Thousands of drinkers will gather at Oxford Town Hall tonight for the Oxford Beer and Cider Festival.

The festival opens at the venue in St Aldate's at 5pm and runs for three days.

About 20 of the 90 breweries at the festival are from Oxfordshire, ranging from larger and long-established names such as Wychwood and Hook Norton, to micro-breweries in Bicester and Wantage that normally only supply their own pubs.

READ AGAIN: Oxford Beer and Cider Festival 2019

Coming to the festival for the first time is Amwell Springs from Cholsey, a new micro-brewery that opened last year.

Oxford Mail:

Other breweries sending their beers to Oxford are based as far away as St Ives in Cornwall, Middlesbrough in the north and Bridgend in Wales.

Oxford Mail:

As many breweries are supplying two beers, the total available will be 130 on Thursday and Friday, with 40 different ales held back for drinkers to enjoy on Saturday.

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There will also be about 50 ciders and perries.

Oxford Mail:

The festival, now in its 22nd year at the town hall, is staying true to its roots by only serving real or cask ale despite the growing number of craft keg beers now being produced.

Oxford Mail:

It is organised by the Oxford branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), whose spokesman Dave Richardson said earlier: “It is great to see so many local breweries thriving, at a time when big breweries such as Greene King and Fuller’s have been sold to Asian investors."

The Oxford Beer and Cider Festival is at the Town Hall, St Aldates, from 5pm-11pm tonight, from 11am-11pm tomorrow, and from 11am-10.30pm on Saturday.

Entry costs £5 including glass, with drinks tokens costing £5 a strip.