BEER NEWS - September 2009

Ascot Beer festival - ticket dicounts!

The 3rd Ascot Racecourse Beer Festival, in association with CAMRA, runs on Friday 25th & Saturday 26th September 2009. You can expect more than just excellent quality racing, as the Berkshire South East branch of CAMRA and Fuller's will be showcasing over 160 beers, ciders and perries predominantly from local craft brewers. John Blake, Head of Sales and Marketing at the Berkshire track, said 'We realise that times are tough for brewers and consumers alike, therefore we felt it was only fair to hold our beer prices for the second consecutive year. With admission starting at �10 and a pint just �2.50 it is the perfect opportunity to visit the World's Most Famous Racecourse." Barbus Barbus form Butt's Brewery returns to defend its title of the Ascot Racecourse Beer of the Festival. This is very much a people's award as it is the racegoers who will be voting for their

Gales Seafarers Ale launches in a bottle

Fuller's has announced that the latest addition to its cask range, Gales Seafarers Ale, will also be available in a 500ml bottle in selected Sainsbury's stores from mid-September. Seafarers Ale was developed as "a tribute to Gales' close association with all who sail the seas." Launched as a year-round beer in April 2009, Seafarers Ale has already sailed past the 1,000 barrels sold mark, resulting in a donation to Seafarers UK, the leading maritime charity, of �5,000. The charity donation is ongoing and was recently increased to �5 per barrel, backdated to the very first pint. The bottled beer is 4.2% ABV and features the distinctive Seafarers Ale logo

Whatta Lotta Otter

Robin Appel Ltd, barley merchants and guardians of the famous Maris Otter variety, report a remarkable outcome from the 2009 harvest, given a far from ideal growing season. Over the past few weeks, harvested crops have delivered "some wonderful samples of malting barley." From Falmouth to Fakenham, from Winchester to York, farmers have managed to harvest great quality and acceptable yields. Robine Appel says the demand from brewers for premium quality malt remains both positive and resilient: "This is the clear message from across the industry both in the UK and overseas, including the USA. Orders for new crop plantings of Maris Otter have remained firm and maltsters have already placed orders with growers to produce another large crop in 2010.

Eastbourne Beer Festival

Eastbourne is hosting one of the region's largest Beer Festivals in the Winter Garden from 8-10 October 2009, with over 120 real ales on draft including the resort's very own Beachy Head Original Ale and Legless Rambler from the South Downs' Beachy Head Brewery. With bottled beers from around the world, fine wines, ciders, and perries also available, festival fans can drink around the globe with a Brahma Chop from Brazil or a Mac's Gold from Down Under. Attracting nearly 3,800 visitors across the three days, the Eastbourne Festival is looking ahead to a busy year and says that tickets for the Friday night have almost sold out already, with festival goers expected to top last year's consumption of 11,700 pints. See eastbournebeerfestival.co.uk

Meanders in Flanders

Belgium is renowned as a beer lovers' paradise, and a campaign called "Best of Beer in Flanders" aims to guide visitors through Flanders countryside and cities with their wealthy beer tradition. The campaign, in collaboration with the Flemish government, was launched in March 2009 and over 500 restaurants and pubs have registered to organise beer tasting sessions or to offer beer inspired menus. A wide range of hotels have provided special accommodation arrangements, and more than 100 breweries will open their doors to visitors. Now, a new website in English includes information about where to enjoy beer