy in cans from the RedWillow website and from other local distributors from June 15. The beer will also be available in RedWillow’s bars in Macclesfield and Buxton on handpull complete with the artwork featured on its pumpclip. 
 
RedWillow is a Macclesfield brewery set up in 2010 by Toby and Caroline Mckenzie. They produce a range of craft beer from the brewery sites in Macclesfield and run bars in Macclesfield and Buxton.
 
To celebrate the collaboration and Barnaby Bright there will be a midsummer beer launch on Sunday 20 June at RedWillow Macclesfield from 2pm -9pm.
 
The event, on Father’s Day, will feature an exhibition of the series of Estival paintings and summer sounds played by local DJ Scott Thornton of Basement Traxx from 4pm – 8pm. Biryani boxes will be served between 2pm and 6pm and there will be an Indian Goat street food truck serving up a Barnaby Bright menu from 6pm until 9pm. Sue Asbury’s paintings will be on sale along with the beer.
 
Dr Abi Gilmore, Co-chair of Barnaby Festival, said: “This latest collaboration with RedWillow is the perfect partnership for Barnaby.

“Not only are we celebrating Macclesfield’s heritage but we are bringing together the creativity and craft brewing expertise of the town in perfect harmony. Estival is both a fine sessionable beer and a beautiful piece of artwork, and is also ‘not quite a festival’ just like Barnaby Bright!
 
“I can’t think of a better thing to do on the Sunday of the Barnaby weekend than listen to great sounds, enjoying quality beer with friends and family and relishing Sue’s amazing paintings”.
 
To attend, book your table via the RedWillow website. https://app.tablein.com/widget?restaurant_id=4455459
 
Barnaby Bright brought to you by the team at Barnaby Festival. All events will be delivered with measures in place to comply with Covid 19 restrictions. Social distancing will be monitored carefully. For full programme information and ticketing please look on Barnaby Festival’s website https://barnabyfestival.org.uk