Autumn beer festival 2026 International brewers
Wetherspoon has included international brewers since 2008, when two brewers – Mitch Steele (USA) and Toshi Ishii (Japan) – brewed festival beers.
Since then, 163 brewers from 33 countries have visited to brew for Wetherspoon’s festivals.
Together, they have brewed 273 different beers, with the number of pints brewed set to total more than 24 million by the end of the autumn 2026 festival.
The international guests are hosted by established UK brewers, and they brew their beers at the hosts’ breweries. These collaborations result in invaluable experiences for both international and host brewers, who get to exchange ideas and use different methods and equipment – which is a great thing for traditional beer.
As an additional benefit, Wetherspoon’s customers get to try beers that they wouldn’t normally find in the UK or Ireland.
The brewers for the autumn festival are from China, Denmark, Singapore, Ukraine and the USA. It is the first time that brewers from China and Ukraine have been involved in the festival.
Urbrew Craft Beer, Hebei Province, China. Est. 2013
The beer
Aroma: biscuity, floral, honeyed
Taste: malty, balanced, smooth
Brewed exclusively for this beer festival, this beer combines the rich malt character of a traditional English extra-special bitter with the subtle complexity of Chinese oolong tea, contributing delicate floral, honeyed and lightly toasted notes which complement the beer’s balanced malt profile and gentle bitterness. The result is a smooth, easy-drinking ale which remains true to its British roots while introducing a distinctive Chinese influence, the word ‘oolong’ being an English transliteration of the Chinese ‘wū lóng’, meaning ‘black dragon’.
Urbrew Oolong ESB
4.6% ABV
This amber beer is predominantly malty in character, balanced by subtle hop flavours, while its addition of tea gives complexity and light tannin notes in the finish.
Brewed by Steve Wang at Oakham Ales, Cambridgeshire.
Hops: Fuggles, Target
The brewer
Steve Wang is the international business director at Urbrew, having spent over a decade working in the craft beer industry. After founding and operating his own brewery in northern China, he joined Urbrew to focus on product innovation, international collaborations and global market development. A passionate advocate for brewing culture, Steve has worked with breweries across Europe and Asia, creating beers combining local traditions with new ideas. He enjoys real ale particularly for its balance, drinkability and ability to showcase brewing skills without relying on extremes.
The brewery
Founded in 2013, Urbrew has grown into one of China’s leading craft beer companies, operating the country’s largest craft beer taproom network, with more than 3,000 locations nationwide. Built around a commitment to fresh, high-quality beer, the company combines modern brewing techniques with a strong focus on innovation and consistency.
Over the past decade, Urbrew has won numerous awards at major international beer competitions, introducing craft beer to consumers across hundreds of Chinese cities. Alongside brewing, the company actively supports industry education, international collaboration and beer culture development. Today, Urbrew continues to expand globally through export projects, brewing partnerships and the creation of new beers inspired by different cultures and traditions.
Mikkeller, Copenhagen, Denmark. Est. 2005
The beer
Aroma: fruity, floral
Taste: tropical fruit, toasted malt
This beer was inspired by one of the oldest beers in Mikkeller’s portfolio – a cold IPA called American Dream. For the Wetherspoon festival, this has been re-created using ingredients all sourced from England – hence the beer’s name.
Mikkeller English Dream Pilsner
4.5% ABV
This hazy golden beer has a fruity and floral hop aroma, while its initial malt and toast flavour leads to tropical fruit notes and a smooth bitterness.
Brewed by Mikkel Bjergsø at Batemans Brewery, Lincolnshire.
Hops: East Kent Goldings, Harlequin, Target
The brewer
In 2003, Mikkel Bjergsø was a maths and chemistry teacher who had begun making home beers with his childhood friend Kristian Keller, trying to replicate beers from the American craft beer scene. Following the 2006 launch of Mikkeller, they used a ‘nomad brewing’ model, renting spare capacity at established breweries, instead of buying their own equipment. One of the first beers launched was Beer Geek Breakfast, voted best stout in the world (2006).
Mikkel loves the tradition most of all. In a rapidly changing world, where things come and go, cask (real ale) is a way to slow down and enjoy something which has been a part of British beer culture for centuries.
