Will Mad Onna put ale in vogue?
Organizers of the Peterborough Beer Festival are hoping to attract a new generation of real ale fans to the event.
The huge annual festival kicked off yesterday, and record crowds are expected to down thousands of pints over the next few days.
Hundreds of popular beers are on sale at the festival on The Embankment, along with a few brewed especially for the event.
Real ale is often thought to be the drink of old men with big beards, but, in a bid to shed the unfashionable image, members of the Campaign For Real Ale (Camra) have come up with a plan to attract a wider age group.
A new beer commissioned by the group has been named Mad Onna, after American pop star Madonna, who recently revealed she is a huge real ale fan.
Harry Morten, a spokesman for the city’s Camra branch, today said the 4.3 per cent proof ale was expected to be extremely popular with drinkers.
He said: “We were delighted when earlier this year Madonna stated she is a big fan of real ale. She is proof that real ale can be enjoyed by all.”
“Many people believe that real ale is enjoyed only by old men, but by looking at the people who attend the beer festival, you can see that is not true.
“We brew a beer each year for the festival, but I do not think we have ever had one better than Mad Onna.”
Source: Peterborough Now