Moorhouse’s expects to bewitch cask ale enthusiasts throughout the country this month as the famous ‘Pendle Witches’ ales enjoy record breaking Halloween sales.
Supplying the forthcoming Wetherspoons Beer Festival the leading Lancashire cask brewer will deliver 1000 firkins of premium strength Black Panther (4.8%ABV) to the national pub chain and roll out a seasonal ales selection to free traders.
Under the annual ‘Which Craft’ Ales Will You Be Drinking this October?’ promotion the carefully blended ales available are: Broomstick Bitter (4.0%abv); Witchhunt (4.8%abv); Black Witch (4.2%abv); Witches Cauldron (4.2%abv); Witchfinder General (4.4%abv) alongside the award winning core brands, including Blond Witch and Black Cat. The promotion is also supported with hundreds of miniature witch models offered to selected free traders as give-aways and prizes for Halloween quizzes.
David Grant, Managing Director, with the Halloween ales and witch models.
Moorhouse’s internationally acclaimed brands pay tribute to the legend of the notorious witches who roamed the Pendle Hill area near Burnley in the late 16th century. In recent years the brewery has seen sales boosted by more than 35% during the weeks prior to October 31.
David Grant, Moorhouse’s managing director, said: “We were delighted to win the J.D Wetherspoon deal for this year’s Halloween season. On top of our ever growing free trade business it means we have hit a new production record – more than 500 brewer’s barrels in one week alone. Also, once again we are supporting free traders who wish to enjoy another magical October with their customers despite the general doom and gloom.
“Overall our sales continue to enjoy year-on-year growth – 15% this year. A recently published Cask Report reveals more and more people are making cask their drink of choice. We are very pleased to be playing a lead role in persuading drinkers that cask is magic – at Halloween and all year round.”
Following the sales growth of recent years the brewery has now embarked upon a £3.5m development that will treble production capacity to around 1000 barrels a week by early 2011.