It’s a perfect time for us to sample 11 other ales which made the headlines in years gone by, from Sunderland Draught Bitter to Sour Cherry Chocolate Stout.
In case you missed it;
1. Sunderland Draught Bitter
A momentous day in October 1977 when Sunderland's very own beer, Sunderland Draught Bitter, was launched. Pictured with it are, left to right: Messrs David Travers, product manager at Vaux; Peter Heyward, marketing director; Ian Dickson, headbrewer. | se
2. Grotto Gold
Steven Proudfoot launched the new Darwin Brewery Beer at Marsden in September 2003. | se
3. Retro with Red Barrel
Mel Dawson and John Taylor launched their version of Watney's Red Barrel at the Bull Lane Brewery at the Clarendon in High Street East. Here they are in October 2005. | se
4. Strong Winter G'Ale
This warming winter beer was called Strong Winter G'Ale and it was launched by Maxim Brewery in November 2008. The brewery's Mark Anderson was joined by Kay Masson, manager of the William De Wessington pub for the launch. | se