The Mild Magic Ale Trail, organised by the Stockport branch of CAMRA and sponsored by Hydes Brewery, has been smashing records this year.
Justin Smith, who travelled 5,000 miles from the US to take part in the Mild Magic Ale Trail
Despite only 97 pubs being involved this year, and being a week shorter than usual, just over 200 drinkers took on the challenge to visit at least 12 pubs and try some mild ale. That’s a 35% increase over 2023.
It is estimated that around 4,000 pub visits took place during the five weeks of the trail, and participants sunk around 3,000 pints of this rare beer style.
Everyone won an item of clothing, ranging from a t-shirt to a sweatshirt, all featuring the Mild Magic logo.
More than 80 different milds were reported, 15 more than last year. They ranged from light, low-gravity milds, to very strong versions, including the classic Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby, which was voted best mild on the Ale Trail.
Pubs stocking this beer included the Castle, in Macclesfield, which was voted champion pub of the trail, and Ye Olde Vic, Edgeley, in Stockport, where the cask was put on for the final weekend and only lasted a couple of hours.
People came from across Greater Manchester, the North, and Midlands to participate. But none could compete with Justin Smith, who travelled 5,000 miles from his home town of Bellingham, near Seattle on the US West Coast.
Beer aficionado Justin managed to visit around 20 qualifying pubs during his visit to the Manchester area, as well as visiting other independent bars in the city. He also made trips out to Macclesfield and Liverpool, and still had time to take in the Elbow concert at Co-op Live!
Justin said: “I’m a big fan of places with a strong beer culture, especially if the local beer scene offers something traditional.
Hydes Anvil Light was revived this year for the Ale Trail
“In Manchester, they have long supported the mild beer style, which is very rare in the USA. I had never made it to the UK before, so when I heard about the Mild Magic Ale Trail, I decided this was an ideal opportunity for a visit.
“The variety of pubs and bars was amazing; they are great social meeting places. I enjoyed the light and dark milds from the traditional Manchester family breweries Hydes and Holts, as well as the offerings from other local brewers such as Marble, Blackjack and Track.
“This was a great promotion for CAMRA and I will proudly wear my special Mild Magic t-shirt in bars back home and on my future travels.”
Organiser Darren Berry said: “There was a great buzz about the Ale Trail this year, and my thanks go to all the pubs who joined in and went to great lengths to source beers from local independent brewers.
“Many brand new milds were noted, and these included some speciality versions, such as one brewed in the Belgian style using Abbaye yeast, as well as a rhubarb and custard mild!
“Thanks also to everyone who took part and helped us break records. We are planning to run the event again in 2025, when we hope even more people will join us on this beer adventure.”
About the Ale Trail
The Mild Magic Ale Trail is an annual event and is organised by the Stockport and South Manchester branch of CAMRA, in association with the High Peak branch, to promote the endangered mild beer style.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the trail. Fifty-five pubs took part in 1994 — 24 of these have since closed, and three more no longer offer cask ale.
Many of the pubs in those days sold Robinsons Hatters Mild, now discontinued, and Hydes Anvil Light, which was revived this year as a one-off special in time for Mild Magic. Holts Mild is still brewed and can be found in a number of their pubs. They also brewed a one-off special, Mellow Mild, for this year’s ale trail.
