Winter Ale Trail returns, expect strong ales, stronger opinions and questionable decisions
As the clocks go back and the collective mood of the North drops to “grumbly with occasional outbursts,” Rochdale is once again deploying its most effective antidote: alcohol, stamps and light cardio.
Yes, the Rochdale Winter Ale Trail is back, offering locals the chance to stagger gracefully from pub to pub, clutching a trail booklet like it’s a holy text and shouting, “I have to have one in here, it’s for the T-shirt!”
Running from 6 to 9 November, the ale trail is organised by the Rochdale Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID), an organisation now largely powered by hops and hope. This boozy pilgrimage is expected to once again unite the borough in pursuit of three things: ale, badges, and glory.
Punters who complete the trail by drinking their way through ten participating venues and surviving the ordeal of a stamp-happy barmaid will be rewarded with a limited-edition Ale Trail T-shirt, which is just like a gym shirt, but more honest.
The pubs include fan favourites like:
- The Flying Horse, where real ale meets mild existential dread,
- The Regal Moon, where you can drink eight pints and still pay less than a Pret salad,
- And Wakey Wakey Brew Co., where the coffee is optional but the hangover is not.
Other venues include Hogarths, The Pint Pot, Moody Blue and Our Gracie’s, named presumably after either a beloved local or a karaoke incident that still haunts Yorkshire Street.
To spice things up, attendees who post pictures of their drinks or completed stamp cards can win a £50 voucher, which in Rochdale terms is roughly three nights out and a taxi home if you don’t live too far past Tesco.
There’ll be live music, good food, and the subtle challenge of trying to appreciate the award-winning mural art while being four pints deep and trying to remember if you’ve been to The Lucky Duck yet or just dreamed it.
Organisers say the trail attracts newcomers and returning locals alike, creating a cheerful mix of “friendly drinkers, lost vegans, and people who think this is what Oktoberfest is.”
Reporting from down the M62, we at the Rochdale Times recommend pacing yourself, drinking water between beers, and remembering, no matter how many stamps you get, it’s not worth licking the mural.
