Brunning & Price

Boffin says beer buffs are best

2010-08-12T09:48:00.071Z

It is, of course, what we who have imbibed a pint or two over the years have always known. Beer is inspirational. Winston Churchill knew all about this during the Second World War when he insisted that the beer reached the front line troops no matter what else. This despite the fact that he preferred the bubbly.

I personally have found that a good ruminate over a pint can often solve a tricky looking problem. Anyway, we now know that, whatever the killjoys say, beer is our saviour. The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) and microbrewers should be an “economic inspiration” to the nation as it struggles to emerge from recession.

Experts at the prestigious Nottingham University Business School believe the ever-mushrooming number of microbreweries offers hope for the UK’s small businesses. The economists say that real ale’s rebirth in the wake of the Camra’s founding in 1971 has significant implications for the UK economy.

In the 19th century brewing was a major economic force in the land (although many didn't want to acknowledge this at the time of the Temperance Movement). There were 1,324 breweries in 1900 but by 1970, we are told , the number surviving in England had sunk to just 141. However by 2004 the number stood at 480. The latest count from brewers' society SIBA estimates there to be more than 700 for the UK as the demand for locally produced ales appears to be insatiable, as we well know at B&P.

Yes, Camra had done much to promote the climate for this over many years. But then the Labour Government managed to do something decent for the industry. Gordon Brown, as chancellor, accepted the call for tax breaks for small brewers. The ranks of the microbrewers was consequently bolstered by the introduction of Progressive Beer Duty in 2002. This, says the boffins, demonstrates that tax relief can also help rejuvenate industries.

Professor Peter Swann said, “The fact is that the business world can learn an enormous amount from our beer buffs. The range of products and the number of centres of production in brewing in England declined dramatically between 1900 and 1970."

“As is widely accepted, that process began to reverse with the formation of CAMRA and its fight against bland, mass-produced beers. This has led us to the position we’re in now, with hundreds of small breweries spread all over the country and making thousands of different beers."

Good to hear. Then the prof gets a little proffy: “In technical terms, this represents horizontal product differentiation and a reduction in the importance of the economies of scale."

This, apparently, means that variety is indeed the spice of life and that more discerning tastes can be good for the economy.

He added: “We’re often told small businesses will be key to the UK’s financial recovery. The fall and rise of the local brew offers us a perfect example of ‘small is beautiful’, so it’s vital to see what lessons we can learn from it."

“One of the most important is that a demand for the predictable can lead to the greater geographical concentration of an industry. By contrast, a demand for diversity can lead to greater geographic dispersion — which is the excellent position brewing finds itself in now."

The prof believes that CAMRA and the microbreweries should serve as an economic inspiration — and he states this as a man who proclaims he doesn’t even like beer.

That's a great shame and his loss I fear. But for lots of us it means that we have been 'doing the right thing' all this time - helping to support one of the few British manufacturing sectors that shows real sign of growth. Time for another pint perhaps?

Great British Beer Festival 2010 looks for new record

2010-07-27T10:11:00.080Z

Off we go again. It’s that time of year for jumping on a train to London and having a few pints at the Campaign for Real Ale GBBF – August 3-7. This year they hope to break the attendance record in 2009 of 64,000 or so beer drinkers.

There’ll be 500 British casks ales and 100 ciders and perries all backed up by beers from the Czech Republic, the US, Germany and Belgium. That’s a lot of ale supped in a little corner of London that is Earl’s Court. How people get around to the foreign stuff I will never know. There certainly is enough home grown to keep my taste buds busy.

There will be live music everyday and tasting sessions from leading beer gurus including Roger Protz and Jeff Evans. And we must not forget the indefatigable Ms Melissa Cole doing her sterling work to introduce women to beer with all female festival tours. The first two years of these tours attracted a great deal of interest see Girls' Guide Tours on the festival website.

Shame I won’t be there, but still being in the recovery position from a major operation to stop me listing to port too much, I shall have to give it a miss. One thing you do need at the GBBF is a stout pair of legs - at least to begin with.

However I hope to bring you news of the Champion Beer of Britain – as much of the mainstream media so often ignores this fantastic annual celebration of the terrific British ale industry.

No doubt also the ever generous spirited team from Brunning & Price will bring back reports of new and exciting brews for us to try; that’s when they get around to clearing their heads, emptying their pockets and finding those bits of notes and mysterious phone numbers they have collected during a heavy day of GBBF action. Don't hold your breathe, but I hope to let you know soon.

Thornbridge sees sales soaring to 4m pints

2010-07-13T17:25:00.053Z

Bakewell based Thornbridge Brewery is celebrating “a fantastic set of six months trading figures” says brewery boss Jim Harrison(pictured on the left in the photograph). Jim reports a 115% increase in sales for the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year.

