A RENOWNED real ale boozer in Chelmsford is launching a series of bimonthly mini beer festivals.

The Alehouse, in Viaduct Road, will host the first of the events over four days starting on Thursday March 27 before holding them every two months.

During the festival, 12 guest beer barrels will be rolled into the bar to sit alongside the dozen already on offer to punters.

Local brewer Dave Hewitt from Hewitt’s Brewery, based in Marconi Road, Chelmsford, will talk with drinkers on the first night about the beers they make.

Live music will also be part of the festivities on the final day.

Dave Gentry, one the bar’s owners, said since opening two years ago the business has done great and now they want to spread the world of beers even further.

Mr Gentry said: “We provide more beers and real ales here than anywhere else in Chelmsford, but we felt we could be doing more to promote ales locally so we decided to do these mini festivals.

“Originally when we opened, I thought the clientele would be the stereotypical old men beer drinkers.

“But I’ve been surprised by the amount of young people we get in and hopefully these mini festivals will help spread the word more.”

Organising the festival at the venue is joint-manager Alex Maclean, who said staff are already getting excited about the event.

“Beer festivals are always fun to be a part of,” he said.

“This is the first one I’ve organised and what has been challenging is finding new and interesting beers to keep people enthusiastic, particularly seeing as this will be held every two months.

“We are getting all these breweries popping up everywhere and a lot of customers in their early 20s coming here regularly, so these festival should help raise real ale’s profile locally.”