Recently in Ales Category

Fancy sampling a half-dozen of the region's best real ales next weekend in the comfort of a Warwick pub?

The Rose & Crown, in the town's market place, is holding a mini-festival next Friday and Saturday. The event's being sponsored by Purity, and as well as brewery's beers, there'll be representation from Wye Valley, Church End, Slaughterhouse, Hobsons and Salopian.

The Campaign for Real Ale anticipates a record turnout for the 2009 National Winter Ales Festival, to be launched at Manchester's New Century Hall at 4pm this afternoon.

Organiser Graham Donning said an additional 3500 pints had been laid for this year's four-day celebration of the season's beers. "We've ignored bleak economic forecasts and warnings of decreased consumer spending with one of our biggest beer orders to date.

"We believe this show of adversity will be well-received by consumers, who last year really helped make the event such a success."

Full details of the 200+ British and foreign beers on tap were available at the festival website, he added.

"The fact last year's attendance figures were over one thousand up on 2007 also gave us an indication of the potential for this year. In addition to a bigger beer order, we have a greater selection of cider and perry, which, considering the growing profile of CAMRA's National Cider and Perry Month in October, we anticipate will sell out by the final day."