The Derbyshire brewer moved from the historic Thornbridge Hall to a new £2m purpose built site last autumn as reported on the blog of Wed 11 November 2009; Spotlight on Thornbridge.

Jim says: “Despite some very tough trading conditions, the brewery is experiencing the benefits of the investment in both equipment and staff that have allowed us to take up the demand that Thornbridge beers have created”.
He reports that as well as an increase in the local and regional pub market the brewery has also seen interest from national pub companies, so Thornbridge’s beers are now available across the country. Cask sales have been growing month on month and the brewery is on track to sell 4m pints this year.

And the new brewery has meant that the cask sales have been complemented by the launch of a new bottled range of its beers including the multi award winning Jaipur IPA( see beer notes). Now they aim to grow bottle sales substantially over the next five years. Previously they could not keep up with demand,but with the new site Thornbridge is now exporting to the US, the Far East and mainland Europe.

The really good news for Great British Beer Festival goers is that Thornbridge will be showcasing both their cask and bottled beers with their own bar at the Earls Court beer extravaganza on 3rd to the 7th August.

The problem will be that with an array of delights such as Wild Swan, Kipling,Lord Marples and St Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout on offer alongside the famous Jaipur you may not get any further. Never mind!

It tastes good and by golly it really does do you good- that'll be the beer then!

2010-06-29T16:18:00.079Z

There is nothing like a little deprivation to make you appreciate the finer things of life. Lying in a hospital bed, racked by pain, throat like the roughest sandpaper coated with bird dung and assaulted by NHS tea, there was little to look forward to other than attempting to watch England's World Cup struggles on a ridiculously small screen - and for the princely sum of four quid a day.What then, apart from a very unlikely victory in South Africa, was a chap to dream about? Beer, obviously.

Sadly, the days when they doled out a bottle of Guinness or two courtesy of the health service to assist your recovery are long gone.

But should it be so? While pulling around from my recent operation it was a pleasant surprise to read that Beer Really Does Do You Good. But a recent national survey revealed that there is widespread ignorance about the benefits of beer and major misconceptions about its qualities.

The poll of 2,000 people by education group the Beer Academy, revealed that 68 per cent of the sample considered beer to be Britain’s national drink. But many were under the impression that it is fattening or made from chemicals.

A quarter of people the sample believed red wine contains more vitamins, while 10 per cent thought that beer contains fat.

And 13 per cent thought beer was made from chemicals while only two per cent of people realise that beer is a source of silicon – which is good for bone strength.

The Beer Academy report also stresses that beer is one of the healthiest drinks available as a good source of vitamins and fibre and with a relatively low calorific value (of course as we all know it is the salty snacks that pile the weight on), low in sodium and high in potassium which helps control blood pressure.

Professor Jonathan Powell, head of MRC human nutrition research at Cambridge, discovered the links between silicon and bone density.

“Silicon is found in large amounts in the husk of barley, the very substance that is used in the beer making process and is dissolved into the fluid of beer. Even so we were surprised that some of the beers we tested were literally drenched with silicic acid – silicon.”

So, when I return to hospital for a check up on the hip in a few weeks time perhaps I should remain optimistic that I will be cleared to attend the annual Great British Beer Festival in August. After all, if this research is correct, what better place could there be to to build up loads of bone strength? I'm looking forward to a pint. Watch this space.

A stroll through the maze of mild

2010-05-24T15:30:00.094Z

The other day I walked into one of my favourite local pubs and there she was - lusciously dark and dusky. Temptress like, she held my gaze, daring me to get up close and shed the day’s cares. The raven haired barmaid was very pretty too - but it was a pint of magical Black Cat that grabbed my rapt attention.

In fact, the very lovely young lady behind the bar expressed great interest in what I would be enjoying from this black as night pint. So, always ready to help, I gave her some brief tuition in beer tasting with talk of chocolate notes followed through with hoppy bitterness. She seemed to like this.

Anyway, this made me think about mild beers a little more as Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) ran its National Mild in May campaign. A style of beer that held sway throughout the first half of the 20th century, mild fell into the doldrums some years ago. For a time it was written off as an old man’s drink associated with flat caps and whippets – or, possibly worse, Camra anoraks.

But these days it is enjoying a revival. Dark beers generally are still a small percentage of the market, but there are now over 200 mild ales brewed in the UK. More than double the number brewed at the end of the 1900s, this is no doubt something to do with the incessant rise in the number of craft brewers.

However, ale buffs argue about just what should and should not constitute mild ale. Some say mild is a tipple of low strength with a sweetish flavour. This style became very popular with industrial workers of the North and Midlands in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as different malt such as pale, crystal and chocolate became available.

