THE legendary Wizard of Alderley Edge has earned the ultimate modern day accolade by having a beer named after him.

The beer, which has been launched by Stockport brewer Robinsons, is an amber ale with a 3.7 per cent ABV which it claims is doing well in sales across the country.

It is not clear how the legend of the wizard arose but historians suggest that the area is steeped in folklore and legend. King Arthur and his men are said to sleep somewhere beneath the sandstone cliffs, and the area is associated with the wizard Merlin.

There is a carving of a bearded face above a well next to which the words "Drink of this and take thy fill, For the water falls by the wizard's will".

Quite what the wizard of old would have made of having a beer called after him we will never know but legend has it that a farmer from Mobberley was on his way to Macclesfield Market to sell a white mare which was of the finest of his stock.

As he passed by the steep sandstone cliffs of Alderley Edge, he was stopped by an old man of noble stature with a white beard, and clothes who asked if the farmer would sell his horse to him for a fair price. The farmer refused, hoping that he could get a better price for the beast at the market.

When he arrived there, his animal though admired, not a single offer was made.

Dejectedly, the farmer set off for home and as he passed Alderley Edge, the same old man appeared and asked if he could buy the horse. The farmer agreed and the wizard motioned him to follow, he led the farmer through trees to the foot of the sandstone cliffs that make up the edge.

The wizard touched the rock with his staff, and the rock parted with a thunderous sound to reveal a huge cavern. The old man led the farmer inside the earth reassuring him not to be afraid.

The farmer could not believe his eyes, because inside the cavern hundreds of armour clad warriors lay in a deathly sleep. Every warrior bar one had a white horse standing next to him. The old man (who now appeared to be a wizard led him to a pile of gold and jewels, and told him to take his fill as payment for his mare.

The farmer grabbed a handful of golden coins and jewels, stuffed them into his pockets and walked out through the opening into the bright sunlight. The farmer, overwhelmed by his strange experience, set off running as the rock closed with a dull thud behind him. Although he tried, neither he nor anyone else could ever find the door again.

Gill Yates, Robinson's brands manager said: “We’re obviously thrilled with the success so far and the feedback we’ve received from our customers has been fantastic.

"We think this beer with its innovative pump clip design, which looks like it has been chiselled out of the rock face at Alderley Edge, has really captured the imagination of our drinkers. We hope they’ll continue to enjoy Wizard for many years to come.”