Stockport had the honour of hosting an international visitor this May, who travelled 5,000 miles from his home in Washington State to take part in a special Stockport ale trail. 

Justin Smith made the trip from Bellingham, a town near Seattle on the west coast of the US. 

He was drawn to our town by the Stockport Mild Magic Ale Trail, organised by the local CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) branch. 

The trail featured 97 participating pubs, and invited visitors to call at as many as they could and sample some mild beer. 

Justin made it to 20 local pubs, including the Swan With Two Necks, The Arden Arms, and The Petersgate Tap. 

Justin at the Petersgate Tap (Image via Stockport CAMRA)

Speaking of his visit, Justin said: "I'm a big fan of places with a strong beer culture, especially if the local beer scene offers something traditional. 

"In Stockport, they have long supported the mild beer style, which is very rare in the USA. I had never made it to the UK before, so when I heard about the Mild Magic Ale Trail, I decided this was an ideal opportunity for a visit.

"The variety of pubs and bars was amazing; they are great social meeting places. I enjoyed the light and dark milds from the traditional Manchester family breweries Hydes and Holts, as well as the offerings from other local brewers such as Marble, Blackjack and Track. 

"This was a great promotion for Stockport CAMRA and I will proudly wear my special Mild Magic T-shirt in bars back home and on my future travels."

This was Justin's first time in the UK - he also managed to incorporate trips to Macclesfield and Liverpool, and an Elbow gig at the Co-op Live Arena. 

Justin travelled to Stockport from Bellingham, a town in Washington State, near Seattle (Image - Google Maps)

Nor was Justin the only visitor on this Mild Magic Trail. 

This year's trail saw 4,000 pub visits from locals and itinerants alike. 

Of these, around 200 visited 12 pubs or more, and in doing so earned a special Mild Magic shirt, as Justin did. 

80 different milds were on offer, and an estimated 3,000 pints of them were sunk. 

This year's Mild Magic Trail featured 97 participating pubs across the borough (Image - Alexander Greensmith)

Organiser Darren Berry said: "There was a great buzz about the ale trail this year and I am very grateful to all those who took part. 

"My thanks also go to all the pubs who joined in and went to great lengths to source beers from local independent brewers. 

"Many brand new milds were noted, and these included some speciality versions, such one brewed in the Belgian style using Abbaye yeast, as well as a Rhubarb and Custard Mild!

"Thanks also to everyone who took part and helped us break records. We are planning to run the event again in 2025, when we hope even more people will join us on this beer adventure."

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