They turned from stouts and porters to a more refreshing, sweeter drink to restore them after a long day in the mill, mine and factory. The trend was pounced on by brewers with tied estates who wanted the benefits of quickly produced ‘running beers’ rather than the long matured - and more costly - stronger ales.

But, going back to pre-industrial revolution days, the reason mild earned its moniker was not about the strength at all but the fact that it was ‘mildly hopped'. In late 1800s and early 1900s all ales were dark simply because the malt was roasted over wood rather coal to produce brown malt and mild ale might be brewed to what we would now describe as ‘premium strength’.

Nowadays many variations are brewed. Acorn Brewery of Barnsley encapsulated the options when it brewed two for the May month focus and reported sales went extremely well.

Lightness (3.6%ABV) is a light golden brew with English Fuggles hops in the style of the golden Pennine mild originally brewed for the north’s mill workers. Darkness (4.2%ABV) is also brewed with Fuggles but with black and crystal malts to produce a dark red aromatic beer.

Harker’s put on a good show for the month. I enjoyed a pint of Magic Mushroom (3.8%) from Derbyshire’s Whim Ales. This is of the lighter variety, with a reddish hue and sweet red fruits bursting through, sherbet even. I don’t doubt that had there been any sons of toil among Harker’s regulars back in Victorian days this would have been very welcome after a hard day spinning the loom.

These days they just spin stories, but this was much enjoyed nevertheless despite – as the beer board said – ‘the slightly disappointing lack of hallucinogenic ingredients’. The name actually refers to the variety of flavour.

I moved on to the Northern Brewing Ma-V-Lus. A deep ruby mild with chocolate notes and gentle bitterness this comes from the Cheshire brewery that glories in the hey day of Northern Soul – can you get the connection here? It is complex ale with five different malts - Maris Otter, Mild Ale malt, chocolate, crystal and wheat –combined with the American Galena hop for strong blackcurrant fruit character and Mount Hood for floral and herby notes. Something to sing about perhaps?

Mild's GBBF triumphs
In the 21st century mild ale has already been voted Great British Beer Festival Champion Beer of Britain three times. The aforementioned Moorhouse’s Black Cat won in 2000, while Worcestershire's Hobson’s Mild triumphed in 2007 and last year York’s Rudgate Ruby Mild took the title. Although these wins may have contributed to the style’s growing in popularity, they are quite different tipples.

Interestingly, some years ago as sales struggled, Black Cat - like Banks Original (still the most popular UK mild) - dropped the mild title in an attempt to shed the perceived image. The recipe was changed to make it darker, slightly stronger and a little more bitter.

Then the Champion Beer of Britain accolade brought many new appreciative drinkers to the brand. Still clocking in at only 3.4% ABV, it delivers chocolate malt, fruity and slight liquorice notes, lightly touched by the trademark Fuggles hops - a highly quaffable pint. Sales were up 11 per cent last year.

Hobson’s is just 3.2%ABV strength. A dark copper coloured ale it has a roasted, nutty, malt complexity. Top beer guru Roger Protz said: “It’s bursting with flavour and, unusually for a mild, has got plenty of hop character.”

Rudgate Ruby at a sturdy 4.4%ABV uses dark, crystal and chocolate malts combined with a unique Yorkshire yeast strain and no less than three hop varieties – Challenger, Cascade and Styrian Goldings - to offer a rich nutty and fruity brew. There are toffee and liquorice notes and quite a bit more bitter edge than the traditional milds of the 20th century.

Then we must not forget the majestic Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby, weighing in at a formidable 6%ABV. In 1921 Sarah Hughes bought the brewery behind the Black Country’s Beacon Hotel and began brewing this rich brew. After lying idle for 30 years the brewery was reopened in 1987 by John Hughes. He continues to brew with his grandmother’s recipe, and it remains a closely guarded secret.

The initial fruitiness mingles with a caramel and toffee flavour, with elements of nuttiness from the roasted malt. At first it seems very sweet, but then a bitter dryness comes through in the finish. The aftertaste is lingering and has a pleasant fruit aspect and more-ish soft malt flavour.

So it seems then that, just as within the bitter category, there is a wide range of strengths and taste for mild too. As the beer buffs argue the toss and the numbers of craft brewers grow exponentially, it looks like the mild revival is set to thrive. We can expect ever more choice on the bar.

Personally I am very keen to do my bit to help this revival. So if you know of any attractive young barmaids in need of some tuition…….

Pubs - what for the future without Gordon?

2010-05-14T11:11:00.160Z

And so the shouting is over. The wheeling and dealing is done. Gordon is a Gonner. Now it’s the Dave and Nick Show.

With a humongous £900bn national debt, the bankers still in need of a damn good thrashing and a pledge to some £6bn of spending cuts, the coalition government has got big job on its hands. Pubs, you may reasonably think, will be very low on the agenda.

