TODAY is a quite a special day for breweries, pubs and beer drinkers alike as it marks the start of Cask Ale Week - an 11- day celebration of a wonderful British drink.

The campaign gives brewers and publicans an ideal opportunity to promote a beverage that now accounts for 16 per cent of on-trade sales and is expected to hit 20 per cent by 2020.

I am sure that many pubs and clubs will have liaised with the Cask Ale Week team in order to promote their product. And hopefully it will encourage more customers through their doors.

It also gives me an opportunity to recommend some of the localities fine beers for Cask Ale Week, beers that have made, in my opinion, a significant contribution to the continuing popularity of cask conditioned beer in East Lancashire and beyond.

I intentionally commence with an easy drinking beer, that would be ideal to encourage new drinkers to cask ale; migration from other beers being one of the campaigns main objectives.

Reedley Hallows’ Pendleside (4.0%) is an immensely popular local beer. Regularly available in many pubs and clubs it is golden in appearance. and boasts a malty aroma that leads to a malty, floral and fruity flavour. There’s a hint of honey sweetness too. A soft, fruity bitterness in the finish. It’s a delight. Take a bow, Pete Gouldsborough.

Another beer I would recommend to both novice and seasoned ale quaffers, is Moorhouse’s, Pride of Pendle (4.1%). It’s a brewing masterpiece. Amber in presentation, it has a subtle caramel malt aroma. Biscuity malt, a hint of tangy orange and spice are detected. This is a perfect marriage for the soft, fruity hopped bitterness.

The third choice is from Accrington’s Big Clock Brewery. PALS (4.0%) is an ideal easy drinking beverage.. It’s a pale ale styled beer. Light blonde in presentation it is light, refreshing, fruity and floral with a soft, bitter hopped finish. It is brewer, Justin Grant’s best seller and no wonder. It’s a proper tasty tastebud tingler.

Final recommendation is from the Three B’s Brewery. Brewer, Bob Bell, brews beautiful beer. And Bob’s, Doff Cocker (4.5%) is a smooth, robust, golden ale with a citrusy aroma where caramel malt and lemony flavours are in charge. A dry and subtle bitter hopped finish, it’s a crisp, delicious and thirst quenching beer.

Hopefully, the above ales will have whetted your appetite for Cask Ale Week. In fact for any week. Let’s support our local breweries and pubs. We are so fortunate to have so many in our area.