Wetherspoon festival offers 50-strong list

November 1, 2007: JD Wetherspoon's autumn Real Ale Festival gets under way today with a selection of 50 beers in the programme.

As ever the idea is to feature as many of the 50 beers as possible in individual Wetherspoon houses over the 18-day duration of the festival.

Real ale connoisseurs and beer 'virgins' alike will be able to sample three beers at a time, in third-pint tasting glasses, for the price of a normal festival pint. Third pint glasses were used this year at the Campaign for Real Ale's Great British Beer Festival at Earl's Court, London, and proved a tremendously popular method of sampling a wide range of beers.

Tasting notes will accompany the range of brews on offer and, integral to the festivities, enthusiasts will be able to test their knowledge and improve their understanding of cask conditioned beers and brewers, by taking the Real Ale University Challenge - a fun interactive quiz that ties in with the festival's 'University of Ale' theme. Drinkers will also be able to officially rate their favourite tipples, eventually resulting in a festival champion.

Since opening its first free house in London, in 1979, the JD Wetherspoon network has expanded across the UK. The company now has 677 free houses and employs more than 18,000 staff, making it one of the most successful and popular high street chains.

Over the last decade the pubco has won over 50 national and regional awards, acknowledging excellence in all aspects of its business. In total, 133 Wetherspoon pubs are listed in the 2008 Good Beer Guide.

Organised by the high street pub chain, as part of its ongoing mission to promote the very best in seasonal, organic, imported and fruity ales that are available in the UK today, the real ale festival will run until Sunday, November 18.

The beer list

3 Rivers: Murphy's Law (4.5%)
Anker Gouden: Carolus Blond (5.5%)
Arkell's: 3B (4%)
Arran: Dark (4.3%)
Arundel: Lazy Willie (4.5%)
Banks's: salute Ale (4.1%)
Batemans: XXXB (4.8%)
Butcombe: Traditional Bitter (4%)
Caledonian: Golden Promise (4.4%)
Cains: Fine Raisin Beer (5%)
Clark's: Rams Revenge (4.6%)
Coach House: Gunpowder (3.8%)
Cotleigh: Brew Town (5%)
Ecaussinnes: Fruit Beer (5%)
Elgood's: North Brink Porter (5%)
Evans Evans: Full Cry (4.3%)
Everards: Terra Firma (4.5%)
Exmoor: Brew Town (4%)
Greene King: Abbot Reserve (6.5%)
Hampshire: King Alfred's (3.8%)
Hanby: Golden Honey (4.5%)
Harviestoun: Ice Maiden (4.2%)
Highgate: Davenports IPA (4%)
Holden's: Super Nova (4.1%)
Hook Norton: Hooky Gold (4.1%)
Hydes: Atomic (4.9%)
Inveralmond: Lia Fail (4.7%)
Jennings: Sneck Lifter (5.1%)
Mighty Oak: Maldon Gold (3.8%)
Moorhouse's: Black Cat (3.4%)
Mordue: Workie Ticket (4.5%)
Nethergate: Umbel Magna (5%)
O'Hanlon's: Dry Stout (4.2%)
Oakham: Gravity (5.1%)
Okells: Bitter (3.7%)
Orkney: Red MacGregor (4%)
Phoenix: Wobbly Bob (6%)
RCH: Old Slug Porter (4.5%)
Robinson's: Old Tom (8.5%)
Smiles: Cheeky Pint (3.8%)
Spinning Dog: Mutley's Pit Stop (4%)
Springhead: Goodrich Castle (4.4%)
St Austell: Tribute (4.2%)
Thwaites: Flying Shuttle (4.6%)
Titanic: Iceberg (4.1%)
Tom Wood's: Lincolnshire Legend (4.2%)
Wells: Banana Bread Beer (4.5%)
Wickwar: Autumn Ale (4.6%)
Wrangham's: Grand Old Duke (4.1%)
York: Centurion's Ghost (5.4%)

4 Comment on this story at our forum