GAVIN AITCHISON looks at beers for good causes in York.

CHARITY begins at home, they say. Not this week. Nope, tomorrow it begins at the bar – when four big-hearted beer drinkers hold a fundraising event ahead of the Edinburgh Marathon.

Alex Bedingham, 27, of Bootham; Brian Dall, 45, of Clifton; and Kev Jones and Jill Anderson, 30 and 26, of Holgate, are doing the run on May 22 with the aim of raising £2,000 for the Answer Project, which provides day care for people suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia in West Lothian.

To help them hit their target, they are holding a “Blood, Sweat and Beers” evening tomorrow in Brigantes in Micklegate, which was named pub of the year by the York branch of Camra on Wednesday night, and where Mr Jones is landlord.

The evening starts at 6.30pm and will include the launch of a new beer called Marathon, from Leeds Brewery. There will also be a raffle and a Scalextric competition, courtesy of Monk Bar Model Shop.

Miss Anderson said: “After successfully completing previous events for charity including the York 10k and the Great North Run, we felt it was time to attempt the ultimate challenge of a marathon – and where better than in Brian’s hometown of Edinburgh?

“We chose an Alzheimer’s charity as it is an issue close to all our hearts but particularly for Brian, whose father has the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia.”

To sponsor the group, visit www.justgiving.com/blood-sweat-beers

• TALKING of charity... York Brewery is hosting a beer festival next weekend with great ales in aid of a great cause.

York, Ebor and County Round Table have organised the event, which will take place on Friday evening and Saturday, hopefully raising thousands of pounds for St Leonard’s Hospice.

The organisers have gathered together 25 award-winning beers and ciders. Star attractions include Dark Star Hophead, Boggart Cascade, Milk Stout from Bristol Beer Factory, Janet’s Jungle Juice Cider, and both Kipling and Jaipur from Thornbridge.

Incidentally, I’m not being paid to mention Edinburgh this week – honest – but among the various offerings, make sure you look out for Holyrood from Stewart’s Brewery, gold-medal winner at the 2009 World Beer Awards.

It’s a pale, fruity ale which has been selected for the festival by a certain beer columnist, keen to fly the flag for his home city, and it’s well worth trying.

If you like it, then, well, shucks, it was nothing. If not? It must just be a rogue pint!

• MAY is upon us, which means it’s time for milds. So say Camra which has launched its annual campaign to promote them across the country.

Milds are typically – but not exclusively – darker beers with a lower-than-average ABV, and although they’re often seen as old-fashioned, Camra’s research suggests they’re enjoying a renaissance.

After something of a lull, there are now more than 200 on the UK beer market – twice as many as 12 years ago.

A number of York pubs will be getting some in specially to coincide with Camra’s campaign.

The Waggon and Horses in Lawrence Street will have Bateman’s Dark Mild, Great Heck Voodoo Mild, Raw Magic Mild and Rooster’s Spearmint Mild over the course of May.

If you don’t fancy those, then Ruby Mild from local brewers Rudgate (Champion Beer of Britain in 2009) is available in a number of city pubs, including as a permanent fixture at The Slip in Clementhorpe.

Common sense or nonsense? Follow Gav at twitter.com/pintsofview for beery news, views and chat throughout the week.