Sisters Are Drinking It For Themselves!

CAMRA Offers Free Great British Beer Festival Tours for over 100 Women

If your opinion of beer is that it’s all bitter brown liquid or fizzy tasteless lager then a beer festival might not be your first choice for an evening out but the Campaign for Real Ale, and leading female beer expert Melissa Cole, would like to help change that.


We’ll Drink to That!

This year at the Great British Beer Festival the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is offering 175 women the chance to win A Girl’s Guide to the Great British Beer Festival – which is a walking tour led by beer expert Melissa Cole.

The Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) is run by CAMRA every year at Earls Court in London and is a beer lover’s paradise, with a choice of around 400 real ales on offer over the five day period from August 5th – 9th.

The range of brews on show is truly exceptional and all beer styles are covered - including golden ales, milds, bitters, stouts, barley wines and porters - and Melissa’s walks will take you through as many of the different beer styles at the festival as possible, explaining their flavours & attributes, whilst answering any questions you may have and throwing in a little bit of history & trivia along the way.


UK’s Biggest Bar

A multitude of breweries are featured at the GBBF - at the last count there were 272 different breweries from as far south as the Isle of Wight to the north of Scotland - all displaying their finest at Britain’s biggest beer festival.

Louise Ashworth, Head of Marketing at CAMRA said “Our research shows that only 16% of women have ever tried real ale, and we think that’s a real shame because it means a huge section of society is missing out on the pleasure of the world’s favourite drink.

“But I also understand that even if you want to try beer the GBBF presents a daunting array breweries and beer styles and, if I’m honest, it can be a bit overwhelming - especially if you don’t know your Arkell’s from your Elgood’s!

“And although we look to provide very straightforward tasting notes, using the easy-to-recognise Cyclops system, we understand that to the newcomer, or the beer novice, it can be a little confusing – which is why we’re pleased that Melissa has agreed to help us educate more women about the beauty of beer."


Glass Third Full

Melissa adds: “Having written, and talked about, beer for about nine years, I’ve met hundreds of women who say they don’t like beer and I’ve nearly always managed to change their minds.

“The GBBF is a particularly good place to start trying beer, not only because of the vast array of drinks on offer but, because CAMRA has so sensibly introduced third of pint glasses, which allow you to sample small amounts of beer without holding a big, unfeminine, glass.

“I’m really looking forward to helping women who want to try beer, but who may lack the confidence to do so.”


Competition Time

CAMRA is inviting women who haven’t tried real ale before or are inexperienced real ale drinkers to contact us if they would like to come on this beer voyage at the Great British Beer Festival.

CAMRA will be supplying free entry tickets and beer tokens to 25 women per tour. If you are interested in attending please email louise.ashworth@camra.org.uk and tell me why you would like to come, your preference as to when you would like to come, and what your favourite tipple currently is.

The walks are scheduled for:

Tuesday 5th August 6.30pm
Wednesday 6th August 6.30pm and 7.45pm
Thursday 7th August 6.30pm and 7.45pm
Friday 8th August 6.30pm and 7.45pm
A Girl’s Guide to the GBBF information sheet will also be available at the Information Stand at the festival.


ENDS

Notes to editors:

CAMRA campaigns for real ale, real pubs and consumer rights. We are an independent, voluntary organisation with over 90,000 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. We aim to:

Protect and improve consumer rights
Promote quality, choice and value for money
Support the public house as a focus of community life
Campaign for greater appreciation of traditional beers, ciders and perries as part of our national heritage and culture
Seek improvements in all licensed premises and throughout the brewing industry

Melissa Cole Biography:

Melissa Cole is an independent beer journalist and member of the British Guild of Beer Writers. She is also a partner in corporate beer tasting and trade training business lovebeer@borough – based above the award-winning Rake bar in the world-famous Borough Market.

She regularly judges events such as the Great British Beer Festival, the World Beer Competition and the International Beer Challenge and contributes to Sainsbury’s magazine, What’s Brewing and Beers of the World, as well as specialist titles such as the Publican and Imbibe. She has also appeared on TV and radio as a beer expert, most recently on Market Kitchen and Something for the Weekend.

For more information:

CAMRA Press Office - 01727 798443
Melissa Cole - 07798 568400

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale
230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4LW
www.camra.org.uk