Beer week in Wigan is an event to savour

Kym Marsh presenting a personalised blue plaque to publican Georgia at The Golden Lion

Pubs across the borough are taking part in Cask Ale Week celebrations which began on Thursday and run until Sunday.

Pub industry expert Paul Nunny said: “Choice has grown hugely in recent years.

“There are now 151 breweries in the region, all producing fresh, natural, cask-conditioned beer.

“The kind of beer that’s not available in supermarkets.

“The kind of beer that’s served from a hand pump in a pub, or straight from the barrel at a beer festival.

“Even if each of those breweries produced only six real ales a year, that’s over 100 different local beers to explore. Now it’s worth raising a glass to that!”

During the Cask Ale Week, brewers are encouraging people to head to the pub with a view to trying something new.

The free CaskFinder app gives information on, and tasting notes for, around 10,000 beers – and an opportunity to rate them.

The app also gives beer lovers the chance to join the World’s Biggest Ale Trail and almost 900 of the 9,500 pubs on the trail can be found in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire.

Paul said: “And all of them are Cask Marque accredited.

“That means the cask beers they serve have been tested for temperature (11-13 0 C), appearance, aroma and taste – and have passed the high standards required.”

With 14 pubs closing every week, events such as Cask Ale Week and the World’s Biggest Ale Trail help to stimulate pub visits and to keep vital hubs of the community open.

In Wigan tickets are selling for the Hop & Grain Ale Trail which will take place on Saturday, October 5.

During the journey those taking part will visit nine real ale pubs between midday and 11pm.

Each pub has been visited by the organisers and selected based upon their warm welcome and selection of beers.

The pubs on the trail include: Formby’s, Hindley; Wigan Central, Wigan; Doc’s Symposium, Wigan; Twisted Vine Ale House, Ashton; The Boars Head, Standish; The Hoot, Standish; Delph Tavern, Up Holland; Holts Arms, Billinge; Albion Ale House, Standish

The inaugural Wigan Beer Week, will be celebrating ‘everything beer, everything Wigan’. and will include beer festivals, tap takeovers, brewery open days and meet the brewer events.

More unusual events taking place in the week include ‘Beer Yoga’, a Beer and Pie Festival, and the ‘Tipsy 10k’ - a 10k run/jog/walk calling for a drink at no fewer than eight pubs en-route.

For more information visithopandgrainevents.co.uk/how-our-ale-trails-work/ and Wigan Beer Week facebook page https://www.facebook.com/wiganbeerweek/