A group of brewers have chartered a former Clipper Round-The-World yacht and are sailing it to St Petersburg to promote their stouts.

The Ale4Sail Great Baltic Adventure is an attempt to recreate the sea journey made by beers from England to Russia in the 18th century and promote British cask beers at festivals in Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen on the way.

On May 15, after a beer festival in the Old Brewery, Greenwich, the 60-foot boat will leave the UK with 12 specially-brewed Imperial Russian Stouts on board.

The passage to St Petersburg will take five weeks with stopovers in a major city every Saturday for a beer festival and to change crew. There will also be regularly stops at smaller ports.

Organiser Tim O’Rourke is looking for people to crew all or part of the trip. He said: ‘We have chartered a former 60-foot round-the-world Clipper Thermopylae.

‘This fantastic yacht has already circumnavigated the world four times in the Clipper races, so should see us safely to St Petersburg.’

En route participants will be able to attend the following beer festivals; Copenhagen Beer Festival in Charlie’s Bar on May 27-29, Stockholm Beer Festival in Oliver Twist and Akkurat Restaurant from the week commencing June 3, Helsinki Beer Festival on June 10-12 at a venue to be arranged and in St Petersburg on June 17-19.

To join the voyage contact tim@brilliantbeer.com or register online at www.thegreatbalticadventure.com.

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