Old Drinks for New Tastes

Old Drinks for New Tastes comes to Channing Hall on Friday 6 November, from 4pm to 6pm. It's a session built around a project that dug up lost recipes for ale, beer and spirits from the 16th and 17th centuries, then handed them over to some of Sheffield's best independent brewers and distillers to bring back to life. The result is a set of new drinks inspired by those forgotten formulas, and the afternoon is your chance to hear the research behind them and taste the 'new-old' recipes for yourself.

Professor Phil Withington, Dr Nicholas Groat and Jacob Nickles will be there to talk through how they tracked down those old recipes and what happened when they were handed over to local makers. It's a bit of a full circle: recipes that had disappeared for centuries are back on the tap, made right here in the city. If you're into the craft beer and spirits scene in Sheffield, this is a look at the deeper history that sits behind it.

There's a bit more to it than just the talk, too. An associated art exhibition by three Sheffield artists, inspired by the city's craft alcohol movement, is showing at Triple Point Brewery & Bar until the end of November, so you can catch that separately. The session itself is part of Festival of the Mind, the University of Sheffield's celebration of its research, which pairs academics with local artists and creatives to turn complex work into public events. This is the festival's eighth edition, and it's billed as the most ambitious one yet, marking the final one under outgoing Director Professor Vanessa Toulmin, who's led it for 15 years. Since 2012, the festival has brought more than 200,000 visitors into the city centre.

It's free to attend, though advance registration is recommended. You'll find it at Channing Hall, 45 Surrey Street, Sheffield City Centre, S1 2LG, on Friday 6 November from 4pm to 6pm.