HAVE you ever found yourself in a pub drinking Moonshine with a Cocky Blonde?
If you haven’t, you don’t know what you’ve been missing.
Fortunately, beer-lovers in Birmingham now have the opportunity to sup both a pint of Moonshine (an amber ale from Cornwall) alongside a glass of Cumbrian-brewed Cocky Blonde (“light, refreshing, with a delicate hint of strawberry”) thanks to an event dubbed “the world’s biggest real ale and cider festival”.
Until April 10, Wetherspoon is running a big celebration of the diversity of British bitters, milds, stouts and ciders, many of them brewed especially for the festival.
From an epic tasting list of 50 brews, drinkers will have the opportunity to sample some hearty traditional ales alongside a range of speciality beers made with fruits, chocolate and honey. The best of overseas brewing is also represented.
Real ale aficionados will be able to test their knowledge of hops including Green Bullet, Fuggles, Styrian, First Gold and Willamette.
The Birmingham launch was held at the Figure of Eight pub on Broad Street and business was brisk. Heath Curley, Birmingham area manager for Wetherspoon, said: “We are aiming to sell three-and-a-half million pints across the country. We get a lot of specialist ale drinkers for the festival, but it is not just about ale. We have ten ciders as well and cider is becoming very popular.”
Of the ciders, Westons has a limited edition blend with a raspberry twist and there’s a potent medium-sweet perry with a 7.5%ABV.
Beers from the Midlands are represented at the festival by Dudley-based Holden’s April Shower; Titanic brewery’s Tug Light Mild, from Stoke-on-Trent; and Lymestone Gaul Stone, from Stone, Staffordshire.
Mick Huxley, head brewer at Slater’s Ales, Stafford, was on hand at the launch to talk to drinkers about the growing popularity of local real ales and speciality brews.
Mick said: “We can brew speciality ales using a different variety of hops and different malts. Our Chocolate Orange Ale is made with pure chocolate, chocolate malt and orange peel.”
