ONLY real ale enthusiasts need apply.

With around 30 different beers a week on tap, 9 Gallon in Sankey Street is overflowing with choice.

The bar opened in Warrington’s Cultural Quarter at the end of February and despite pubs closing at an alarming rate, it has found success by riding the craft beer revolution.

Manager Andrew Bellis said: “Ten or 15 years ago cask ale was really struggling whereas now it can be the key component in a successful pub or bar.

“It draws out customers who are interested in the quality and range of their drink as much as anything else.”

With regular meetings with CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) to give a better idea of new and upcoming breweries, 9 Gallon’s team source beer from all over the country.

But they also want to support Warrington’s brewers so they often deal with Coach House Brewery in Howley and 4T’s which is based in Runcorn but brewer John Wilkinson is also the landlord of The Tavern in Church Street.

Andrew, aged 26, added: “The obvious real ale pubs in Warrington are The Lower Angel and The Tavern and we’re hoping to join them on that list. There’s other pubs too and there’s sort of a bit of a real ale trail developing in the town.

“More often than not, real ale drinkers are willing to travel to pubs for beers they’ve not tried. We’ve already dealt with hundreds of breweries.”

Being close to the Parr Hall has helped too.

“Parr Hall has been fantastic for my business,” said Andrew, who used to work at The Albion.

“We’re the most prominent real ale bar in that area and it draws in the kind of people who are going to a show later in the evening.

“Bit by bit the Cultural Quarter is coming along. It’s difficult because it’s independent businesses setting up when there’s not much money to go around and opening anything like this is a risk when pubs are closing.

“But the Cultural Quarter is making a name for itself. We’re welcoming people who want a bit more from their evening with like-minded people. People have said this is something that Warrington needed.”

Andrew is also pleased that newfound interest in Britain’s traditional drink has gone international with the craft beer craze – and that is making the range of ales even more diverse. He added: “America is having a great deal of success, so is Australia and Poland, and that’s influencing the styles of drinks. It’s ever evolving.

“People are bored of drinking the same thing. They want to be connoisseurs of what they drink. That’s why places like Bierkeller and BrewDog have been opening and doing great.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Andrew also likes the do-it-yourself nature of micro breweries and supports as many as possible. “More than 180 micro breweries opened last year,” he said.

“I’m still baffled by the number of them opening all the time. It seems every day I hear of something new. That interests me as much as anyone else.”

DAVID MORGAN