UK pub chain Wetherspoon to launch 12-day beer festival including five international beers

National pub giant Wetherspoon has launched a 12-day beer festival with brews from all over the world.

The Spring Beer Festival will see more than 800 of the chain’s UK boozers welcome pints from Australia, Canada, Italy, New Zealand and the USA.

The international beers will all be served for the first time at the festival, which began this week and runs until Sunday, March 16.

The international beers are Wallaby from Penny Red in Australia; Estuary Session Ale from Land and Sea in Canada; Chocolate Porter from Birra Perugia in Italy; Antipodean from Brew Moon in New Zealand; and Hey Pal from Terrapin in the USA.

The selection of 30 real ales also includes vegan options, a variety of malts and hops, and beers that use cherries and cocoa beans in their ingredients. The price of a pint will vary across the country, but in some pubs will start at £1.99.

The full festival line-up features beers from Brains Brewery in Cardiff, Brewster's Brewing in Grantham, Harviestoun Brewery in Scotland, Mad Squirrel Brewery in Hertordshire, Redemption Brewing Company in London and Kent’s Shepherd Neame Brewery which has a new golden pale ale included called In the Nic of Time.

The tipples will also be offered as three third-of-a-pint tasters for the same price as a pint.

Marketing manager Jen Swindells said: “The festival is a great celebration of real ale. It will allow us, over a 12-day period, to showcase a selection of superb value-for-money beers, including those from brewers as far afield as Canada and New Zealand, as well as those closer to home.

“This festival features five female international brewers, with many of the beers having been brewed, or the brewing assisted, by female brewers. Indeed, in the past, most beer was brewed by women – known as ‘brewsters’.”

“The event will also give customers the opportunity to enjoy beers which have not previously been available in the pubs, as well as those brewed especially for the festival.”

Customers can pick up tasting notes on all of the beers from inside the pub.

The notes will be available as part of the festival magazine and can be downloaded online or via the Wetherspoon app.