A TOWN centre bar is set to play host to a brand new beer festival.

Northern Monkey, in Nelson Square, will host the Best of Bolton Beer Festival this weekend, aiming to highlight the top of the class in the town’s thriving craft ale scene.

The event is a collaboration between company’s from across the borough, with seven cask ales and 13 kegs on offer, as well as live music and food.

Northern Monkey founder Liam Convey said the festival was arranged as a showcase for the increasing number of small, independent breweries in Bolton.

“There are a lot more micro-breweries now than there used to be 10 years ago and we want to celebrate that,” he said.

“We’re here in the town centre and we want to let people know there’s all these brilliant breweries about.

“This couldn’t have happened 10 or 15 years ago. We really want to bang the drum for Bolton’s brewery scene.”

The drinks on offer at the festival will include original creations as well as collaborations between different companies.

These joint ventures include a 6.8 percent rum and raisin stout, brewed with The Salford Rum Company and Monkey Nooks, made alongside Nook and Cranny, in Bromley Cross.

Mr Convey hopes that the mixture of new drinks that have never been tried before and old classics enjoyed by ale-lovers will be a recipe for success when the festival kicks off on Friday, November 22.

“We’ve had a lot of interest on social media so I’m hoping it’s going to be really busy,” he said.

“A lot of beer festivals are at a separate venue and you have to hire it out and buy a ticket but this will be here at our own place that people know.

“It’s going to be full of collaborations, old favourites and some completely new things which nobody will have tried before.”

Entry into the Best of Bolton Beer Festival is free and there is no need to book a ticket.

Each of the drinks made especially for the event will be on offer at Northern Monkey, in Nelson Square, with a special extra bar in place for the event.

The festival will reach an end with the monthly Buskers Ball on Sunday, which is a popular open mic night featuring local talent.