Ascot Ales to brew a Festival Special for the 4th CAMRA Ascot Racecourse Beer Festival

It has been announced today that Ascot Ales will brew a festival special for the 4th Annual Ascot Racecourse CAMRA Beer Festival on Friday 24th And Saturday 25th September.

Ascot Ales Cob wil be a 4.5% Hazelnut Porter. Head Brewer Chris Gill explains ‘This beautiful smooth chestnut ale has an initial subtle hazelnut flavour followed with rich chocolate at the finish’. The name Cob represents the link between brewing, with the hazelnut base of the porter, and the equie world with Cob being another name for a a stout strong horse.

Ascot Ales have supported the Ascot Racecourse Beer Festival, organised by the Berkshire South East branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, since its inception in 2007 and the brewery will again be sponsoring the staff t-shirts in 2010. The racing over the two days of the Beer Festival is of the highest quality including Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by Sony, Euope’s highest rated mile race.

The Campaign for Real Ale campaigns for real ale, real pubs and consumer rights. They are an independent, voluntary organisation with over 100,000 members and have been described as the most successful consumer group in Europe. CAMRA promotes good-quality real ale and pubs, as well as acting as the consumer's champion in relation to the UK and European beer and drinks industry: www.camra.org.uk.

Past winners of the Beer of the Festival Award as voted for by racegoers are as follows:2007: Summer Lightning brewed by Hop Back Brewery, Downton, Wiltshire.2008: Barbus Barbus brewed by Butts Brewery, Great Shefford, Berkshire.2009: Sump brewed by Pitstop Brewery, Wantage, Oxfordshire.

Ascot Ales http://www.ascot-ales.co.uk/ brew five regular beers; their flagship bitter Posh Pooch so named after a local woman was seen walking a dog with a diamond necklace - the dog that is!

Ascot’s Alligator Ale, a wonderful hoppy golden ale, was originally a summer seasonal, but due to popular demand is now brewed all year round. It won Best Golden Ale at Woking Beer Festival in November 2008.

Their third regular is Anastasia's Exile Stout also, unusually, brewed all year round. This is another award winner and is the house stout at the Nags Head in Reading. On The Rails was originally brewed as a festival special for Ascot Beer Festival in 2008 and has since become a regular. It's a smooth drinking dark ale with caramel and chocolate flavours from the malt and a great aroma of pine and citrus from whole hop flowers making this a memorable session beer.

The latest addition is Alley Cat Ale at 3.8%. It's their new light copper ale packed full of flavour. Refreshing and hoppy with Brewers Gold hops giving gorgeous romas of tropical and lemony fruits - a terrific session ale.

Tickets for the Ascot Racecourse Beer Festival start from just £11. To book call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk. Gates and bars open at 11am with the first race off at 2pm. A voucher system will be in operation for all Beer Festival ales, perries and ciders. A half pint is priced at £1.40 and a pint £2.80. A limited edition commemorative oversized pint glass is available for £4.