Mine's a pint of Unesco ... brewers chase heritage status for British cask ale

Petition calls for official recognition of the 'historic and traditional serving method' that is 'unique to the UK'

- Tomé Morrissy-Swan

It is one of Britain's most historic drinks, still sold in thousands of pubs across the nation, but cask beer has long been in decline.

Besides suffering from a reputation as an "old man's drink" and the divisive debate over the “cellar temperature” at which it is served, the number of establishments selling it, and the volume and value of sales, have all dropped dramatically in recent years.

Last week, a petition was launched to protect the “historic and traditional serving method” that was “unique to the UK", calling for the government to recognise the production and serving of cask ale as a Unesco intangible cultural heritage, akin to Belgian beer culture, Arabic coffee and French baguettes.

No British product yet holds the status, and the UK only ratified the 2003 Unesco convention for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in March 2024.