We're sucker for beer festivals. So when we heard that the Hop Hideout was hosting a Firkin Festival in Sheffield, we had to go!

The festival chose the Picture House Social as the venue for the event. It's... odd. We got the full rundown from the doorman -- yes they have a doorman -- who explained that they'd taken over the old cinema under some odd permits from the city. The whole place is only zoned for 220 people, but it could hold an order of magnitude more than that. 

There's still a working cinema, restaurant that serves up some tasty quick dishes, a full bar that will make beer nerds quite happy, a room for ping pong (and yes, probably beer pong), and a room set aside for performances. Wow!

We recommend it, but know that you're in a er... developing area. While we were chatting with the doorman, some local kids (maybe 12) tossed a rock his way. And by tossed I mean threw, and by his way, I mean a few inches from us, too. Personally, we didn't feel threatened. But we did move our phones to our front pocket, and Sheila tucked her camera way. It's not some place we'd probably walk around at night, but the bus stops are conveniently located near the front door, so you shouldn't be too worried. Just be aware. 

And the Firkin fest? Great! Lots of local beers we'd never had before. It was a small festival, as we're used to a beer festivals that either draw thousands or completely pack bars with little room to spare. That didn't happen here. Then again, it was a four day festival, so the crowd was probably there, just spread out over several days.