Mild is an increasingly rare example of cask conditioned ale and to promote this style of beer CAMRA nominates May of every year to be Mild Month. Cask conditioned Mild has become a rarity in recent years, which is a real shame, because Mild is a distinctive and tasty beer. Mild is one of, if not the, oldest beer style in the country. Mild is a beer which has tastes and textures all its own. Basically it is a beer that is less hopped than bitter, etc. The darkness of Dark Milds comes from the use of darker malts and/or roasted barley which are used to compensate for the loss of Hop character. "Chocolate ", "fruity", "nutty" and "burnt" are all tastes to be found in the complexity of Milds. However, not all Milds are dark. Yorkshire brewed Timothy Taylors Golden Best is one of the best examples of a light coloured mild, the name changed from Mild to try to give it a more modern image.

In support of this initiative Southport CAMRA have partnered with eight pubs in the Southport area to present our first mild trail. Anyone wanting to take part in the Southport Mild Trail 2019 will need to collect a card from any of the participating pubs, or in the branch magazine, "Ale & Hearty". and get it stamped when buying a mild beer. Once all pubs listed have been visited and a stamp obtained the card can be submitted for the prize draw. This will give drinkers a chance to sample a range of different casks conditioned Milds at eight of our best real ale pubs. The pubs have agreed to offer customers a cask conditioned Mild option for the whole month of May.

The Beer Den in Duke Street will be featuring Parker’s Mild which is being brewed especially for the Mild Trail. The Southport and Birkdale Sports Club always offers Timothy Taylors Golden Best (mentioned above) and drinkers showing the Mild Trail card will be given a member’s discount. The Grasshopper in Hillside is serving 16 different cask Milds throughout the month including the magnificent Dunham Massey Cherry Dark. Full details of the Milds available at all of the pubs can be found on the branch website.

Milds today tend to have an ABV around 3.5%, with some notable exceptions. Mild wasn't always weaker though. In the 19th Century, milds were brewed to about the same strength as bitters in response to the demand for a sweeter beer and in those days most beers were around 6 or 7% ABV. In the early 20th century, malt rationing and pressure from the temperance movement led brewers to reduce the strength. Later in the 20th century mild's popularity as a cheap ale began to fade as the Big Brewers began to heavily promote their keg lager brands.

Simply order a pint (or a half) of cask mild at each participating pub to receive a stamp on the card. Completed trail cards will be included in a prize draw. A number of desirable beery prizes are offered ranging from a brewery trip to some fabulous beer paraphernalia.

Participating pubs;

The Beer Den, Southport. Beer Den WhatPub Entry

The Bold Arms, Churchtown.Bold Arms, Churchtown WhatPub Entry.

Cheshire Lines, Southport. Cheshire Lines Southport, WhatPub Entry.

The Corridor, Southport. The Corridor Southport WhatPub Entry

The Grasshopper, Hillside. The Grasshopper, Hillside WhatPub Entry

The Guest House, Southport. The Guest House Southport WhatPub Entry

Southport & Birkdale Sports Club, Birkdale Southport & Birkdale Sports Club WhatPub Entry

The Windmill Inn, Southport. The Windmill WhatPub Entry

Participating drinkers should visit the Mild Trail 2019 pubs, collecting stamps, at any time during the month of May and the branch will also be running two socials in May visiting these pubs, the first around the southernmost and a further trip to the remainder.Details will be announced on this website and on the branch's facebook page.