30th March 2010

Hook Horton brings new drinkers to beer as National Cask Ale Week begins with a ladies night.

Hook Norton kicked off its week of National Cask Ale Week celebrations with a ladies night at the brewery’s visitor centre in Oxfordshire. More than 60 women attended the Bring and Beer event, raising over four hundred pounds for Leukaemia Research. The ladies were asked to bring a female friend with them who does not normally drink cask ale and they were treated to a tutored tasting of Hook Norton’s beers paired with different food dishes.

Hook Norton Managing Director James Clarke said: “The evening was a fantastic way to kick off our Cask Ale Week celebrations. We should do more to honour our national drink and encourage more people to drink it. “The evening was an enjoyable, education into the wonderful world of cask ale for our guests. It was fantastic having so many women together drinking, enjoying and discussing beer. “

During Cask Ale Week we are calling on female drinkers to swap their regular tipple for a taste of real ale and are holding tastings in our pubs throughout the week.” Research by the national organizers of Cask Ale Week shows 44% of women who actually taste cask ale go on to become regular or occasional drinkers of it.

In addition to the beer tasting there were stands from the local businesses selling handmade gifts, jewellery, Aloe Vera and flowers. Jody Pettet, who was running the As Long as it Sparkles jewellery stall at the evening said as she sipped a glass of Hooky Gold: “I don’t normally drink cask ale, but I think this is a fantastic initiative.”

Her friend Olivia Barnett said she liked the way the beer was served in smaller measures in nice glasses rather than pints. National Cask Ale Week, running from 29 March – 5 April, is a celebration of Britain’s national drink and over 10,000 pubs across the UK will be staging events to encourage more of their customers to try cask beer through tastings, offers, food and beer matching and meet the brewer sessions.

To find out what’s happening in Hooky pubs go to www.hooky.co.uk
To find out what is happening nationally go to www.caskaleweek.co.uk