Cask Ale Week 2026 Dates Announced as Industry Prepares to Celebrate Britain’s National Drink

Dates have been confirmed for this year’s Cask Ale Week, the annual nationwide celebration of Britain’s national drink, with around 10,000 pubs, bars and brewery taps set to take part.

Running from 17th to 27th September, the campaign will see venues across the country offering extended cask ale ranges, free tasters, brewery tours and themed events, including pub quizzes testing customers’ cask ale knowledge.

Organisers estimate that brewers and publicans will give away a million free tasters of beer over the course of the fortnight, with further event details expected to be announced closer to the time.

The campaign comes as new figures underline cask ale’s strong value credentials for both operators and consumers. The average price of a pint of cask beer currently stands at £4.54, compared with an overall average of £4.97 across all draught beer styles.

Cask also continues to offer strong value relative to its share of the market: while accounting for 8.1% of draught beer sales by volume, it represents just 7.4% by value, reinforcing its position as one of the more competitively priced options on the bar.

The category performs particularly well in food-led pubs, where cask ale accounts for 12.5% of beer spend – equivalent to £1 in every £8 – compared with £1 in every £13 spent on beer across the wider pub sector.

Research also points to a generational shift in cask ale’s appeal, with younger drinkers increasingly gravitating towards the same brands and styles favoured by their fathers and grandfathers, alongside continued strong support for well-established regional favourites.

With Cask Ale Week set to once again showcase the breadth and quality of Britain’s cask beer offering, operators are being encouraged to get involved and make the most of the campaign to drive footfall and trial during the celebration period.