Pints of View - Gavin Aitchison's column looking at York's beer and pub scene. | York Press

In its second year, National Cask Ale week is back to celebrate Britain’s national drink. Last year saw the major brewers, Cask Marque, 6,000 pubs and countless ale lovers pulling together to celebrate all that is good about beer.

And it is with this support that the Great British pint has enjoyed a storming year with more drinkers than ever sampling beer and the number of breweries growing by 12 per cent.
National Cask Ale week 2010 is again calling for ale fans to come out and support Britain’s national drink by introducing friends and family to their favourite tipple.

Paul Nunny, Cask Marque’s director, said: “Last year was a great success with hundreds of events taking place up and down the country.
“Not only are we celebrating Britain's national drink but we want to celebrate everything that is good about our pub industry. “It’s regularly reported in the media that the pub sector is struggling, and this is a great opportunity for communities to show their support.”

And it’s not only the British who are enjoying a pint. Foreign visitors to the UK love our pubs – 40 per cent of all tourists visit a pub when in the UK.
According to the Cask Report, hotels that don’t stock hand-pulled ale are missing a major opportunity. This is why Premier Inns is fully on board with National Cask Ale week and will be promoting the events in its network of hotels.

To find out more about what’s happening in pubs in your region, visit www.caskaleweek.co.uk or join the Facebook fan page by searching National Cask Ale Week or become a follower on Twitter @caskaleweek.