He feels that he has achieved a lot over the past 20 years, so naming some of his highlights is quite tough. Some of the stand-out ones: starting one of the world’s biggest running clubs (Mikkeller Running Club); being named third-best brewery in the world; brewing beer, opening bars in London and becoming friends with his childhood idol Rick Astley.
The brewery
Mikkeller started in 2006 when Mikkel Bjergsø and Kristian Keller began homebrewing in a Copenhagen kitchen. Lacking a physical facility, they pioneered a ‘nomad brewing’ set-up, collaborating with breweries worldwide, with their inventive brews quickly earning critical acclaim and international renown. This success fuelled rapid expansion into over 40 locations across Europe and Asia.
Beyond bars, Mikkeller fosters global community through its international Mikkeller Running Club and its flagship Mikkeller Beer Celebrations – annual beerfestivals uniting top global breweries and thousands of enthusiasts in Beijing, Copenhagen and beyond.
Instead of traditional competitions with industry arbiters, Mikkeller prioritises real drinkers’ feedback. Reflecting this philosophy, the brewery was recognised in the Untappd Community Awards as the number-one most-awarded international brewery and fourth most-awarded globally.
Lion Brewery, Singapore. Est 2018
The beer
Aroma: tropical, mango, summery
Taste: juicy, bright, fresh
A burst of Singapore’s endless summer in a glass, this is brewed with a blend of hop varieties, alongside tropical mango. Lion was inspired to produce this new and exclusive beer, made especially for Wetherspoon, to bring a taste of Singapore to a cask beer here in the UK and showcase southeast Asia’s signature fruit. Fresh, bright and bursting with flavour, this is a bit of sunshine in a pint.
Lion Mango IPA
4.5% ABV
This golden session IPA is infused with mango, resulting in an intense aroma, a balanced fruitiness and a juicy, thirst-quenching character.
Brewed by Ian Leigh and Will Julius at Elgood’s Brewery, Cambridgeshire.
Hops: Citrulicious, El Dorado, Magnifico, Tetra, Warrior
The brewer
Ian Leigh has worked in brewing for 44 years. His career began in petrochemicals, yet his passion for beer moved him (in August 1982) to Scottish & Newcastle at Royal Brewery Manchester. After spending time in its UK, Irish and French breweries, he moved internationally to work in China and across southeast Asia.
Ian loves real ale because it’s brewed locally, fresh and with no element of mass-production. Additionally, it’s live beer, with a balance between layered flavours and aromas, plus that creaminess you just don’t get from commercial beers.
Some highlights include producing McEwan’s Export as the first Scottish beer brewed in China and helping to steer brewing excellence at the independent Lion Brewery in the latter stages of his career.
The brewery
Standing proud in the heart of London from 1836 for over 100 years, Lion Brewery was renowned for shipping its exquisite IPAs and ales around the world. Today, established afresh in Singapore and London by Will, Ben and Harry and driven by a fierce passion for brewing the finest sessionable beers, Lion strives to elevate every experience, in the relentless pursuit of the best of times. With a flagship brewpub in the heart of Singapore and a presence across six markets and three continents, Lion continues to go from strength to strength.
Lion Brewery has won awards for its Island Lager, Pale Ale, English Bitter and Paradise Saison at the prestigious Asian Beer Championships – and most recently won a gold medal for its non-alcoholic Free Hit XPA.
Varvar Brew, Kyiv, Ukraine. Est. 2015
The beer
Aroma: stone fruit, honey, honeysuckle
Taste: sweet, round, medium-bodied
Brewed especially for this beer festival, this is a new, lighter version of Varvar’s signature Ukrainian Golden Ale. At 5.0% ABV, it retains the character of its original, while offering a lighter and more drinkable profile. Coriander is the beer’s distinctive ingredient, adding a subtle citrus and spicy character. The beer, with its aromas of stone fruit, honey and honeysuckle, was inspired by the idea of presenting a recognisably Ukrainian style for British drinkers.
Varvar Session Golden Ale
5.0% ABV
This golden beer has a malty, fruity aroma, leading to a rich flavour and moderate sweetness, while the addition of coriander delivers subtle spicy notes and a clean finish.
