beer blogs
From foie gras and Château Pétrus to beans on toast and Happy Shopper cola.
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beer blogsSome good beer blogs:
http://petebrown.blogspot.co.uk/
http://cookinglager.blogspot.co.uk/ (tongue in cheek)
http://boakandbailey.com/
http://tandlemanbeerblog.blogspot.co.uk/
http://real-ale-reviews.com/ -
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Re: beer blogsThe good news is that there are new innovative breweries springing up all over the place, from Brewdog to Camden, to Meantime, to Magic Rock Thornbridge to Bristol beer, and alot of them are opening craft beer bars. There are also lots of smaller more tradition breweries who do a good job at the cask ale thing without really diversifying too far like Castle Rock and Milton.(Original post by doggyfizzel)
These are a really cool idea. I love trying local beers, and I hate the fact that, IMO, some of the most popular beers are actually really poor. We have a beer festival near me every year which is a good event.
There is a bit too much of a focus on superstrong extremely hopped beer at the moment, but I think things will settle down and we will have a really strong range of UK produced beers in a whole range of different styles - not just the usual choice between watery lager and eggy bitter.
Some bars in the US have 20-40 different beers on tap covering every different style under the sun. Thats the kind of thing I would like to see in every city in the UK. -
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Re: beer blogsUnless they have an exceptionally high number of customers, that is too many. They wouldn't be able to sell the beer quick enough before it goes stale. If we're talking proper beer than isn't full of preservatives anyway - that stuff is more like large scale chemical engineering than beer.(Original post by py0alb)
Some bars in the US have 20-40 different beers on tap covering every different style under the sun. Thats the kind of thing I would like to see in every city in the UK.
Even the larger outlets in the UK (for example Wetherspoons) will rarely have more than about 7 or 8 because of this.
Beer festivals are great because you'll get a lot more choice, but because there are so many people there it won't go stale. -
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Re: beer blogsI see your argument, and I don't think it would work for cask ales, and I do agree that the bar would need to be busy. But, I think 7 or 8 is an understatement. Lots of "normal" bars in Cambridge (not exactly a happening place) have 10+ different beers on pump, the only problem is that they're all the same beers we've had before, some of which are nice and some of which are not.(Original post by Manitude)
Unless they have an exceptionally high number of customers, that is too many. They wouldn't be able to sell the beer quick enough before it goes stale. If we're talking proper beer than isn't full of preservatives anyway - that stuff is more like large scale chemical engineering than beer.
Even the larger outlets in the UK (for example Wetherspoons) will rarely have more than about 7 or 8 because of this.
Beer festivals are great because you'll get a lot more choice, but because there are so many people there it won't go stale.
When these places do open, it does work, and I honestly think its only a matter of time before they spread around the country, provided we all work to promote the joy of great beer.
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Re: beer blogs10 is pretty impressive. In my 'local' there's four. Hawkshead bitter and Tiger as their standard, and two guests (plus a guest cider)(Original post by py0alb)
I see your argument, and I don't think it would work for cask ales, and I do agree that the bar would need to be busy. But, I think 7 or 8 is an understatement. Lots of "normal" bars in Cambridge (not exactly a happening place) have 10+ different beers on pump, the only problem is that they're all the same beers we've had before, some of which are nice and some of which are not.
When these places do open, it does work, and I honestly think its only a matter of time before they spread around the country, provided we all work to promote the joy of great beer.
They get quite a few things in from York for some reason...it is called The Yorkshire House, which might go some way to explaining it!
There's a bigger place in town which claims to have ten casks on, but the one time I went they 'only' had 6 or 7. -
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Re: beer blogsIs that Everard's Tiger by any chance?(Original post by Manitude)
10 is pretty impressive. In my 'local' there's four. Hawkshead bitter and Tiger as their standard, and two guests (plus a guest cider)
They get quite a few things in from York for some reason...it is called The Yorkshire House, which might go some way to explaining it!
My main issue with beers on tap is the styles rather than the number. It's very common to go into a pub and have five rather similar bitters, and nothing much darker or lighter. One time I went into a pub with a group of around 10-15, and after one round the only stout on tap had gone. -
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Re: beer blogsSorry perhaps I wasn't clear. I wasn't just talking about casks. The couple of places I was thinking of had 3/4 casks plus 6/7 on keg. As you say, casks need to be served quicker.(Original post by Manitude)
10 is pretty impressive. In my 'local' there's four. Hawkshead bitter and Tiger as their standard, and two guests (plus a guest cider)
They get quite a few things in from York for some reason...it is called The Yorkshire House, which might go some way to explaining it!
