When it comes to cask beer, the consumer wants quality, flavour and freshness, but they also want choice, says Attic Brew Co.

The independent Birmingham-based brewery has launched a new session IPA, Gleam, to help mark Cask Ale Week and has said it is important to do more than simply regale the consumer about the segment.

Jo Farn, Marketing Executive at Attic, said: “We didn’t want to go into Cask Ale Week simply telling people they should drink more cask. We wanted to understand what people actually think about it, what they enjoy, what puts them off and what makes them choose one beer over another.

“What came through strongly from the research was that drinkers care about quality, flavour and freshness, but they also want choice. Cask doesn’t have to mean one particular style of beer or one particular type of drinker, and that’s something we’ve tried to reflect in our own range.

“The trail takes that research into the real world. We’re working with 65 brilliant venues that play such an important role in keeping cask visible and accessible. It’s a chance to encourage people to visit those venues, try something they might not normally order and hopefully discover a new appreciation for cask along the way.”

Running from 17–27 September in support of Cask Ale Week 2026, the Attic Cask Ale Trail brings together 65 pubs and bars across the Midlands and as far as Oxford, encouraging drinkers to explore independent venues and try cask along the way.

Drinkers can pick up a trail card from participating venues and collect a stamp each time they purchase an Attic cask beer. Six stamps can then be exchanged for a limited-edition pin badge, subject to availability.

And its new beer, Gleam joins Attic’s cask range of Clasp Pale Ale, Ingot Golden Ale and Quarter Amber Ale, giving the brewery three permanent and a limited-time special style designed to offer different entry points into cask.

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