But should they be? Under Labour thousands of pubs closed, but as Gordon and his crew neared their demise there were signs that the arguments for saving our unique national heritage could be just be hitting the spot. There was even a short-lived Minister for Pubs before Labour’s demise. John Healey put in place a 12 point plan to help pubs.

The new lot might be wise to carry this through. Not least because if they can stop the rot and get people back in the pub it may buck up the nation’s spirit a bit.

There are many complex reasons for pubs being in this mess. Aside from the the dire economy brought on my those dodgy bank deals, supermarket beer discounting, the smoking ban and, not least, the stranglehold of the major pub companies have all conspired against the pub in recent years.

Yes, there are some pub companies that are still doing well. Not least Brunning & Price - with a hugely successful 'formula' entirely different to the leased pub model - which is still opening new pubs. But abandoned and shuttered pubs have blighted the land for far too long; places like Calderdale where historic hostelries once thrived, are a national disgrace. Even here, in rural Cheshire, I pen this piece barely a good stone’s throw only from a derelict edifice to this scandalous neglect.

Do we have any reason to be optimistic? Well, during election night we saw David Cameron visit his local in the Cotswolds (ok that’s not Calderdale but it's a start) – and we are told he has been a regular visitor over the years.

Nick Clegg lives in the ‘pub capital’ of Britain – Sheffield. When I chatted with him at Moorhouse’s in Burnley (see photograph) earlier this year he made the right noises about looking closely at the pub co beer tie. This system has been condemned as a highly unjust financial burden for leaseholders that also prevents beer choice for consumers. Maybe Nick can make a difference.

As the Publican trade paper set out the parties' policies just before the election, both Cameron and Clegg were pictured drinking ale. (Brown was pictured empty handed. I don't know if that was significant. Perhaps he just hadn’t had time for pint for a few years).

Next month, with a new budget we will know more about just how the government will treat the industry – still a massive employer and huge source of revenue through duty and national insurance contributions.

There are some differences between the Tories and Lib Dems on pub issues, although they agree on banning low cost alcohol sales, no rise in National Insurance contributions and granting automatic rate relief.

The Conservatives say they would raise taxes on drinks “linked to anti-social behaviour”, although they would reverse Labour’s planned 10%-above-inflation alcohol tax hike. The Lib Dems would review the “ill-thought-through” alcohol tax system, including the beer duty escalator, so it targets bingeing but not responsible drinkers and pubs. Let's hope they can sort this lot out between them.

On the beer tie the Tories are a bit soft, saying the industry should have a chance to implement self-regulation by June 2011, before enforcing a statutory code. The Lib Dems are tougher, proposing a statutory code to ensure tied tenants aren’t worse off than free-of-tie, and asking the Competition Commission to probe the tie.

Meanwhile, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has written to the new Prime Minister urging a new pubs minister be appointed.

Mike Benner, CAMRA chief executive,took solace from David Cameron choosing to enjoy a pint on Election Night. And apparently three members of the Cabinet have signed signed the Back the Pub pledge from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). This calls for support for British pubs “as part of efforts to enhance community life and promote economic recovery”. Signatories included the formidable new business secretary Vince Cable, so that’s impressive. More than 400 candidates signed the pledge - 138 were elected.

So maybe there is a glimmer of hope that many pubs and communities across the land can look to a brighter future.

I find that life really is full of surprises. Three months ago at Moorhouse's, showing the political acumen at least equal the other Nick (Robinson) at the BBC, I considered Clegg 'a nice chap but with no chance'.

Mind you, this is par for my political judgement course. I recall, back in the eighties as a young journalist in the North East, I made a similar sweeping judgement on meeting another, rather scruffily dressed, aspiring young politician; bloke called Blair. So you just never know with this funny business of politics. I'm sticking to the beer.

Beer history comes back to life

2010-04-30T06:13:00.144Z

Britain has its beer history back. The National Brewing Centre has opened in the cradle of modern British brewing - Burton-on-Trent.

The former Bass Museum closed a couple a of years ago under the cosh of Molson Coors cutbacks - apparently they reckoned they were losing £1m a year. At one time it attraced 120,000 visitors a year, but was much under promoted by the American beer monolith that now owns most of downtown Burton. This proud Midlands town was once home to the great brewers of the 1800s such as Bass, Worthington and Allsops. Today Marston and a handful of craft brewers make a valiant stand against the Coors might.

However, Coors eventually responded pretty wholeheartedly to what appeared to be an unexpected (to them that is) local outcry that followed the closure. Camra also weighed in supported by the British Guild of Beer Writers and eventually the tide of bad publicity reached even the bean counters at Coors HQ in Boulder, Colorada.

Now the international lager brewer has put £200,000 into the new venture, whch will be run by Planning Solutions, a company with a good track record in the visitor venue market. Coors will also further repent their actions by with £100,00 a year funding: so very well done Coors then.

