Brewery of the Day: Wadworth

If you’ve been drinking cask for a while, there’s a good chance Wadworth already means something to you – a familiar pump clip, a favourite pub or perhaps a pint of 6X that brings back a few memories. And if it doesn’t? Well, that’s what Cask Ale Week is for. Wadworth has been brewing in Devizes since 1875, is still independent and family-run five generations later, and has built the sort of following that includes one particularly dedicated fan who reckoned he’d enjoyed around 45,000 pints of 6X by his 50th birthday. That’s not a typo. 45,000.

But the really exciting thing is that new drinkers are joining the party. Fresh figures reported this month put 6X among Britain’s three fastest-growing major cask brands by value, with Wadworth saying it’s seeing younger drinkers increasingly attracted to beers with real history and provenance. Meanwhile, at its Folly Road Brewhouse, the brewers have the freedom to play with new styles and flavours alongside the beers generations of drinkers grew up with.

And that’s rather the point of Cask Ale Week. You don’t need to have been drinking a beer for 30 years to enjoy one with 150 years of stories behind it. So if you spot a Wadworth pump clip this week, give it a go. You might discover an old favourite – even if it’s completely new to you. And if you do love it, you’ve only got another 44,999 pints to go.

Discover more: Visit Wadworth and read The Morning Advertiser’s feature on younger drinkers and heritage beers driving the growth of cask.