With the nights drawing in, and temperatures dropping, what could be more relaxing than meeting with friends for a warming winter beer in a cosy pub? You can do just that on CAMRA’s Winter Warmer Wander ale trail, sponsored by Robinsons brewery, while collecting stickers from pubs to win great prizes. Anyone can join in, you don’t have to be a CAMRA member.

The annual celebration of festive beers runs from Friday 15 November to Sunday 29 December, with 65 pubs involved across Greater Manchester. Winter Warmer Wander is organised by Stockport & South Manchester CAMRA, in association with the High Peak, Tameside and North East Cheshire branch.

Several pubs on the trail, including the Arden Arms, Red Bull and Blossoms in Stockport, plus Three Tunnes in Hazel Grove, will be offering Robinsons multi-award-winning barley wine, Old Tom, which this year is celebrating its 125th birthday. 

You can enjoy the seasonal ales brought out by local brewers for the Christmas period, which include JW Lees’ Plum Pudding and Holt’s Sixex. You can also expect to find qualifying beers from independent microbreweries in the many free houses participating on the trail. One of these is the current Greater Manchester CAMRA Pub of the Year, the Northumberland Arms in Marple Bridge. 

Pubs new to the trail this year include the Victoria Tap in Manchester, Wine & Wallop in West Didsbury and the Steel Works in Bredbury.

To win prizes, participants must visit 12 pubs in various areas, drink at least a half a pint of a cask-conditioned winter beer in each and collect a sticker. This will entitle you to claim three bottles of beer including one of Old Tom. Collecting 24, 36 or 65 stickers will entitle you to claim clothing featuring the exclusive Winter Warmer Wander logo, as well as bottles of beer, and entry into a draw for a case of 12.

Organiser Sue Lightfoot said: “Winter Warmer Wander provides a bit of fun in the run-up to Christmas, and gives you the chance to visit familiar haunts and experience new watering-holes, as well as win prizes. 

“The number of excellent winter ales to be found in pubs is astonishing, and I’m sure you will find something to tickle the taste buds. Our pubs have had a rough few years, so please go along and support them, and celebrate with wonderful warming seasonal beers from the best independent breweries.”

Full details and entry forms can be found on the website at: https://ssm.camra.org.uk/viewnode.php?id=202262