The History Just 20 metres from the festival show site at Saul Junction is Drum and Monkey Cottage. Originally built as three dwellings in the 1780's, it became a canal side pub in the days when the coal carrying Severn Trows plied their trade from the river and along the Stroudwater Navigation into the Stroud Valleys. The building also included a bakery and was taken over by Stroud Brewery late in the eighteenth century. A Mr. Charles Oakley Lawrence was the last licensee at the pub that closed in 1968. Saul Canal Festival recreates the good times and atmosphere of the old canal side hostelry. The Management Forest of Dean licensees Mario & Karen Constantinides will be the Bar Management team and front of house faces at the Drum & Monkey. If you would like to meet them in advance then check out The Miners Arms at Whitecroft near Lydney. www.minersarmswhitecroft.co.uk The Miners Arms enjoys a well deserved reputation for fine ales, great steaks and music nights. Mario commented. “Don Burgess of Freeminer Brewery knows what the Saul Canal Festival crowd enjoys. There will also be the usual selection of keg products for those who enjoy lager, cider and keg Pedigree.” Karen added “The Drum & Monkey's success really is based upon team effort. Once the pavilion is installed, the boys and girls from the Waterway Recovery Group and the Cotswold Canals Trust Wednesday Gang swing into action to build the stillage, servery and wash up area. Then Don and his team arrive and work their magic with all the ales. Mario and I are looking forward to working with the team and having fun at the festival this year. Make sure you all come and see us ! We have one request to Drum & monkey customers that will make life a bit easier for our team - Please return your glasses (or hand them to one of the collectors). We can only serve beer if we have glasses to serve it in!”

The Beer
The beer crew led by Don Burgess of Cinderford's own Freeminer Brewery will be toiling well before this year's festival. Don commented “Once again the beer phenomenon known as the ‘Saul Wall of Beer’ will appear at the Drum and Monkey Ale House. The beers will be a selection reflecting the diversity of brewing in the Three County Area. We will announce the full listing nearer the date. We will also be stocking traditional cider, keg beer from Marstons, and lager, not to forget the soft drinks and wine”

Don explains… “We do not aim for a beer festival style selection, keeping the numbers of beers below 15, but we do try to keep sufficient stock so that a credible selection is maintained all weekend. Before the festival opens the bar team will have spent 4 days building the “cellar”, stillaging the beer - tapping and venting it so that the cask ales are presented in the best possible condition. Even in the 2006 heat wave, the beer continued to be served at cellar temperature bringing refreshment to the Festival crowds”.

The Hours
The Drum & Monkey opening hours are:-
Friday 4th July - 4pm - 11.30pm
Saturday 5th July - 11am - 11.30pm
Sunday 6th July - 12noon - 11.30pm

The Serving Staff
The Drum & Monkey serving staff are all volunteers who will be guided and supported by two top Licensing Trade professionals with a wealth of hospitality industry experience.
If you would like to join the team in the fun and enjoyment of running a busy festival pub then click here to download a Support Staff Registration form.

Fourteen Fine Ales to Savour!

Wickwar Brewing Co. www.wickwarbrewing.co.uk •  BOB 4.0% The Wickwar brand leader. A distinct blend of hops, malt and citrus fruits •  IKB 4.5% Strong in multi-malt flavours, and very well balanced to produce rich fruit flavours of cherry and plum. IKB (Isombard Kindom Brunel) is the latest member of the Wickwar family. •  Sunny Daze 4.2% Golden in colour, this beer has an unforgettable flavour of fruit, malt with a good hop aroma •  Station Porter 6.1 % A smooth, dark ruby brown ale with an aroma of roast malt, coffee and rich fruit. A multi-award winning Porter Wye Valley Brewery www.wyevalleybrewery.co.uk •  Wye Valley Bitter 3.7% alc A classic example of an English bitter beer •  Hereford Pale Ale 4.0% alc. A delightful pale ale, smooth on the palate with a citrus hop aroma leading to a balanced bitter finish •  Golden Ale 4.2% alc. Now a permanent product in cask and bottle. A golden coloured ale with a rich floral hoppy aroma balanced by biscuity malt flavours and a dryish finish

Freeminer Brewery www.freeminer.co.uk •  Freeminer Bitter 4% Hops abound in this classic beer... the benchmark of the Freeminer style of brewing •  Speculation Ale 4.8% A rich premium strength ale, plenty of hops in the nose, and loads of rich malt flavours in the mouth •  Strip and at It 4.0% A light summer beer, brewed to combat the summer onslaught of imported 'Europop draught beers' •  Slaughter Porter ABV 5.0% Dark but light in flavour, well defined aroma of Fuggles hops.  An excellent Porter for drinkers who enjoy dark beers Teme Valley Brewery www.temevalleybrewery.co.uk •  This 3.7% Session Bitter with the easy drinking virtues of a light ale •  That 4.1% Chestnut coloured best bitter •  T'other 3.5% Pale and brewed with only Worcestershire Goldings hops