Celebrating its 30 th year, and increasing in popularity, the recent CAMRA Cotswold Beer Festival attracted over 3000 visitors to the Postlip Hall in Winchcombe. Local beer enthusiasts packed the hall to sample 50 different beers, ranging in strength, colour and flavour from breweries throughout the country.

The most popular beer at the festival was the unusual 'Espresso', a rich black beer brewed with ground espresso coffee beans. It was awarded the title of 'Beer of the Festival'.

Espresso is brewed in Sussex by The Dark Star Brewery.   Dark Star's brewer, Mark Tranter, explained that special care had been taken to find a blend of coffee that added warmth and complexity to the aroma of the beer without changing the natural astringency that comes from the hops. It certainly worked amongst festival goers who even voted Espresso ahead of the current Champion Beer of Britain, 'Brewers Gold', from Essex brewer, Crouch Vale.

For more information on Dark Star's award winning range of beers telephone 01444 412311