Lounging at a picnic table with a real ale in hand and a scorecard in the other is a fine way to while away a summer afternoon.
At one of the beer festivals dotted up and down the country, connoisseurs gather to sample a stout, give a golden ale a go or meander into a world of milds. They also get drunk.
As the real ale revolution, spearheaded by CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale), has picked up speed over the past few years, the market for a pump IPA has exploded.
Now the real ale world has opened up, you can find your favourite cask ale in almost any pub or bar, and beer festivals are no longer the preserve of middle aged men crouched… Read the full story