Cask Ale

Charge your glasses: some tasty treats are set to be available for pubs and bars this week

New products round-up

3 in 1 font from Thatchers, Krombacher Pils cans hit on-trade

By Gary Lloyd

Claimed to be a first for the cider industry, Thatchers has launched its 3 in 1 font for serving fruit ciders. Also in the world of new products, Krombacher has rolled out its Pils cans to the on-trade, Black Sheep releases details on its seasonal cask...

How can pubs improve quality on cask beer?

Sharp's looks to tackle quality challenges on cask

By Ed Bedington

It has been 10 years since the deal that saw Molson Coors snap up cask disruptor Sharp’s, and the combined business continues to go from strength to strength with the launch of new initiatives to drive the brand and the category forward.

Big ambitions: Anspach & Hobday says its stout is set to rival Guinness

Anspach & Hobday smashes crowdfunding target

By Gary Lloyd

South London-based brewer and operator Anspach & Hobday has almost doubled its crowdfunding target as it looks to expand its production facilities in a bid to take on Guinness with its London Black stout.

A player in many markets: JW Lees operates 42 managed houses and has 96 Pub Partners

JW Lees ready to expand in 2022

By Gary Lloyd

Historic brewer and pub operator JW Lees has hunkered down during the pandemic to concentrate on survival first and foremost but that looks certain to change in the new year.

Something for the weekend? The latest new products and news

New products round-up

Hofmeister crowdfunding, Bone Daddies and Deya collab beer

By Gary Lloyd

Among the new products on offer this week are a collaboration brew from Bone Daddies and Deya, Beavertown's new hard seltzer range and a liqueur range from Witch Kings Rum. There is also news on a crowdfunding campaign from Hofmeister.

Plenty to choose from: the cask ale category is always hard fought (credit: Getty/ Rouzes)

The Drinks List

Doom Bar leads cask ale sales in on-trade

By Gary Lloyd

There has been much discussion on how cask ale’s fortunes are potentially at a tipping point during the past few years and the closure of pubs has certainly been no help in that scenario.

What are the best selling alcohol brands of 2021?

The Drinks List

The Drinks List – top brands to stock in 2022

By The Morning Advertiser

This year’s Drinks List has been impacted by the fact the on-trade sector was either in lockdown or operating under restrictions from October 2020 to July 2021, which was a longer period than when the results was previously compiled.

Northern powerhouse: Robinsons is based in Stockport, Greater Manchester

Why Robinsons is a real Trooper

By Gary Lloyd

Independent family brewer and pub operator Frederic Robinson, or better known simply as Robinsons, has been running from its Stockport base for more than 180 years.

Top spot: Cloudwater Brew Co has brewed 816 different beers

Cloudwater rated best independent brewery in UK

By Gary Lloyd

Manchester-based Cloudwater Brew Co has been ranked as the best independent brewery in the UK, according to new research that has taken Google ratings and RateBeer scores into consideration.

Price drop announced: JDW chairman Tim Martin

JDW drops prices on three alcoholic serves to 99p

By Gary Lloyd

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) will reduce prices on a trio of alcoholic drinks to 99p at 671 of its pubs but minimum unit pricing means customers to sites in Scotland and Wales will pay £1.10 on one of those lines.

What has Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company achieved in its first year?

Big Interview

Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company celebrates first year of merger

By Gary Lloyd

A year ago, brewing giants Carlsberg UK and Marston’s joined forces to become Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC). Here, CMBC chief executive Paul Davies tells The Morning Advertiser what’s been achieved in the year and what’s yet to come.

Unique product: cask ale is typically British and can't be recreated outside the pub (credit: Getty/urbancow)

Don’t undersell cask beer – it can’t be replicated at home

By Gary Lloyd

“There’s nothing like this.” Some of the more ‘seasoned’ readers may remember this as a hit song for soul singer Omar 30 years again when it peaked at number 14 in the UK music charts. However, the statement also rings true of cask ale.

The festival will feature 130 craft beers from 22 different breweries

Tap Takeover returns to Brighton

By Rebecca Weller

Laine Brewing Company has announced the return of the UK’s biggest city-wide beer festival in Brighton from 22 to 24 October 2021.

Stock up now: this week's new product launches

New products round-up

Bumper week for new product launches

By Gary Lloyd

Cask Hobgoblin IPA, three vodkas from Masons of Yorkshire and Fuller’s Vintage Ale are among the new products to hit the market this week.

Expert session: The panel is in support of Cask Ale Week

Theakston unites cask and craft with virtual panel event

By Michelle Perrett

Yorkshire brewery T&R Theakston is set to bring together leading figures from the beer and hospitality trades through a discussion panel, entitled “Cask Meets Craft” to be held on Friday, 1 October at 6pm.

