The news follows on from a hugely successful year in which Greene King IPA scooped a Gold award in the CAMRA bitter category at the annual Great British Beer Festival 2004 and a Silver in the overall CAMRA "Champion Beer of Britain 2004" award.

Latest figures from AC Nielsen show that Greene King IPA has 11% of the total cask ale market.*

The number one cask ale has performed so well by demonstrating its commitment to attracting new drinkers. Over the past 12 months, Greene King has successfully built on the drink's taste credentials and established a contemporary and impactful brand identity.

A cleaner, sharper look was developed for Greene King IPA packaging in 2003 to appeal to a wider audience. This combined with strong marketing campaigns including TV, sponsorship, promotional activity and PR has now made it the nation's favourite cask ale.

Managing Director of Greene King Brewing Company Rooney Anand said: "The news that our flagship brand has reached the top spot is fantastic. Greene King IPA has been recognised as the nation's favourite ale with the awards received this year alone, and with the public backing our wonderful ale, we are now determined to remain market leaders."

IPA standing for India Pale Ale has been produced in Bury St Edmunds for over 100 years and was brewed originally for export to ex-patriots in India during the days of the Indian Raj. Because hops have a preservative effect on beer, an unusually large quantity of hops were used in the brewing process to ensure the beer remained in good condition during the long sea voyage to India. It was a taste that caught on in Britain among beer drinkers who had previously never been influenced by the sub continent.

The wonderful fresh hoppy taste and the distinctive aroma comes from a combination of two varieties of English hop - Challenger and English First Gold - these together with pale and crystal malts give it a fantastic bittersweet balance.

The Greene King Brewing Company's portfolio of premium ales also includes Old Speckled Hen, Ruddles County, Abbot Ale, Strong Suffolk and Beer To Dine For.

* November 2004 MAT volume figures.