The main attractions will be housed in a Grade II listed former joiner's shop and vistors will be welcomed by 'Pepper's Ghost' a holographic presenter who will take them on a journey through British brewing complete with a model of Burton in its heyday. There will also be vintage vehicles and a steam locomative along with a mock up of a Victorian railway station platform. Adults (children also welcome) will be able to sample four beers in a tutored tasting master class and there will, of course, be bars and resturants to repair to for further refeshments.

Actors in period costume will interact with visitors while keeping in their Victorian era characters. And shire horses Major and Trooper will also be on parade for weekends and school holidays.

It is planned to move the White Shield brewery into the premises. For the past few years former Bass master brewer Steve Wellington has run the micro brewery to keep the famous brand alive and will be able to produce 100 barrels a week, including Red Shield.

Roger Protz, editor of the Good Beer Guide, who campaigned for the museum to be re-opened, said: "This is exciting news. Burton changed the face of brewing in the 19th century with India Pale Ale and then Pale Ale for the domestic market - the first pale beers brewed anywhere in the world. Brewers came to Burton from Austria, Bavaria and Bohemia to see how pale beer was made and used the knowledge to fashion the first golden lagers.

“The museum will celebrate this rich heritage but it will also be a truly national centre that will celebrate beer styles from all over country.Britain remains a major brewing country and the importance of beer - its past, present and future - will be promoted by the museum. All beer lovers should raise a glass in celebration.”

Spot on there Roger. We will.I will certainly be hot-footing to Burton soon clutching my nine quid and a bit of beer money.

Shock & horror - BBC reports on benefits of the Great British Pub as Nick leads politicians support

2010-04-20T09:27:00.168Z

Yesterday I was privileged to share, briefly, in my next door neighbours’ diamond wedding anniversary. Sixty years together is a terrific achievement and a time for a little of reflection amongst the celebrations, the helium balloons and congrats from HRH.

Funnily enough, while perambulating down memory lane, we got to talking about pubs. My neighbours recalled that when they married, our small Cheshire village supported five pubs among a butcher, a baker and, if not a candlestick-maker, a sub-post office. The nearest pub was only about 30 seconds brisk walk away. It is now a private house and antique shop.

These days there’s no post office, no butcher, no baker and just one pub left. It still operates decently - through very hard work - despite being under the cosh of a national pub company with a punitive beer tie and swingeing rents.

Of course, the social landscape has changed dramatically since the first half of the last century. For a start, in the countryside there were a lot more thirsty people about then. And boy, did they deserve a pint or what? Many worked in agriculture or 'service' and families of six or seven and more were commonplace, often living in cramped two bedroom cottages (no bathrooms). So the pub must have been a real haven, even if the ale was moderate. Trade was regular, beer was cheap and rents were low.

These days across the UK there are some forty pubs closing each week due to a complex web of trading problems. Much of these are due to the aforementioned pub companies. Then there is the fall out from the smoking ban, unfair beer tax and general lack of Government support - well until the very recent and sudden appointment of a 'Minister for Pubs' (was that the niff of general election in the air?)

On top of all that the incentive to go to the pub isn't the same. Social circumstances are very different from the forties and fifties.There's much more competition for our leisure time (and money) and we also have much more comfortable homes, with touch-of-a-button entertainment.

Meanwhile, out in the countryside, supermarket delivery vans clog the lanes to bring us all the exotic food and cheap booze we desire.Why bother going out at all eh? But, to repeat a point that is well worth repeating, the pub is a special place that other countries just don’t have (See Move Over Darling blog below).

Just the other week I helped organise a music night in our village local. The terrific Cork based band Two Time Polka performed. I recommend them. The place was hammered, even attracting people who rarely venture out in the evenings. As I enjoyed a post event pint, I heard one of them remark that it was brilliant to be in the pub again, socialising with people that they otherwise rarely see. Now that’s what the pub is all about.

Media bashing
And at a time when pubs are taking an almost constant - albeit largely unjustified - media bashing, it was enormously refreshing to hear a wee piece on Radio 4 (yes indeed, the BBC) yesterday. This programme poignantly and positively pointed up just what is great about the British local.

It seems there’s a pub down in Birmingham near Selly Oak hospital playing an important role in rehabilitating our horrendously injured servicemen on their return from Afghanistan.

The NCO ‘in charge of the pub run’ was quoted roughly thus: “It does wonders for them. Many have had life changing injuries and going to the pub gives them the confidence to socialise again.” There we have it. We need the pub. It is an essential part of our social fabric – and what’s more it does you good.

