Calling all women - your chance to learn to love real ale

Women are being offered the chance to learn to love real ale as St Austell Brewery and the Rashleigh Arms throw a huge party and special tasting session on Monday April 6.

The special ladies night at the pub in Charlestown, near St Austell, kicks off the Brewery's celebrations for national Cask Ale Week (6^th-13^th April) and will also raise cash for local charity Penrice Hospice.

St Austell Brewery's head brewer Roger Ryman will lead tasting sessions on a range of St Austell's award-winning regular ales as well as two beers brewed specially for the evening - "Liquid Sunshine", a light refreshing summer beer and "Roger's 10^th" a rich 10% volume beer brewed to celebrate Roger Ryman's 10^th anniversary with St Austell Brewery.

Roger will be joined by the Brewery's wine buyer Xenia Irwin MW who will explain the finer points of cask ale from the viewpoint of a wine lover's palate and her vast experience in tasting as a Master of Wine.

Xenia said, "The simple language used traditionally to describe beer - such as hoppy or malty, sometimes doesn't do justice to the huge range of flavours, colours and aromas of cask ale. I am very excited to have the opportunity to be part of this event to use the wine tasting lexicon in introducing cask ale to a wider audience."

Special guest and opening speaker will be Annabel Smith, who as national account manager for beer quality watchdog Cask Marque is one of the UK's leading experts and female fans of cask ale.

Roger Ryman said: "Cask Ale week is a national celebration designed to raise the profile and awareness of what is a wholesome, natural and traditionally British drink. It's a particular passion of mine to break down the barriers and encourage more women to sample and enjoy real ale so I hope as many women as possible will come along to the Rashleigh and give it a try."

Rashleigh Arms landlady Lucy Brewer said: "We've got a buffet, live music from 9pm and a great raffle laid on for the evening and with the help of Roger, Xenia and Annabel we're looking forward to a really fun night which will also raise money for an important and very worthy local charity.

"The evening starts at 7.30pm and its going to be ladies only before 9pm although we will allow men in as long as they are wearing a dress - and that includes the male bar staff!"

Tickets costs £5 and include a sample tray of six cask ales for the tasting sessions, two real ale vouchers and nibbles. Tickets are available from the St Austell Brewery Visitors Centre or at the Rashleigh Arms, Charlestown Road, Charlestown, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 3NJ. Phone: 01726 73635.