The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is to introduce a new online National Beer Scoring Scheme (NBSS) to rate the quality of beer in pubs.
The NBSS is a six-point scale (0-5) for judging beer quality that has been designed to assist CAMRA branches in selecting pubs for its Good Beer Guide.
In the past, CAMRA members filled in cards to rate the beer in a pub and then submitted the entries to CAMRA, but now they can fill the details in online at www.beerscoring.org.uk.
NBSS co-ordinator and CAMRA director Brett Laniosh says it is the simplest way for CAMRA members to give feedback on the state of beer in British pubs as the website can be accessed at any time.
"Giant strides have been made by brewers and retailers to improve cask quality, but there is still work to be done to make sure every pint of cask beer is served in excellent condition," Mr Laniosh said.
"The NBSS is part of CAMRA's continuing commitment to further improve beer quality."
The scheme is only available to CAMRA members, who will be asked to examine the look, smell, and taste of each beer before offering their evaluation.
How the beers are rated
The scores are:
0 = Undrinkable: No cask ale or the quality is so poor you can't finish it.
1 = Poor: Barely drinkable
2 = Average: Competently kept but uninspiring.
3 = Good: Good beer in good form. Worth another pint.
4 = Very Good: Excellent beer in excellent condition, another pint is a must.
5 = Perfect: Very rarely given by the seasoned drinker. Probably the best beer you are likely to find.