I often think back to 17th & 18th September 2013 when we launched our very first Co-ALE-ition ale “Winning Co-ALE-ition” at the Longdog brewery in Basingstoke followed by the event at the Prince Arthur in Fleet when over 300 people attended. I could never have envisaged that we would be here now with 6 different Co-ALE-ition ales and total Co-ALE-ition sales currently running at over 1,000 pints per week. We have even had a Co-ALE-ition ale on sale in the Houses of Parliament being drunk by four MPs and also on sale in David Cameron’s constituency pub in Witney plus in over 100 pubs in 8 different counties and in Central London as well. I remember lots of people telling me Co-ALE-ition will have died a death before Xmas to which I always replied “which year do you mean?”

Everybody is welcome to come along and celebrate the 1st year anniversary of Co-ALE-ition at The Nags Head in Reading (5 Russell St, Reading RG1 7XD) on Wed 27th August from 7pm. Jody Oates (Landlord of the Nags Head) has organised this very special event for us at the best real ale pub In Reading and the surrounding area. We went to The Nags Head on 3rd April for the launch of Wild Weather’s HowlinGale and had a great night. The Nags Head has been awarded the 2014 Pub Of The Year by the CAMRA Reading & Mid Berks branch and in 2013 was also CAMRA Central and Southern regional area Pub of the Year and voted into the Top 16 CAMRA real ale pubs across the whole of the UK.

All 6 Co-ALE-ition ales will be on sale in a pub (Nags head) for the very 1st time. In addition our very own Monster Mash real ale in a bottle will be on sale to take away as a great souvenir of this event. A signed certificate presented by Alan Hope, plus a free bottle of Monster Mash will be given to every person who manages to drink responsibly whilst consuming a half pint of all 6 different Co-ALE-ition ales on the night.

Co-ALE-ition Hall of Fame annual awards and presentations will be made by Alan “Howling Laud” Hope. This will include the presentation of a signed and framed certificate to Jody Oates to acknowledge The Nags Head becoming the first pub to have all 6 Co-ALE-ition ales on sale at the very same time.

The local branch of CAMRA i.e. Reading and Mid Berks will also be attending to present Jody Oates and his team at The Nags Head with the Pub of the Year award for 2014. I have lost count of the number of years in succession that The Nags Head has won the local CAMRA Branch Pub of The Year award.There will be a Meet the Brewer opportunity hopefully involving more than one of our Co-ALE-ition brewers.
There will be lots of surprise guests attending this special anniversary event and we will no doubt be adding to the entertainment as the date gets nearer.

Reading is a great place to hold this event with its excellent transport links and the train and bus stations are only a short walk away from The Nags Head. There is a very good Indian restaurant nearby for those who want to finish the night, in the traditional Loony Party way, with an Indian curry.

Please let Alan Hope (07946 292557) or Derrill Carr (07803 292557) know if you are attending this anniversary event on Wed 27th August so that we can put further plans in place.