The Manx branch of CAMRA had the distinction of being the only one able to hold a launch party for this year’s Good Beer Guide.

Launched at the Woodbourne Hotel in Douglas, the Campaign For Real Ale’s Good Beer Guide 2021 includes 28 Manx establishments in this year’s book.

The guide features a selection of the best pubs throughout the British Isles in which to find real ale. Included are over 4,500 pubs. Alongside this the annual beer drinkers bible includes a full listing of over 1,800 breweries.

All types and styles of pubs are included and the 28 Manx entries this year are spread across the island, from The Grosvenor Hotel in Andreas down to The Albert, Port St. Mary.

The launch party at the Woodbourne, which also recently celebrated its 125th birthday, also gave some of the island’s hundreds of CAMRA members the chance to plan for next year’s Beer Festival, due to be held between April 8 and April 10 at the Villa Marina.

Members also took part in a beery and pub themed quiz-with copies of Good Beer Guides for the winners, beers and steak and ale pies for the runners up.

Unsurprisingly, Douglas has the most number of pubs included in the guide, with The Albert, House and Plough, Old Market Inn, Prospect, Rosemount, Rovers Return, Terminus Tavern and the Woodbourne all featuring from the capital.

Other pubs included in the east of the island are in Laxey, the Bridge Inn and Mines Tavern and in Onchan the Manx Arms.

Heading north, CAMRA has included the Grosvenor, The Raven in Ballaugh, The Central, Mitre, Trafalgar Hotel make it in from Ramsey while Sulby has two entries from the Sulby Glen Hotel and the Ginger Hall.

In the west of the island, The Baltic Inn in Foxdale makes the guide as do the Central, Royal Hotel, Miller’s Tale (included as Two Fellas Micropub) and the Whitehouse make the 2021 guide for Peel.

And down south, Castletown is represented by the Castle Arms and the Sidings, Port Erin by the Station Hotel and Port St Mary has the Albert and the Shore.

Brewers Bushy’s, Odin, Okell’s and Old Laxey also make the guide as brewers of real ale in the Isle of Man.