MORE than a billion pints of British beer were pulled in a record number of countries last year, it has been revealed.

UK Breweries, including Blackburn-based Thwaites and Burnley-based Moor-houses’, exported 1.1 billion pints to bars and restaurants in 113 countries in 2013, more than ever before, generating £630 million for the economy, Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss announced.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Des Gallagher, from Thwaites, said people around the world were buying into ‘quintessential British’ beers. He added: “We are getting a lot of countries picking up on British beer.

“In the UK, there’s more breweries opening than there has been since before the First World War. As an industry, brewing has become very exciting and there’s a lot of innovation.”

Thwaites exports several of its brands, including Crafty Dan, Lancaster Bomber and Big Ben.

Earlier this year, the Blackburn brewery brought over a Second World War Lancaster Bomber from Canada, where it took part in a tour of the UK.

Des said: “Now we are getting more demand from Canada for our Lancaster Bomber ale. They love it. To them, it’s the true taste of what England is about.”

Moorhouses’ has also had success abroad, exporting its award-winning cask ales to liquor stores and bars in New York, Baltimore and Washington.