BrewDog, the BBC and Me!

I return to an old and thorny subject here: The British Broadcasting Corporation. I deliberately write it out in full to put the emphasis on British – because some times you do wonder what planet it is on, let alone what country it broadcasts in.

Yesterday I heard yet another nonsense Radio 4 broadcast about those clever marketing lads at BrewDog up in the wilds of Aberdeenshire, where they brew what are described as ‘extreme beers’.

Now this type of beer is common enough in the States, but much less so here – yet. The latest BrewDog wheeze is an oak aged Imperial Stout named Tokyo. It comes in at a whacking 18.2 per cent abv and is hailed - by them - as the UK’s strongest ever beer that will ‘help tackle binge drinking’.

Well twenty-odd something James Watt and Martin Dickie (above) may or may not have a point there; the argument being that if you appreciate ale you won’t drink so much of it. However, the health police have rushed like lemmings to a cliff top to condemn. That is predictable. The BrewDog guys have a reputation for bear baiting the health boys.

Unfortunately what is also very predictable is the way the BBC reported this in their usual ‘holier than thou’ style. Do they give James and Martin the recognition they probably deserve as modern pioneering brewers? Oh no, they simply hype up the criticism. The health cops were only carrying out orders, but the BBC does not have to go along with it.

As if this lambasting was not quite enough - the reporter compounds it all in his pay off line by saying the beer came in at a ‘stonking’ £9.99 price. He invokes that special condescending and peevish tone of voice that Beeb people wheel out to underscore their distaste for such nasty subjects as beer.

Of course, because he was so up himself he completely missed the point. The British beer drinker generally goes for a good glugging beer of moderate strength; witness the new Brunning & Price Original that is jumping out of the pump at a 3.8%abv. This is the sort of beer that most of us will stick with throughout a lifetime’s beer drinking. It is tasty, refreshing and a great pint to drink over a chat in the pub. We know where we are on the inebriated score with it.

You would have to drink a lot of Original to get truly bladdered - like a certain Harker’s person did on its launch (all in the name of scientific research, of course).

But I digress. Tokyo is a completely different story. Stronger than wine - although still much weaker than any spirits – it is brewed with Jasmine, cranberries and US hops.

Very clearly it’s a beer aimed at connoisseurs - like poncy beer writers - and priced accordingly. A very reasonable price it is too compared with wine. Would the well heeled Beeb man object to paying a ‘stonking’ ten quid for a bottle of Bordeaux for his hoity Notting Hill dinner party? I don’t think so.

After a long career in the media I have learnt to live with its foibles. I can generally forgive its silly excesses better than the next man as I have experienced the pressures behind them. But this sort of stuff really raises my already struggling blood pressure. I want to shout at the radio ‘Get real BBC - you do not buy this sort of stuff in a pint glass. Any blithering idiot knows that.’ Instead I just swear quietly at the computer.

Here was another real chance here to celebrate a slice of British brewing- sadly an opportunity once again lost. The story was, as they often say in the Notting Hill, a complete load of testes.

However, looking on the bright side, it was another great marketing coup for the BrewDog lads, who have a reputation to maintain as the punk rockers of the British brewing industry. Keep going guys; it can only be keep good for sales.

Footnote:Next week is a celebration of the best of UK brewing with the Great British Beer Festival in Earls Court, London. Brewdog will no doubt be there along with many other hardworking, innovative and enterprising brewers. Will the British Broadcasting Corporation fail to turn out once again, as last year? I will let you know.

Those lazy and bit hazy days of summer

What is the best way to spend a lazy British summer Saturday afternoon in the great outdoors- without actually taxing yourself too much? Well this last weekend it could have been popping down to Lords for the test match or the Golf Open at Turnberry, depending on your sporting fancy.

But on Saturday about 1,000 people showed how we can enjoy ourselves collectively in the open air without a ball, bat or club in sight; just a glass and some gorgeous ales. Yes, a wonderful outdoor beer festival. Just as the thwack of leather on willow on a village green is quintessentially British, the sounds of beer glasses clinking on a balmy July day evoke a similar warm glow.

It was the West Cheshire Brewer’s Annual Beer Fest – motto ‘Because Life’s Too Short For Crap Beer’. It’s now in its third year on Matthew Walley’s farm at Waverton – the home of his splendid Spitting Feathers Brewery.

As in previous years, there was a welcome respite in the monsoon conditions that now seem to prevail at this time of year. The sun shone more or less throughout the afternoon session.

One of the really endearing things about this festival is that it is on a proper working farm. You can divert from the serious ale business to gaze at the livestock or watch Matt’s happy porkers scratching their backs.

Another bonus, for Northern drinkers anyway, is that all the ale is served via beer engines on the huge bar. With both an afternoon and an evening session there’s also two great bands playing – the Reads and the Moo Cows.

The beer, of course, was great - a fine showcase for what West Cheshire’s brewers are about. We first sampled the light citrus summer ale Splash from Stationhouse and then the fine Woodlands Light Oak - brewed with a lager malt - before we went through the card; Spitting Feathers’ Solstice was new to me and another classy summer ale as was the golden best bitter Dancer from Northern, while Froda from Stationhouse offered a traditional tawny ale. Weetwood was there with its new Move Over Darling and other classics including one of Harkers’ favourite tipples Cheshire Cat.

Later we eventually hit the deep dark stouts and porters - Spitting Feathers Old Wavertonian with its chocolate and coffee flavours and Northern’s Deep Dark Secret, smooth and silky porter with a dryish underlying finish. Yes, it was a long afternoon.

The boys were trying to keep a track and vote for the best beer of the fest, but after the fourth or fifth (only half glasses) they sort of lost their way a bit - or their will - and decided to abandon any attempt at rational judgement. As they were all good beers the best one was the one you had in your hand at the time. At one time Bob muttered something like ‘ ‘av anuvver deadwood’ which I took to mean the pokey (4.9%) Redwood from Woodlands which was, we agreed, a cracker.

A charity event – each brewer designates a charity – both sessions were sold out. Well done Matt, another great day. See if you can fix the elements again next year.