Cumbrian beer brings cheer to MPs

The beer will be on sale to MPs for two weeks

Beer from a tiny Cumbrian brewery is about to go on sale at Westminster after pressure from the MP for Workington.

Tony Cunningham has arranged for Carlisle State Bitter to be made available in a bar at the House of Commons.

The brew is made by the Derwent Brewery of Silloth, and the Parliamentary move is a boost for the business.

Frank Smith, one of the company partners, said: "Carlisle State Bitter is our best-seller, and made to the same recipe as the original.

'Talking point'

"It is a classic bitter - but I wouldn't like to guess how close it tastes to the original.

"Some people say it is exactly the same, while other people say it is nothing like the original, so it is a real talking point."

The company started life in Cockermouth, and moved to Silloth about five years ago.

Carlisle State Bitter is brewed to the same recipe as that used by the now-defunct Carlisle Brewery, which was nationalised during World War I, to try and regulate workers' beer intake.

The bitter will be a guest beer at an MP's bar in the House of Commons for two weeks from 28 February.