CAMRA’s National Winter Ales Festival has kicked off with a bang with an ale from one of Blighty’s sunnier climes crowned its Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2012.
Pete Martin from Cornish microbrewery Driftwood was nothing if not surprised when his creation, Alfie’s Revenge, scooped the award ahead of the best brews from over 100 other breweries.
Driftwood Brewery is situated in one of the country’s most sociable brewpubs, the Driftwood Spars, run by the vivacious Lou Treseder. “We’re thrilled to win,” she said. “It will be a big boost to the pub and brewery and help raise the profile of Cornish brewing and our brewery tours.”
Calling all ladies who love flavour, have you entered Jane Peyton’s competition for aspiring brewsters? There’s less than a week to go – closing date is end of January – so don’t miss your chance to win a day brewing with founder of Brewsters brewery, Sara Barton.
Are you all sorted for Burns Night, that annual excuse for an unashamedly Scots-infused celebration?
In a reflection both of the momentous year ahead and the desire of restaurants and bars to stock good local wines, English and Welsh still wines are to have their own category in this year's 
I have a cider alert set up on Google at the moment, which means that every single time that cider gets a mention in the news – be that The Telegraph, The New York Times, LA Weekly or Hereford Times – I get wind of it, along with a convenient link.
Price, quality and 2011 vintage prospects were all raised as English wine industry insiders consulted their crystal balls in a 