THREE new ales are being launched by Hawkshead Brewery at its Northern Craft beer festival this weekend.

Taking inspiration from the strong, industrial north, head brewer Matt Clarke has created Northern Imperial Stout, a beer that sits at 9.5 per cent which is to be savoured and sipped to appreciate the evolving deep, rich and complex flavour.

It brings together chocolate, coffee and roasted notes which are balanced by dark stone fruit flavours.

The beer will be available on cask, keg and to buy in bottle at this weekend's festival..

After its hugely popular debut last September Chuckleberry Sour is back, this time not only on keg but in bottle too. This fruit beer is vibrant pink in colour, low in alcohol and very refreshing.

A third new beer, commissioned by JD Wetherspoon for their national spring beer festival, will also feature.

Vienna is a cask-conditioned amber style lager at 5 per cent. It is brewed with a combination of Vienna, Munich and Pilsner malt and hopped with three noble German varieties and one American.

Northern Craft does what the beer festival at The Beer Hall at Hawkshead Brewery has been doing for ten years, proclaiming the revolution in British brewing and gathering in some of the most exciting and innovative independent craft breweries and allowing them to show off their beer.

Cask ales are all served on hand pull, from properly chilled cellars and will be presented as the brewers dictate, most in the northern manner – through sparklers to create a good head.

Breweries exhibit, by invitation, and it costs them nothing. Hawkshead buy their beer. There is no entrance fee to customers. Beer is served in a fresh glass per fill.

Northern Craft takes place from March 18 to 20 at The Beer Hall in Staveley. There will be over 60 beers on cask and keg, showcasing 11 craft breweries from the North, served across three bars.