There's a bigger place in town which claims to have ten casks on, but the one time I went they 'only' had 6 or 7.
One of my favourites is the Cambridge Blue, which has 4 cask ales and probably 8 beers on keg plus a draft cider. Unfortunately we're talking between £3.50 and £6 a pint depending on what you want. -
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Re: beer blogsI believe it is. Not sure if I've ever had it though. I'll almost always go for hawkshead because it's cheap, or a guest because it'll only be there for a few days and I want to try it.(Original post by Cerdog)
Is that Everard's Tiger by any chance?
My main issue with beers on tap is the styles rather than the number. It's very common to go into a pub and have five rather similar bitters, and nothing much darker or lighter. One time I went into a pub with a group of around 10-15, and after one round the only stout on tap had gone.
Tis a shame when pubs don't put a good range on, though the number of stout drinkers is never as many as it should be, so it's not in their interests to put a lot of the black stuff on. -
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Re: beer blogsAh right, I had misunderstood you.(Original post by py0alb)
Sorry perhaps I wasn't clear. I wasn't just talking about casks. The couple of places I was thinking of had 3/4 casks plus 6/7 on keg. As you say, casks need to be served quicker.
One of my favourites is the Cambridge Blue, which has 4 cask ales and probably 8 beers on keg plus a draft cider. Unfortunately we're talking between £3.50 and £6 a pint depending on what you want.
£6 a pint is a bit silly unless it's some Brewdog at wine/champagne type strength.
Cheapest pint I can get is £1.35 (Ruddles County) from spoons. It's not great, but it'll do when on a serious budget!
Normally I pay £3.00-£3.10 though. I'll sometimes stretch to more if it's Old Tom (which is usually £4 when it's on around here, but for 8.5% it's still decent value!) -
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Re: beer blogsI'd definitely recommend it. It might depend on where the pub is, but at one I've been to a couple of times it's excellent. Goes down very easily, so even if you weren't a fan it wouldn't be too bad.(Original post by Manitude)
I believe it is. Not sure if I've ever had it though. I'll almost always go for hawkshead because it's cheap, or a guest because it'll only be there for a few days and I want to try it. -
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Re: beer blogsYessir. Will be there in a week and a half or so(Original post by Cerdog)
I'd definitely recommend it. It might depend on where the pub is, but at one I've been to a couple of times it's excellent. Goes down very easily, so even if you weren't a fan it wouldn't be too bad.
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Re: beer blogsDown in Cambridge you're looking at £3.50 to £4 for a pint of anything decent. C'est la vie. Its tough work being a beer conoisseur paying £4 a pint when I could get Carlsberg down the road for £2.60.(Original post by Manitude)
Ah right, I had misunderstood you.
£6 a pint is a bit silly unless it's some Brewdog at wine/champagne type strength.
Cheapest pint I can get is £1.35 (Ruddles County) from spoons. It's not great, but it'll do when on a serious budget!
Normally I pay £3.00-£3.10 though. I'll sometimes stretch to more if it's Old Tom (which is usually £4 when it's on around here, but for 8.5% it's still decent value!)
When brewdog stick to a sensible %, they make some of the best beer in the world. Punk, 5am saint, trashy blonde, zeitgeist, are some of my favourite UK based beers. -
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Re: beer blogsOne of the many advantages of living in the North(Original post by py0alb)
Down in Cambridge you're looking at £3.50 to £4 for a pint of anything decent. C'est la vie. Its tough work being a beer conoisseur paying £4 a pint when I could get Carlsberg down the road for £2.60.
When brewdog stick to a sensible %, they make some of the best beer in the world. Punk, 5am saint, trashy blonde, zeitgeist, are some of my favourite UK based beers.
That said I got a pint in Tunbridge Wells for £1.70 last summer. -
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Re: beer blogsThere is always a raft of interesting stories to be found here:
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Brands-News
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/General-News -
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Re: beer blogsPubs round my way (S. London) usually hover between £3 and £3.50 for a pint of real ale. I don't mind paying this as it keeps them afloat -put it angers me that over £1 of a pint is tax!
There are some real gems of pubs of the beaten track here which really are the bee's knees though -the range of guest ales they have is staggering! -
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Re: beer blogsThis sounds like a great idea:
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/P...-hop-cask-ales
