'Try before you buy' scheme to boost Wadworth beers

Wadworth is trying to turn more people onto cask beer by using a "try before you buy" scheme in its pubs.

The Devizes-based brewer, whose brands include Wadworth 6X, is trying to spread the gospel of cask beer and, according to head of marketing Dick Stafford, one very good way of doing this is to encourage pub-goers to taste the beer before purchase.

"Try before you buy is a good guarantee of beer quality," he said. "It reassures customers on what they are about to buy."

Wadworth has developed a "smiley pint" logo, which has been put on pump clips and stuck next to bar tops, to publicise the initiative, which has been running since March.

"We are aiming at people who are curious about cask beer, at customers who usually order other drinks, such as a lager, and at women. It is about trying to recruit new people to the category," said Mr Stafford.

Wadworth has emphasised its commitment to beer quality thanks to the recent introduction of a "pint-sized" brewery on the premises.

It allows Wadworth's brewers to experiment with new brews with a view to introducing them in the company's estate.

The brewers recently concocted a new mild beer and it is currently on trial in 14 Wadworth pubs.

A spokesman for the brewery also confirmed that Wadworth would be re-issuing its whisky-flavoured Old Timer beer for Christmas. Old Timer is one of the brewery's traditional year-end beers, but over recent years the brewers have been storing it in wooden casks, giving the beer a festive whisky flavour.