Britain’s pubs will be offering one million free ‘Try Before You Buy’ tasters of beer during Cask Ale Week in September this year.
The sampling campaign will see 10,000 pubs offer at least 100 freshly poured shots of cask ale each throughout Cask Ale Week, which runs from 17-27 September 2026. The aim is to give younger drinkers in particular the opportunity to try Britain’s national beer style, and hopefully convert them into regular cask ale drinkers.
Research by the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA) shows that:
- 41% of consumers say a sample of cask ale would encourage them to try it;
- 28% say they would try cask if they knew more about it;
- 26% say they would try it on the recommendation of bar staff.
(Source: The SIBA Independent Beer Report 2026)
Samples will be offered in every style of cask ale, from light and hoppy pale ales via amber best bitters, to dark, smooth stouts. including low alcohol options. Customers at participating pubs can pick their style, enjoy a free taster, and hopefully go on to order a pint or two.
With Timothy Taylor’s Landlord the UK’s best-selling cask ale brand by both value and volume, Andy Leman, head brewer at the Yorkshire-based independent family brewery, says: “Cask Ale Week is an excellent springboard to get drinkers talking about what makes cask beer so special, and why it remains vital to British pub culture.
“One of the most effective ways of encouraging people to drink cask ale is to give them a taster so that they can sample the beer, and appreciate the complexity and flavour of the many different styles brewed in this country.
“We know that there’s plenty of interest amongst 18-24 year olds in trying cask beer brands that are familiar fixtures on the bar, but which they may want to know more about flavour-wise. Giving these so-called cask-curious, and price-conscious, consumers a chance to try-before-they-buy could help increase the reach to a new generation of cask converts.
“During Cask Ale Week, we have an opportunity to share our passion for the country’s traditional cask ale brewing heritage by offering tasters in pubs to help strengthen the viability and longevity of the category, and give much-needed support to Britain’s pubs.”
Many pubs will also be offering taster flights of beer during Cask Ale Week, giving customers the opportunity to try a combination of cask styles, usually three one-thirds of a pint of different ales.
What’s special about cask ale?
- Cask ale is a uniquely British drink that can only be enjoyed in pubs and bars – so support for cask is also support for your local!
- It’s an artisan, flavoursome product that comes in all colours and flavours from pale ales to dark stouts.
- Cask ale is a living drink that continues to ferment in the cask in the pub cellar. Served in top condition, nothing beats a pint of cask ale.
The Cask Ale Market in 2026
- The average price of a pint of cask beer is £4.54, compared to an overall average of £4.97 a pint.
- Cask ale is often the best value for money on the bar – cask ale accounts for 8.1% of draught beer sales by volume but just 7.4% by value.
- Food pubs tend to sell more cask ale, with cask accounting for 12.5%, or £1 in every £8, of spending on beer in food pubs. This compares to £1 in every £13 spent on beer in all pubs.
(Source: CGA by NIQ OPMS P05 (16/05/26))
