FEMALE brewers will take over the taps at some of York’s oldest pubs this weekend.

As part of Award Winning Ales week, the cask ale festival at Ye Olde Starre Inne in Stonegate and the Golden Lion in Church Street will have a series of beers from female brewers on offer.

Female brewers, or Brewsters as they are known, are believed to date back to Babylonian times and count Jane Austen among their number.

To mark the recent resurgence in female ales, the York pubs will highlight two stand-out beers Aromantica, with aromas of lime and passion fruit, and Heavenly Blonde which is described as zesty.

Adrian Denney, general manager of Ye Olde Starre Inne, said: “This year’s festival is completely different from anything before.

“We’ve split the festival into four weeks to give our guests the chance to taste the best stand-out beers from across the UK.

“We’ve also teamed up with the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), to ensure guests get the chance to try as many different beers as possible.”

The beers will also be on offer at the pubs, along with a number of other ales, during Tap Takeover Week, May 5 to 11.