Ailing brewers raise a glass as cask beer sales rise for first time since 1982

By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspodent

After years in the wilderness, fans and brewers of Britain’s national drink have a perfect excuse for a party: consumption of bitter has risen for the first time in nearly three decades.

Drinkers sank 2.3 million more pints of cask beer in the first half of this year than in the first half of 2008, an industry report reveals. The last time full-year real-ale consumption rose was in 1982, when the Human League’s Don’t You Want Me topped the new-year singles chart and Ronald Reagan was the US President. The 1 per cent rise could, experts believe, mark the reversal of a long-term trend towards mass-produced lager backed by slick advertising campaigns.

Market researchers at AC Nielsen collected the figures for this year’s Cask Ale Report, commissioned by a collection of regional breweries and the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra). According to the report, the number barrels of beer consumed rose from 817,000 to 825,000 between the first halves of 2008 and 2009, an increase from 235 million to 237 million pints. The report said 400,000 new drinkers tried cask ales last year and the number of breweries making them – 660 – was the highest for 60 years. Real ale’s profile has also been boosted by two new TV series about beer: Oz and James Drink to Britain and Neil Morrissey’s Risky Business, it added.

“Turnaround stories don’t get much better than cask beer’s,” said Pete Brown, the beer blogger who wrote the report.”In a shrinking on-trade beer market, cask is the only category to show growth, albeit modest, of 1 per cent in the first half of 2009. What’s most important for Britain’s licensees is that there’s compelling evidence to show that cask beer can offer them a lifeline out of the recession.”

For the full article go to:  The Independent