So, just as I was rather hoping all the political parties were taking note as we head towards May 6th, it was cheering to read today's morning's Morning Advertiser bulletin; over 500 prospective parliamentary candidates — including Lib/Dem leader Nick Clegg — have signed up in support of the Campaign for Real Ale's Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers Charter.

The charter calls for MPs to back "radical reform" of the beer tie and to speak up for community pubs, local brewers and consumers. Among the supporters are Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas, Labour's Ruth Smeeth (who? She's a 29 year old Burton candidate), Conservative Nigel Evans, a nice chap from the Parliamentary Beer Group, and good ol' Cleggy.

For me it was more than little interesting to see this support. I was at Moorhouse’s Brewery when the party-leader-of-the-moment visited the famous Burnley brewer earlier this year (see photograph) and ebulliemt MD David Grant was able to bend his ear a bit. Good result David.

On that occasion the youthful 'Nick' (to friends and fellow party leaders) assured me that he had had a liking for cask ale since his student days. Signing up to the charter he said: "I am proud to be a signatory to the charter and to help bring attention to the much-needed support required for well-run community pubs, local brewers and consumer rights which all contribute to community life and boost the local economy." I think that means he likes pubs as well.

CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner proclaimed the support was "great news" for beer drinkers and pub goers. "We expect the next parliament to contain a huge number of MPs who have committed to vital reforms which are necessary to save the UK pub industry," he said. Let’s hope you are right Mike.

Move over Darling, it’s time for a pint

2010-03-30T09:56:00.094Z

Just the other week, in a Cheshire country pub, I found further real life evidence of the amazing pull of cask beer.

By chance, I met a chap who lives, most of the year, in the Caribbean. There, he confessed to me over a pint, he enjoys the company of not one but two local women – one for day and one for the night, if you like details. So he has the sun, he has the sand and, by all accounts, he has his other comforts well catered for - bar one.

Over sixty, I guess, - and he was looking just a bit tired - he told me, unsurprisingly perhaps, that he loves it out there. Problem is he just can't get any decent ale in a decent pub. He just drinks rum – the beer being, well, indescribable on this blog.

Anyway, every now and then he returns to Cheshire abandoning the sunshine to spend time in the pub and gird his lions, I suspect, over a few pints of Weetwood Best.

Assault
Perhaps, if a certain Mr Darling got out a bit more, he might meet this chap or at least his fellow spirit. Then he may be provoked in to reconsidering his vicious Budget Day assault last week on that great institution that is the British pub.

Yes – despite pubs still closing at the rate of some 39 a week – the Chancellor once again raised the tax on beer. As a result, beer will see duty rise by 2p a pint. Pundits predict this will translate into at least 8-10p at the pumps.

I don’t know what my brief drinking pal has made of this. He’s probably already back on the rum - and the women. But this week the brewing and pub industry is raising a proverbial rude salute to Mr Darling.

Yes it’s National Cask Ale Week. It was planned sometime ago, of course. But it couldn’t be better timed. Backed by various industry bodies, it’s a celebration of two splendidly unique national attributes; the British pub and cask-conditioned ale. No other country in the world has these. US Bars, Italian cafes, French bistros – they just don’t hit the same spot. Where else could you meet up with a complete stranger and, after just one pint, know the details of his love life on an exotic island idyll? This just doesn’t happen in restaurants.

Foreign tourists make over 13 million visits to our pubs each year, and sampling a pint of cask ale is the ‘quintessentially British experience’. Mr Darling, it seems, fails to realise the value of the pub to the country. He remains happy to bash the industry - and the recession beleaguered consumer.

No matter, this week is a real celebration. After decades languishing in the beer wilderness, the news is that cask is fast becoming one of its rising stars. It posted a full 12 months of growth last year - the first time since 1982 according to new figures. It is now the only sector of the UK beer market in growth with some 660 brewers - the highest level since World War II.

The Cask Report – Britain’s National Drink (www.caskreport.co.uk) reveals that although growth in 2009 was a modest 0.04%1, it compares favourably to the 5% fall in on-trade beer sales last year. Among smaller brewers, total cask volumes are up by over 1% and turnover by an average of 16%.

A few facts: 1.5 million new drinkers in 2008 (around half of them women); distribution in 3,000 new pubs between June 2008 and June 20099; CAMRA membership hits the 100,000 mark; 71 breweries opened in the UK last year.

This renaissance is the best news for pubs in a long time. It is the only drink the pub can claim as its own - something drinkers can’t get from the supermarket. And 42% of licensees name cask as the drink that’s outperforming everything else on the bar.

Cool Cask
Beer writer Pete Brown is a chap who knows about these matters. Author of The Cask Report, Pete says: “Cask’s reinvention is impressive. In 2008, a million and a half more people drank cask than in the previous year. And this is against a trend of falling demand for beer and for alcohol overall."

