DRINKERS can raise their glasses to a beer festival which is set to return to the town next month.

Bolton Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) will showcase more than 40 real ales and eight real ciders at Bolton Ukrainian Club between April 9 and 11.

Organiser Pete Kobryn said: “The festival is relatively small in regional CAMRA terms, but we look to provide people with some of the best real ales and ciders produced within the UK.

“Choosing only 44 beers, as there are more than 1,500 breweries nationwide, makes final selection quite a challenge but we feel we have come up with a great mix of styles — indicative of such a thriving industry.

“The beer list also includes some great quality ales from our Bolton breweries – Bank Top, Blackedge, Dunscar Bridge and Hogarths.”

Once again, Bolton Hospice has been chosen as the festival charity. In a break from tradition though, bottled beers will make their first appearance this year.

Pete added: “We had specially selected five Ukrainian bottled beers to show but we are not sure all of these can be imported.

“However, we will look to supplement what we can source with a couple of other foreign bottled beers, if necessary, to ensure our drinkers have a cracking selection to choose from.”

The beer festival will take place on April 9 between 4pm and 10.30pm and on April 10 and 11 between 12pm and 10.30pm. Hot food, snacks and soft drinks will be available.

For more information, go to boltonbeerfestival.org.uk, facebook.com/BoltonCAMRAfestival or follow @BoltonCAMRAbeer on Twitter.