The colourful festivities on Saturday form part of the Assize of Ale, a tradition that dates back to medieval times.
It requires the Sheriff of York to visit local pubs, tasting the ale to ensure it is of good quality.
The expensive equipment required for brewing led to a commercial market for these goods, and so a need for regulations to control quality and pricing. Therefore, the Sheriff summoned their sergeants to visit the city's ale houses to test the quality of the ale.
Any sergeant who failed to answer the summons was guilty of an offence and liable to fines or time in the pillory.
The Saturday event involves those taking part being divided into 2 or 3 teams, with each team visiting 5 pubs in the city centre.
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