MILD ale is becoming a rarity in British pubs these days although beer drinkers in Worcester will be more familiar with it than some due to the number of hostelries selling Bank’s beer.

Mild from the Wolverhampton brewery has been a favourite in many of the city’s pubs for decades although this style of beer from other breweries is not a particularly common sight.

This low-gravity beer is thought to have originated in Britain in the 17th century and the term mild meant a young, fresh unaged beer.

Once sold in every pub, mild experienced a sharp decline in popularity after the 1960s and was in danger of completely disappearing. However, in recent years the explosion of microbreweries has led to a modest renaissance and an increasing number of milds - sometimes labelled Dark - are now being brewed.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has designated May as "Mild Month" and the Worcester branch of CAMRA is holding the Worcester Mild Ale Trail today Saturday May 16.

The aim is to promote mild ale in a bid to keep choice on the menu in the city’s pubs and encourage beer drinkers to try a traditional mild beer.

Worcester CAMRA has produced its Ale Trail leaflet giving people a guide to where they can find different mild ales across the city today.

“Some of these pubs regularly serve a mild, while others are making a special effort to stock a mild ale for the day. A few will be offering a couple of milds over the weekend, so there will be plenty of choice,” it says.

Milds range from dark brown to pale amber in colour and come in a variety of styles from warming roasty ales to light refreshing lunchtime thirst quenchers.

Malty and possibly sweet tones dominate the flavour profile but there may be a light hop flavour or aroma. Slight toffee/butterscotch flavours are not inappropriate while alcohol levels are typically low (less that 4.3per cent).

Pale milds tend to have a lighter, more fruity aroma with gentle hoppiness while dark milds may have a light roast malt or caramel character in aroma and taste.

The pubs listed on the Worcester mild trail are the Winning Post in Pope Iron Road, WR1 3HB; the Chestnut Tree Inn in Lansdowne Road, WR1 1SS; the Cap ‘n’ Gown in the Upper Tything, WR1 1JZ; the Postal Order on Foregate Street, WR1 1DN; the Paul Pry, The Butts, WR1 3PA; the Cricketers in Angel Street, WR1 3QT; The Pheasant in New Street, WR1 2DP; the Eagle Vaults, Friar Street, WR1 2LZ; the Cardinal’s Hat in Friar Street, WR1 2NA and the Plough on the corner of Fish Street and Deansway, WR1 2HN.

CAMRA says the beers expected to be available today include Winning Post, KP; Hook Norton, Hooky Mild; Mighty Oak, Oscar Wild; Sarah Hughes, Ruby Mild; Moorhouses, Black Cat; Kinver, Light Railway and Olde Swan, Dark Swan.

For more information visit http://worcester.camra.org.uk/wordpress/?page_id=446 and track events live on Twitter - #CityMild