Photo by Daniel Svensson

Don’t miss a great opportunity to sample the brewers’ dark arts as five SA3 pubs hold a winter ales festival at the end of January.

The Pilot, the Park Inn, the Victoria Inn, the White Rose and the Woodman will all be showcasing winter dark ales, milds, porters or stouts.

The idea behind the festival, which is sponsored by Swansea and Neath Camra, is to provide a boost to local pubs and brewers and encourage people to taste a beer style they may not have tried before.

Beers from Mumbles and Gower breweries will be on tap, along with ales from other Welsh, Scottish and English brewers.

Richard Bennett, co-licensee of the Pilot of Mumbles, and co-owner of Mumbles Brewery, said: “Quite a few people come in looking for dark beers, which are not always readily available in pubs. The walkabout will give people a chance to enjoy some winter ales.

“It has also provided us with an opportunity to brew a beer especially for the festival. Nuclear Winter packs a punch at 7.8 and tastes like Christmas pudding!”

Alan Watkins of Swansea Camra said: “January is Community Pubs Month and local Camra members thought organising this real ale trail would be a good way to mark it. There is also a national Winter Ales Festival in Derby in February, so this event will be a taster of what to expect.”

The event takes place from Thursday, 23 January to Saturday, 25 January. The pubs taking part and the beers they will be showcasing are:

The Pilot, 726 Mumbles Rd, Swansea, Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4EL

Beers:
Mumbles Oystermouth Stout 4.4
Mumbles Nuclear Winter 7.5
Theakston Old Peculier 5.6
Wadsworth Swordfish 5.0

The Park Inn, 23 Park St, The Mumbles, Swansea, SA3 4DA
Beers:
Evan Evans Winter Warmer 4.6% (ruby ale)
Evan Evans Old Bert 4.2% (chestnut)
Cottage GWR 5.4% (dark old style porter)
Cottage S&D 4.4%
Cottage Armada 4.7%
Tomos Watkins Cwrw Gaeaf 4.6%
Tomos Watkins OSB 4.5%
Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody Wholesome Stout 4.8%
Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody Wholesome Chocolate and Wholemeal Stout 4.8%
Otley Oxymoron 5.5% (a black IPA)
Celt Dark Age 4.0%
Holden Dark Mild 3.8%

Victoria Inn, Westbourne Place, The Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4DB
Beers:
Gower Rumour 5.0
Brains Reverend James 4.5
Gower Black Diamond 4.2

The White Rose, 1-3 Newton Rd, The Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4AR
Beers:
Red Squirrel Scottish Ale 4.3
Thwaites  Nutty Black 3.3
Purity Saddleblack 5.1

The Woodman, 120 Mumbles Rd, Swansea SA3 5AS
Beers:
Kite Welsh Pale Ale 4.1
Rhymney Dark 4.0
Black Sheep Bighorn 4.5

The walk from the Pilot to the Woodman is a distance of just over two miles.

The event is being sponsored by Swansea and Neath Camra.

Map showing participating pubs.