The Winter Warmer Wander Ale Trail is returning to Greater Manchester, with 75 pubs taking part in the festive beer trail from Friday, 13 November, to Monday, 28 December.
The trail, organised by volunteers of Stockport & South Manchester Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in association with surrounding CAMRA branches, offers participants the chance to visit local pubs, discover independently brewed winter ales, and win prizes. This year's event includes ten more pubs than last year, spread across the central, southern and eastern parts of Greater Manchester.
Trail history and this year's venues
First introduced in December 2006 under the title 'The Stout, Porter and Old Ale Trail', the event evolved and was held annually until 2019, before restarting in 2023.
Organiser Sue Lightfoot said: "We have been able to increase the number of pubs involved this year, so ale-trailers now have an even wider range of places to visit. Participants will be able to discover a large number of excellent, independently brewed dark and winter ales, ranging from stouts, porters, old ales and barley wines to seasonal beers, with their flavours of orange, ginger or warming spice."
Lightfoot added: "There will be plenty of opportunities to seek out unfamiliar bars, pubs and taps which you may want to return to in the future. There's nothing like meeting up with friends for a warming beer in a cosy local pub when the cold, dark days of winter arrive. The idea is to have a bit of an adventure and win prizes, while supporting our hospitality venues; they are still facing numerous challenges, and your support will be greatly appreciated."
Breweries and featured pubs
Sponsors Robinsons have released their multi-award-winning barley wine, Old Tom, and a number of their pubs are involved on the trail. These include the Crown in Heaton Mersey, a previous CAMRA Stockport Pub of the Year, plus the Duke of York and the Blossoms in Heaviley. Many of their pubs in the centre of Stockport will also feature.
The Northumberland Arms in Marple Bridge, a last 16 finalist in CAMRA's National Pub of the Year, will be a popular stop, and the nearby Windsor Castle, featuring for the first time, will serve Robinsons beers.
Joseph Holt's cask version of their strong Sixex will be brewed again, with several of their pubs participating, including the recently-opened Spinners Rest in Ancoats. JW Lees from Middleton produce their Plum Pudding beer each year, and their flagship pub, the Founder's Hall in Albert Square, and the Lloyd and Platt pub in Chorlton are joining for the first time.
Café Beermoth in Central Manchester makes its debut on the trail, along with the Angel in Manchester's Northern Quarter. Percy's micro-bar in Denton, less than twelve months old, is a first-time participant, as is Browton's Bottle Shop in Ashton-under-Lyne, which has added a cask beer to its range. Numerous free-houses and micro-pubs will offer beers from independent breweries across the UK.
Prizes and how to take part
Thanks to Hydes Brewery, their December beer, Dye Hard, a rich, chestnut 4.5% ale with fruity, spicy flavours, will be available at the Victoria, Withington, from about 23 November.
To win prizes, participants must collect stickers from a minimum of 12 different pubs and drink at least half a pint of a cask 'winter ale' in each. Visiting 24, 36, 48 (a new category for 2026), or 70 different pubs will also see entrants win bespoke garments showing the ale trail logo, as well as entry into a draw for a case of 12 bottles of beer. All successful entrants will receive cans or bottles, including one of Robinsons Old Tom barley wine.
The Tim Bobbin pub in Urmston will be closed for refurbishment from 16 to 28 November, but will participate once it reopens. An informal launch event will take place on Friday, 13 November, starting at 6.30pm at Holt's Spinners Rest in Ancoats, followed by the Marble Arch, the Angel, and finally the Lower Turks Head. Non-CAMRA members are welcome to join in.