Brewed by Anton Palamarchuk at Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire.
Hops: Huell Melon, Magnum
The brewer
Having been brewing professionally since 2015, Anton Palamarchuk is the senior brewer at Varvar Brew. A qualified engineer, he joined the brewery before its official opening, helping to assemble and commission its first 500-litre brewhouse. This practical beginning gave him a deep understanding of both brewing technology and daily production.
Career highlights include international collaborations with breweries from different countries and representing Varvar Brew at major beer festivals, including at Copenhagen’s Mikkeller Beer Celebration. He values, above all else, real ale’s balance of flavour and aroma. Beer should be enjoyable and create an emotional response. He also sees lager as a brewer’s honest exam: if the lager is clean, the rest of the range is usually in safe hands.
The brewery
Varvar Brew is an independent craft brewery founded in 2015 by Vasyl Mikulin in a former sawmill in Kyiv. Today, it operates two brewhouses and produces traditional, modern, barrel-aged, sour and experimental beers. Quality is central to everything it does, from carefully choosing ingredients to working with seasonal produce and sourcing local fruits, berries and herbs directly from growers.
Ukrainian ingredients play an important role, alongside more unusual additions like tomatoes, gherkins, horseradish, beetroot and birch sap. In 2025, four Varvar beers won a silver medal each at international festivals, competitions and collaborations, sharing its brewing culture, local ingredients and distinctive approach with drinkers worldwide.
UPP Liquids, Oregon, USA. Est. 2025
The beer
Aroma: nutty, roasted coffee, caramel
Taste: nutty, dark chocolate, coffee
This rich full-bodied oatmeal stout is brewed with generous portions of golden promise malt (adding a nutty complexity) and flaked oats to create a smooth, silky mouthfeel and lasting creamy head. Carefully selected roast malts deliver aromas of roasted coffee, dark chocolate and subtle caramel, while the flavour combines notes of nutty malt, bittersweet cocoa and freshly brewed coffee. Despite its robust appearance, the beer remains exceptionally balanced, with a gentle sweetness leading to a satisfying roasted finish. Inspired by traditional British oatmeal stouts, this beer showcases the depth and complexity which dark malts and oats can bring to a modern interpretation of the style.
UPP Liquids Pinball Wizard
5.5% ABV
This black oatmeal stout is brewed as a love letter to those who like dark beers. The soft nuttiness and velvety texture from the oats combine with smooth roasted coffee and chocolate to deliver a complex, memorable beer.
Brewed by Tonya Cornett at Adnams Brewery, Suffolk.
Hops: Northern Brewer
The brewer
Tonya Cornett has been brewing professionally for over 25 years, having completed formal brewing studies at Siebel Institute of Technology and Doemans Academy in Germany. At Bend Brewing Company, she earned international recognition as the first woman to be named World Beer Cup ‘small brewpub brewer of the year’.
Tonya next moved (in 2012) to 10 Barrel Brewing Company to lead its innovation team, centring on recipe design. One of the first brewers in the US to brew kettle sours (now embraced by the larger brewing community), she was free to explore traditional and experimental brewing methods.
Highlights of her last two years include: ‘large brewery of the year’ (Oregon Beer Awards); gold, silver and bronze (Festival of Barrel Aged Beer); the Russell Schehrer Award (World Beer Cup) for ‘excellence in brewing innovation’; the highest medal count (in 2024) of any brewery (Great American Beer Festival); Cucumber Crush (one of Tonya’s signature beers) named one of the ‘top 20 beers of 2024’ (Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine).
Having brewed for this festival before for other breweries, this time, Tonya is representing UPP Liquids – her own brewery. Her favourite aspect of the job is producing beers with a flavour depth which continues evolving in the cask, gaining the freshest-possible pint.
The brewery
In 2025, Tonya partnered with then Immersion Brewing Company, founded in 2016 by Seane Lampe and Amanda Plattner, which rebranded to UPP Liquids (short for ‘uniting people and places’), built on the belief that great beer brings people together. As a brewer-owned brewery, it combines award-winning craftmanship with a strong sense of community, creating innovative beers to share in a welcoming inclusive environment.
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