Brewers James Sandy, left, and Eddie Gadd decide on the flavour of their special ale

Sun, sea... and cider are the order of the day this weekend.

More than 200 ales, ciders and perrys are up for grabs at the sixth Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival in Margate.

The festival also features a giant pub quiz on Saturday and live entertainment, at the Winter Gardens from midday today until 9pm tomorrow.

To mark the occasion, two local breweries, Wantsum and Ramsgate, have joined forces to create a beer especially for the sixth festival.

The specially-brewed beer, named Low & Behold, has 2.8 per cent and falls into new "low strength" category the government is encouraging with a reduced beer duty rate.

Both breweries, and members of the local Campaign for Real Ale branch, have been working on the project for a few weeks, and the style finally selected has a traditional English bitter colour, which is reddish brown, and a lively, hoppy flavour.

Wantsum brewery boss James Sandy said: "Most people appear to be sceptical that a beer of such low strength can be tasty, but we believe it can and it’s our challenge to try to prove it."

Fellow brewer Eddie Gadd, of the Ramsgate Brewery, said: "While any reduction in beer duty is welcomed, I remain convinced the government has yet to get alcohol policy right."

For more details about the Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival, log on to theEaster beer festival website.