“It isn’t just socially acceptable to drink cask beer now, it’s positively cool. Increasingly, cask is stocked by bars and pubs attracting a younger crowd, not just back street ‘boozers’. Even Glastonbury, a magnet for hip under-25’s, sells cask on all its bars. It’s hard to believe that during the 1980s/90s, the same drink was viewed with a mixture of scorn and suspicion by anyone under-40, female, or slightly fashion-conscious.”

This has happened, says Pete, not through advertising but because of a groundswell in consumers looking for quality, freshness, natural ingredients and local provenance in their food and drink.

Of course those familiar with Brunning & Price (here's the plug) are well aware of all this. B&P pubs have long been bastions of cask ale and refused to countenance keg beers from day one in the eighties. It has paid off in spades for the group. Hundreds of different cask ales flow through the pumps every year.

Some 10,000 pubs are involved in the NCAW complete with promotional packs. But at B&P pubs this week you won’t see any bunting. It will be business as usual - just another great selection of cask ales. At Harkers you could catch any of these: Acorn Blonde, Liverpool Organic Best Bitter, Rooster’s Yankee, Brimstage Oyster Catcher Stout, Hobsons Mild, Lymestone Ein Stein. RCH - Pitchfork, Six Bells’ Big Nev's and Cloud Nine, Brass Monkey - Cheeky Monkey & Silverback. And Crouch Vale Brewers Gold is a treat to expect soon (Dave says regulars only!).

So let’s all have our own quiet celebration. Grab a beer, maybe one you have never tried before; look at it, swirl it, smell that pungent aroma of malt and hops, taste - let that lovely malt sweetness and tart bitterness roll gently round the tongue and across the tonsils - enjoy and toast the Great British Pub. Then have another and to blazes with Mr Darling. Could this, possibly, just possibly, be better than sex in the Caribbean?

Hat trick for Yorkshire brewer at the annual bash

2010-03-16T16:56:00.148Z

March dawned with the big bash for independent brewers – the SIBA Annual Conference. Sadly, I didn’t make it this year. This is a great shame. I have been to quite a few trade conferences in my professional life, but this is the only one where it is actually more or less compulsory to have a few beers.

At most other events you have to wait until the end of the day - and even then you are stepping carefully until it all goes into free fall early in the wee small hours. No such qualms exist at ‘Conference’ with SIBA - and you get to drink fantastic beer. Not that I would want to give the impression that it is just one big booze up. On no, certainly not.

It’s serious. For a start, hangovers nothwithstanding, you have got to spend time closeted in the hall while various speakers update you on the state of the industry, the price of malt and hops, and rather more esoteric matters. This year saw he return of a motivational speaker who appeared two years ago. I was reporting the conference then but it was almost impossible to pin down his ‘act’ – such is his dark art. Nevertheless, he seemed to brighten things ups a bit.

But the interesting stuff for us is the National Beer Competition. To get there involves a tough procedure. Each of the seven SIBA regions has its own contest.The winners of each category go on to the national final. Just ten winners are picked by 50 judges from the 56 cask and seven bottled ale finalists selected from an initial 1,400 beers.

Cartwheels
This year the boys of Saltaire Brewery of Shipley, West Yorkshire, did cartwheels when they pulled a hat trick - a first for this prestigious contest.

First their splendid Cascade Pale Ale took the Champion Premium Bitter accolade. This is an American style pale ale with the floral aromas and strong bitterness of Cascade and Centennial hops.

Then its Triple Chocoholic (4.8%) chocolate stout won the Gold Award in the Champion Speciality Beer category before it went on to snatch the Supreme Champion Beer 2010title. The four year old brewer tells me that 'chocolate malts, real chocolate and chocolate syrups make the stout a ‘real chocolate bomb’!

Bearing in mind this is an award from the UK’s craft brewers – not geeky tickers, scoopers and the assorted rag-tags of the beer world - this is a pretty interesting phenomenon. Especially considering that one of the criteria for selection is the commercial viability.

After receiving the award Tony Gartland, head brewer at Saltaire Brewery said it all: "I thought we stood a good chance in the Speciality Beer category, but to win the overall title was a real surprise and shows that the UK’s beer drinkers are ready for new, different tastes.”

Well, he may be right. But I find it all rather startling. As a youth, drinking Massey's bitter (long defunct)in industrial Lancashire, chocolate was something we consumed after our beer. We believed that it cleared the niff and maybe sobered us up a bit in case you had to face the parents. We used to desperately raid those machines which, back then, were left unmolested outside of newsagents shops.We would never have dreamt of having choccie with our beer – that would have been extremely ‘girlie’ (if that word had been in use then).

But back to the SIBA champ. One brewery executive I know, who has a first class portfolio under his belt, was impressed – yet he couldn't could drink much. It is probably doubtful that we will be quaffing this sort of ale in any sort of quantity. But maybe that isn’t the point.

