HAVE you picked up the trail yet? If not, you’d better move quickly for the hunting season has begun. York Camra’s 2010 Ale Trail is in full swing, with 24 urban and rural pubs for drinkers to track down and conquer – and it seems to be proving a hit.

The idea of the trail is to visit, and have an ale in, as many as possible of the 24 pubs between now and the York Beer Festival in September.

You can pick up a card from any of the participating venues and add the corresponding sticker when you visit.

Most of my own conquests so far have been in the city centre with the only exceptions being The Cottage Inn at Haxby, where I had a good pint of Black Sheep Best, and the Blacksmiths Arms at Huntington, an excellent village pub that also does great food – in fact this place wasn’t far off winning best food pub in our pub awards earlier in the year.

I went last Sunday and had a Rudgate’s Well Blathered (five per cent ABV), a deep golden pint with strong and sweet fruit flavours.

Indeed it would have been my beer highlight of the week had it not been for the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (5.6 per cent) I had in Pivní in Patrick Pool.

Camra, who run the ale trail, tend to promote local brews, but it’s hard to resist going a bit more exotic at this place, which has an international variety and quality almost unrivalled in the city.

The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which I hadn’t before seen on tap in York, is a vivacious and voluptuous pint, full of flavour and fizz. It’s a bright coppery orange, has a bit of a spicy kick and is rammed full of cascade hops which give it a flowery and fruity flavour. I’ll be back for more.

* READERS in The Groves, or who pass by that way, may have noticed that The Independent at the top of Lowther Street has reverted to its original name: The Punch Bowl.

This place has had a bit of a chequered past in recent years, but the latest management team seem focused on turning it around.

The Groves has lost The Reindeer, The Magpie and the working men’s club in recent years, but hopefully The Punch Bowl can capitalise on its size and catchment area and become a thriving local.

* The Spread Eagle in Walmgate has closed again and is up for let. The Windmill in Blossom Street has also shut, but is expected to re-open under new management.

Follow Gav at twitter.com/pintsofview for beer views, news and chat all week.