What is happening for Cask Ale Week?

Pubs urged to celebrate Cask Ale Week

By Michelle Perrett

Pubs are being urged to celebrate Cask Beer Week, which runs from 23 September to 3 October, to help boost trade in the wake of the pandemic.

Start date: the social media campaign launches next week (Monday 19 July), coinciding with lockdown measures in England being relaxed

Campaign launched to champion cask beer

By Nikkie Thatcher

A social media campaign has been created, coinciding with lockdown measures being relaxed in England, to help highlight the importance of cask beer.

Beer waste too bitter a pill: ‘As I engage with my own customers, I’ve learned that many have decided to leave their real ale taps off for the foreseeable future’

Opinion

We need to talk about cask…

By Sarah John, director, Boss Brewing

Like so many of us in this industry, I share in the hope that is being pinned on Monday 12 April – for England at least, if not for my home country of Wales.

Mixed cask: sales are up and down

Drinks List 2020

Top-performing cask ales in UK pubs

By Nicholas Robinson

It is not possible to replicate the cask beer experience outside the pub so if you can give customers the real thing, why would they want to even try to replicate it at home?

Make a splash: will cask ale sales rise again?

A mixed bag for cask ale sales

By Nicholas Robinson

The on-trade offers the optimum place to drink cask ale, yet despite all the work that goes into it, the category is still to realise its full potential – but there is light at the end of the tunnel

Super cool: Doom Bar goes for extra chilled appeal

Sharp’s trials Doom Bar Extra Chilled

By Nicholas Robinson

Molson Coors-owned Sharp’s Brewery is trialling its iconic Doom Bar brew as an extra-chilled variant because the brewer claims more consumers prefer cooler pints.

Perspective: CAMRA's new national chairman Jackie Parker is looking to the future

OPINION: ‘Judge CAMRA on the actions of the majority,’ says Jackie Parker

By Jackie Parker, CAMRA national chairman

The dust has yet to settle on what will go down in history as one of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) most turbulent weekends, but new national chairman Jackie Parker's outlook for the the organisation’s future is optimistic and she also has some...

Slowdown: the number of wet-led pubs has fallen by almost 20% in five years but the rate has slowed from 6% in 2014 to 3% in 2017

Wet-led sales are on the up

By Nikkie Sutton

Drink-focused venues may have been the hardest hit in recent years, but they are beginning to fight back, latest figures have shown.

Election hopeful: Nicholas Hair called for CAMRA to act as a 'disruptor' and called for an end to the tied pub system

CAMRA election hopeful targets increased political presence

By James Beeson

Nicholas Hair, regional young members' co-ordinator for the Kent branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) vowed to increase the organisation’s political influence as he seeks election to its national executive.

Big change: Colin Valentine (l) and Tim Page (r)

CAMRA bosses outline the organisation’s future

By Nicholas Robinson

A need to know the whereabouts of the Campaign For Real Ale’s (CAMRA) ‘mojo’ immediately intensified following the consumer organisation’s announcement last month that it plans to recognise all ‘good-quality’ beers and ciders, instead of focusing on cask...

Don't waste it: make sure you're not pouring profits down the drip tray with these handy tips

Why pubs are pouring profits away with bad head

By Georgina Townshend

Pubs are unnecessarily pouring profits down the drain by falling short of a full measure, according to cellar management trainer and Cask Marque assessor Day Harvey.

Knowledge gap: Make sure you hop on the right line when it comes to improving cellar skills

Cellar skills: banish common mistakes many staff still make

By Georgina Townshend

For some staff, the pub cellar is ‘out of sight out of mind’. But unless you want off ale and ice cream beers, it’s a space that should be treated with respect. The Morning Advertiser (MA) joins a cellar management training course

Spotlight

Beer Report 2024 available now to download for free Access the Beer Report 2024 now for free The Morning Advertiser's Lock In Podcast episode 77 S4 Ep. 14: Stars in bars! (Feat. James May, Candice Brown and more) Competition kicked off: entry for the 2024 Great British Pub Awards is now open Hunt is under way for the Great British Pub of the Year The Morning Advertiser's Lock In podcast shortlisted for award Lock In podcast shortlisted for top award

Property of the week

KENT - HIGH QUALITY FAMILY FRIENDLY PUB

£ 60,000 - Leasehold

Busy location on coastal main road Extensively renovated detached public house Five trade areas (100)  Sizeable refurbished 4-5 bedroom accommodation Newly created beer garden (125) Established and popular business...

Most popular News

Follow us

The MA Lock In Podcast

Join us for a Lock In

Pub Trade Guides

View more