Cask ale is BACK in fashion and to celebrate pubs are giving away free beer TODAY – is your local one of them?

BOOZERS are giving away one million free tasters of beer during Cask Ale Week, which begins today.

In a bid to kick-start a cask ale comeback, more than 10,000 pubs will each be offering punters hundreds of samples of freshly poured beer.

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It is hoped that the “Try Before You Buy” campaign will breathe life back into Britain’s signature beer amid a steady, long-term decline in sales as well as in the numbers of pubs selling it.

Hampered by its clichéd reputation as an “old man’s drink”, traditional hand-pulled beers have been slowly bumped off the bar by highly carbonated lagers and craft ales.

However, a growing popularity among younger pub-goers suggests “real ale” may be ripe for a ­renaissance.

Research has revealed that an increasing number of Gen-Z drinkers are choosing cask beers which, in general, are more affordable, lower in alcohol and brewed more naturally.

Heritage status

Figures show that 25 per cent of 18 to 24-year-old beer drinkers ­regularly order cask ales at the pub — an increase of more than 50 per cent on the previous year.

Cask ale’s unique, traditional form of dispense means it is the only type of beer that can’t be sold in shops or supermarkets.

“If more people chose cask ale on just one more of their visits to the pub, it would make a big difference to the future prospects for our ­national drink — and to pubs, which are the only place to sell it,” said Fergus Fitzgerald, head brewer at Suffolk brewer Adnams.

“Ironically, cask beer seems to be more appreciated globally than it is in Britain.

“Incoming tourists put a visit to a traditional pub to enjoy a pint of foaming cask ale close to the top of their ‘must do’ list.

“Equally, many of the world’s top craft beer brewers cite British cask ale as their biggest influence.”

Earlier this year, passionate pub- goers set up a petition calling for the Government to grant cask ale and its surrounding culture Unesco heritage status.

The Unesco accolade, which acknowledges its cultural significance and artisanal practices, has already been granted to Belgian beer, French baguettes and even the “Mediterranean diet’.”

“Local pubs really need local ­customers in order to thrive,” added Fergus.

“Cask Ale Week is an opportunity for drinkers to find the style they most enjoy and show their support for British pubs and British beer.”

WHY WE LOVE IT SO MUCH

IN a bid to highlight the problems facing pubs, The Thinking Drinkers Ben and Tom recently completed “The Great British Pub Ride” – a tandem bike journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats relying ENTIRELY on the hospitality of beautiful British boozers.

At the end of each gruelling day in the saddle, they rewarded themselves with a pint of cask ale.

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Here, Ben explains why he loves cask ale so much:

“The envy of the brewing world yet criminally under-appreciated in this country, cask ale is naturally carbonated beer that undergoes secondary fermentation in the barrel.

It’s unfiltered, unpasteurised, brewery-fresh beer that is poured – alive and kicking – straight from the barrel into your glass.

Comparing cask ale in the pub to a can of mainstream lager is like comparing a freshly baked, warm crusty loaf to a bag of sliced white.

But it’s not a warm beer (served properly, it should be gently sparkling and served at between 11C-13C) and spans a broad spectrum of styles from light, hoppy pale ales and softly sweet amber beers to smooth, rich velvety stouts and super-session friendly low-alcohol brews.

In these austere times, it’s an absolute bargain compared to other beers at the bar.

Even though publicans need to work harder to keep it fresh in the cellar, cask ale costs considerably less than many mainstream lagers.

Lest we forget, it’s a more patriotic pint, too.

When you pay for a pint of cask ale, chances are you’re putting valuable pennies in the pockets of both British brewers and British farmers who provide the succulent barley and aromatic hops.

You simply cannot replicate the joys of real ale while sat on your sofa, so get down to your local, order a fresh pint of cask ale and breathe life back into the beleaguered British boozer.

If we don’t use them, we’ll lose them.”