IT’S time to raise your glasses and welcome back a popular beer festival.

The annual event is taking place in the Ocean Room at Weymouth Pavilion today and tomorrow.

It’s the seventh year for the festival, which is run by the West Dorset branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

This year the beer theme will be “Beers from the West Country & Dorset” a celebration of some of the best breweries from Bristol to Penzance with around 70 beers available to try and a selection of 12 ciders and perries.

West Dorset CAMRA chairman and festival organiser Dave Harris said that he was looking forward to a successful festival and was delighted at the range of beers on offer this year.

He said: “We are looking to this year’s festival to showcase some brilliant beers and ciders from the West Country. 

“All tickets are selling strongly and we expect some of the sessions to sell out before the festival opens. 

“Cerne Abbas Brewery are making a welcome return as our featured brewers this year so expect some special delights from them.”

Highlights of the festival include a six per cent Gurt Blonde from the Cerne Abbas brewery, Palmers Brewery of Bridport’s new seasonal beer “Big Gig” a dark robust ale, Sante Fe the last barrel from the closed R.C.H brewery near Weston-super-Mare, Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout and Chocolate Orange Delight – a dark 5.8 per cent ale from Downton brewery.

For lovers of the apple and pears there will be ciders on offer from the award winning Dorset Star Orchard and Twisted Cider Co, plus a selection of fruit ciders including Dorset Sunshine Strawberry, Snails Bank from Herefordshire Ginger and Perry from Oliver’s of Herefordshire and Whitehead’s of Hampshire.

Bar manager for CAMRA Rich Gabe said: “We’re really pleased to offer some of the best beers in the West Country and hope to reflect the eclectic styles and growing number of breweries due to the huge renaissance in real ale.

“This year there will be even more ciders available than ever before.” 

Mr Gabe urged people to get their tickets early to avoid disappointment.

This year beer will be served in measures of thirds up to a pint to give customers a chance to savour even more flavours.

Tickets are available from the Boot and the Globe pubs and Chalbury Food & Wine in Weymouth and Weymouth Pavilion box office, as well as the Blue Raddle pub in Dorchester and the Wyke Smugglers pub in Wyke Regis.