Pouring your pint...
Archives & Directory
Society History & Directory
The people behind the pints. A chronological record of the society's activities, key figures, and industry partners since our foundation.
Society Overview
The Brighton Real Ale Society (BRAS) is a university-rooted student and alumni collective dedicated to discovering, rating, and celebrating exceptional cask conditioned beers throughout Sussex. Founded in November 2023, our mission spans beyond casual socialising; we actively support independent local breweries, run certified charity pub quizzes, and participate in direct collaborative brewing operations.
30+ Mos
Active History
8.6 / 10
Highest Rated Ale
£435
Raised for Charity
Key Figures & Committee
Leadership succession from our current officers down to the society's 2023 founders.
Key Industry Partners
Richard
Master Brewer, Pepperpot Brewery
Operating from Bevendean Farm, Richard opened his doors to the BRAS for intensive brewing masterclasses and comprehensive tasting panels. He explicitly co-developed and commercialised the society's celebratory one-year milestone beer, "BRAS Best Bitter".
360° Brewing Co
Brewing Collaborator, Sheffield Park
Based in East Sussex, the 360° team hosted BRAS for a hands-on brewery experience, collaborating on recipe formulation and dry-hopping. This partnership produced the festival cask ale, "Full Circle Pale Ale".
Jason
Brighton & South Downs CAMRA Liaison
Jason provided consistent guidance from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), integrating student advocacy with the broader regional cask community. He frequently joined official socials to co-present awards and champion local pub preservation efforts.
Historical Timeline
A chronological account of the society's milestones, from inception to the present day.
Nov 2023
5 Nov Source
The Spark that started it all! 🦆 The original idea for BRAS was conceived today over pints at The Mucky Duck.
6 Nov Source
It's official! 📝 The Brighton Real Ale Society (BRAS) is formally registered with the BSU. We are officially a university society!
11 Nov Source
The first full committee meeting! 🦆 We gathered at The Geese to hash out our plans, establish the CAMRA scoring system, and officially put BRAS into motion.
13 Nov Source
Hello Brighton! 🍻 Our first ever Instagram post goes live. The Brighton Real Ale Society is officially here and ready to start rating!
16 Nov Source
The very first BRAS Social! 🍻 Today marks the official BRAS Birthday. Our inaugural pub trip and the start of a fantastic journey to discover the best cask ales in Brighton!
Dec 2023
14 Dec Source
First Term Complete! 🎄🍻 We wrapped up our inaugural term with an incredible Christmas Social at The Basketmakers Arms. Huge thanks to everyone who came down and rated some fantastic dark winter ales!
Feb 2024
18 Feb Source
Brighton Beer Festival outing! 🎪 The committee and members had an amazing time sampling the best regional casks at the festival today. A true masterclass in Sussex brewing.
Mar 2024
22 Mar Source
Pub Quiz Takeover! 🧠🍺 BRAS took over the Freehaus tonight for our first ever charity pub quiz! Incredible turnout, some very tricky beer trivia, and some top tier pints.
Jun 2024
5 Jun Source
Inaugural Year Awards 🏆 What a phenomenal first year! We handed out our first ever BRAS awards tonight, celebrating the best pints and most dedicated inspectors of 23/24.
Sept 2024
20 Sept Source
Introducing the BRAS Committee for 2024/25! 🍻 James Graham returns as President, joined by Max taking over as our new Socials & Media Officer! Here's to another great year of cask ale!
25 Sept Source
Kicking off the 24/25 year right! 🍻 Our first social of the academic year brought us to The Independent Taproom where we enjoyed an excellent High 5 oat pale from Hand Brew Co. Great to see returning faces and welcome our new members!
Nov 2024
17 Nov Source
Thank you to everyone who came last night to celebrate the BRAS 1 year anniversary! 🎉 In recognition of this we collaborated with Pepperpot Brewery and brewed the BRAS best bitter, a sweet yet full bodied bitter, and released this beer last night. This was also the first time real ale was sold at The Venue @subrighton_thevenue who we appreciate for facilitating such a great event for us. We thank everyone who has come to any social in the last 12 months, we wouldn't be here without the continued support and enthusiasm from members, for which we are forever grateful. 💛💙 🍻🍻 ### [2026-09-01 12:00:00+00:00](https://www.instagram.com/brightonrealalesocbras/) A new era for BRAS! Meet the 2026/27 Committee 🍻 Takara steps up as our new Society President, with Harrison taking over as Finance Director. We are excited to continue the BRAS legacy!
Jan 2025
20 Jan Source
Winter Ale Showcase ❄️ A massive shoutout to The Evening Star for hosting our Winter Ale tasting session tonight. Some absolutely colossal stouts and porters on the board!
May 2025
13 May Source
It's finally here. Operation Full Circle is a go! Join us at @subrighton_thevenue on Thursday as we launch our new beer Full Circle Pale Ale. Collaborating with @360brewco we helped brew more ale, which is the headlining drink of this music festival. So come along throughout the Thursday, Friday and Saturday and get yourself a pint of Full Circle!
Jun 2025
7 Jun Source
The annual BRAS awards 2025! 🍻🎉 This was our final social of the year and once again giving out our society awards, congratulations to those who won. This was the final social of many of us, and the last social for me as president. It's been a great pleasure starting and running a society for the past 20 months and I'm so proud of what we've done in so little time. Let's the BRAS live on for years to come! Cheers! 🍻 - James
Oct 2025
23 Oct Source
First social of 25/26! 🍻 We had an amazing turnout at Brighton Bierhaus to start our new academic year. The cask ale is flowing and the committee is excited for the year ahead!
Feb 2026
12 Feb Source
The Harvey's Pilgrimage! 🚂🍻 An unforgettable day taking the train to Lewes for a private tour of the historic Harvey's Brewery. Seeing where Sussex Best is born was a religious experience for the committee.
May 2026
28 May Source
End of Year Awards 2026 🏆 Our biggest awards night yet! A bittersweet evening as we bid farewell to Albie as President, but what a year it has been. Cheers to the 25/26 season!
Present day