The 65 Greater Manchester pubs taking part in winter ale trail as return confirmed

After a successful return last year, a Greater Manchester ale trail will return for a second year. Re-launched in 2023, the Winter Warmer Wander sees a number of local pubs take part.

The annual celebration of festive beers runs from Friday, 15 November to Sunday, 29 December, with 65 pubs involved across Greater Manchester. From Altrincham to Ashton, Stockport to Stalybridge and Manchester to Marple, there will be a number of stouts, porters, old ales and barley wines available to try.

It resumed last year after a four-year hiatus and is organised by the Stockport & South Manchester and High Peak Branches of CAMRA. Sponsored by Robinsons Brewery, anyone can take part and you don't need to be a CAMRA member.

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Organiser Sue Lightfoot said: “Winter Warmer Wander provides a bit of fun in the run-up to Christmas, and gives you the chance to visit familiar haunts and experience new watering-holes, as well as win prizes.

“The number of excellent winter ales to be found in local pubs is astonishing, and I’m sure you will find something to tickle the taste buds. Our pubs have had a rough few years, so please go along and support them, and celebrate with wonderful warming seasonal beers from the best independent breweries.”

Several pubs on the trail, including the Arden Arms, the Red Bull and the Blossoms in Stockport, and the Three Tunnes in Hazel Grove, will be serving up barley wine, Old Tom, which this year is celebrating its 125th birthday. And, to mark the Christmas period, there will be seasonal ales brought out by local brewers including JW Lees’ Plum Pudding and Holt’s Sixex.

Those visiting the pubs as part of the trail can also expect to find qualifying beers from independent micro-breweries. One of these is the current Greater Manchester CAMRA Pub of the Year, the Northumberland Arms in Marple Bridge.

Pubs new to the trail this year include the Victoria Tap in Manchester, Wine & Wallop in West Didsbury and the Steel Works in Bredbury.

Those taking part can win prizes depending on how many pubs they visit too. Participants must visit 12 different pubs in various areas, drink at least a half a pint of a cask-conditioned winter beer in each, and collect a sticker.

This will entitle the participant to claim three bottles of beer including one of Old Tom. Collecting 24, 36 or 65 different stickers will entitle them to claim clothing featuring the exclusive Winter Warmer Wander Logo, as well as bottles of beer, and entry into a draw for a case of 12 bottles.

The Winter Warmer Wander Ale Trail was first introduced in December 2006 under the title of ‘The Stout, Porter and Old Ale Trail’ and was held annually until 2019 - then resumed in 2023. In total, 30 pubs were involved, mostly in the City Centre and South Manchester.

To take part in the trail, you can download the entry form here, or pick up a copy of November/December Opening Times, where there will be a printed version.

Once in the pub, you can ask them for a sticker to put on your WWW entry sheet. If for any reason a sticker can't be found, the staff don't know about WWW or the stickers have been mislaid then simply get a signature instead.

More information about participating pubs, the prizes and how to get involved can be found here.

The Greater Manchester pubs involved in the 2024 Winter Warmer Wander:

• Arden Arms, Stockport

• Ash Tree, Ashton under Lyne

• Bakers Vaults, Stockport

• Blossoms, Stockport

• Chiverton Tap, Stockport

• Ye Olde Vic, Stockport

• 3 Drinks Behind, Stockport

• Angel Inn, Stockport

• Ape and Apple, Manchester

• City Arms, Manchester

• Wilfred Wood, Stockport

• Wobbly Stamp, Stockport

• Arden Arms, Bredbury, Stockport

• Archive, Stockport, Duke of York, Stockport

• Duke of York, Heavily, Stockport

• Waterhouse, Manchester

• Wine & Wallop, Didsbury, Manchester

• Bridge Beers, Stalybridge

• Beer Shop, Heaton Moor, Stockport

• Elizabethan, Heaton Moor, Stockport

• Victoria Tap, Manchester

• Unicorn, Altrincham

• Costello's, Altrincham

• Calvert's Court, Stockport

• Gateway, East Didsbury

• Swan with Two Necks, Stockport

• Three Tunnes, Hazel Grove, Stockport

• Half Way House, Ashton-under-Lyne

• Church Inn, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport

• Great Central, Fallowfield, Manchester

• Station Buffet Bar, Stalybridge

• Tapsters, Ashton-under-Lyne
  

• Jack's Bar, Hyde

• Crown, Heaton Mersey, Stockport

• Gulliver's, Manchester

• Red Lion, Withington

• Steel Works, Bredbury, Stockport

• JP Joule, Sale

• Ford Madox Brown, Rusholme

• Head of Steam, Didsbury

• Red Bull, Stockport

• Society Rooms, Stalybridge

• Northumberland Arms, Marple Bridge

• Hatters Arms, Marple, Stockport

• Heaton Hops, Heaton Chapel, Stockport

• Rain Bar, Manchester

• Sheldon Arms, Ashton-under-Lyne

• Pointing Dog, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport

• Ladybarn Social Club, Manchester

• Lower Turk's Head, Manchester

• Piccadilly Tap, Manchester

• Samuel Oldknow, Marple, Stockport

• Silly Country, Droylsden

• Mounting Stone, Bramhall, Stockport

• Magnet, Heaton Norris, Stockport

• Petersgate Tap, Stockport
  

• Reddish Ale, Stockport

• Red Lion, Cheadle, Stockport

• Railway, West Didsbury

• Marble Arch, Manchester

• Paramount, Manchester

• Old Monkey, Manchester

• Norfolk Arms, Marple Bridge, Stockport

• Molly House, Manchester

• Millstone, Manchester