A special beer has been created by two local breweries, Wantsum and Ramsgate, especially for the sixth Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival.

The event takes place at Margate Winter Gardens over the Easter weekend from Friday, April 22, starting at noon and ending on Saturday, April 23, at about 9pm.

More than 200 ales, ciders and perries will be available, as well as hot and cold food. Live entertainment will add a party atmosphere on both days, and a giant pub quiz will keep everyone guessing on Saturday.

Children are welcome until 7pm.

The specially brewed ale, named Low & Behold, is 2.8 per cent strength and falls into new "low-strength" category the government is encouraging with a reduced beer duty rate.

Both breweries, and members of the local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) branch, have been working on the project, conducting research and brewing test batches.

Challenge

The style finally selected has a traditional English bitter colour, which is reddish brown, and a lively, hoppy flavour.

Wantsum brewery boss James Sandy said: "Most people appear to be sceptical that a beer of such low strength can be tasty, but we believe it can and it’s our challenge to try to prove it.

"It’s all about getting the right ingredients and using techniques to increase the flavour."

Eddie Gadd, of the Ramsgate Brewery, said: "While any reduction in beer duty is welcomed, I remain convinced the government has yet to get alcohol policy right.

"Beer is a low-strength drink to be enjoyed in the comfortable surroundings of a pub, but increasing the rate of duty on it by 34 per cent since 2008 has only served to push wine and spirit sales at supermarkets.

"It’s about time the government used some joined-up thinking, reversed the current trends and improved the health of the nation as a result.

"It’s for that reason we settled on the name Low & Behold – lower the beer tax and be holding it low!"

As well as being available at the Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival, Low & Behold will be sold in pubs around east Kent from the first week in May.