We have some 700 hundred or so craft brewers in the UK these days and they are all producing ales in several different styles and varieties. It means we can change our ale to suit our mood and inclination. And more women are drinking cask ale and probably will be more open to new styles (interestingly, blind tastings show females have an inclination towards darker beers.)

Personally, probably because of my traditional roots, I generally don't much like beer that has been 'messed with'; I tried a bottle of honey beer from a very good brewer with dinner the other night, but chucked it half way down. That said, a bottle of chilli beer from enterprising tiny Crown Brewery in Sheffield went down well. So best to keep the options open eh?

Saltaire's mission
Saltaire Brewery is one of this new wave of brewers bringing those styles and varieties to us and this is a great result for a brewery that has been quietly brewing excellent beer for four years, but generally been little heralded.

It was established in 2005 at The World Heritage Site of Saltaire, famous for its Victorian industrial heritage. This is home to Salt’s Mill, a showcase for a range of Yorkshire talents such as David Hockney.

Situated in an old generating hall that once provided the electricity for the Saltaire trams, the lofty Victorian architecture provides a perfect home to the specially commissioned 20 barrel brewhouse and visitor centre.

The boys say they are on a mission to inform drinkers about what makes a great beer. The visitor centre includes an exhibition that explains the science and history of brewing!

2009 saw Saltaire enjoy a cracking year, with the business running at full capacity and the company racing to keep up with demand.

Sales were up by 20% year on year. Accordingly, the brewery has invested in extra brewing vessels. This will result in a 33% increase in output - from 17280 pints to 23040 pints a week.

Now they can brew four times a week with lots of specials on top of the core range, including the very popular Saltaire Blonde - another cracker, I think.The increase in capacity also resulted in the recruiting of another member to the brewhouse team. Such is the attraction to craft brewing these days that there were 150 applications for the role!

The team is an interesting example of the mix of individuals attracted to craft brewing these days. Paul Simpson,managing director, has spent many years in the drinks business with all the big boys – including Whitbread and Holsten. Tony Gartland was a lawyer for twenty years who decided to take a different route to the bar! Derek Todd was a chemist with GlaxoSmithkline Beecham when he met Tony on a Brewlab course in 2004. Rashly, he gave up his job, sold his house and moved from his beloved North East! Now he slaves in the brewhouse. And to cap it all he supports Darlington F.C.!

Here's the full list of results from SIBA:

Supreme Champion 2010: Triple Chocoholic, Saltaire Brewery.
Champion Milds (up to 4% ABV): Dark Mild, Bank Top Brewery, Bolton
Champion Bitters & Pale Ales (up to 4%): Lord Marples, Thornbridge Brewery, Derbyshire
Champion Best Bitters (4.1-4.5%): Darwins Origin, Salopian Brewing, Shrewsbury
Champion Premium Bitters (4.6-4.9%) Cascade Pale Ale, Saltaire Brewery
Champion Strong Bitters (5.1-5.5%): Big Chief Bitter, Greenmill Brewery, Rochdale
Champion Strong Ales (over 5.5%): Dorothy Goodbody's Country Ale, Wye Valley Brewery
Champion Porters, Strong Milds, Old Ales & Stouts: Guerilla, Blue Monkey Brewery, Derbyshire
Champion Speciality Beers: Triple Chocoholic, Saltaire Brewery
Champion Bottled Beers: Proper Job, St Austell Brewery

Let's just get out there and give them a whirl.

Good Beer Joy

2009-09-25T14:35:00.128Z

To borrow from a well known phrase, justlike Christmas and taxes, one of the hardy annual certainties of life nowadays is the autumnal appearance of Camra’s Good Beer Guide (www.camra.org.uk ).Now in its 37th year, the 2010 beer bible appeared recently and has both good and bad news for the pub and brewing industry.

The bad news is that many pubs are still closing apace - some forty a week. The good news that there are still more than 4,500 serving very decent real ale (the guide doesn’t claim to include them all).

The even better news is that last year we welcomed another 70ish brewers into the burgeoning throng – now standing at some 670 plus across the UK. This is more brewers per head than any other nation, including the US where micros have mushroomed these past ten years.

Makes you wonder, then, with all these pubs closing, just which necks all this new beer is going down(other than those in Harker's that is) doesn't it? OK, some of these brewers are tiny, either supplying very local markets or just bottling their ale and selling it piecemeal.

But others mean business and are slowly but surely taking trade away from the big boys – whose sales of imitation Euro fizz and nasty cream flow concoctions are seriously flagging. And it's no surprise that it's the pubs selling the good stuff that are surviving.

I must have reported on about half of these new brewers over the past year.I never cease to be amazed by their enthusiasm, determination, imagination and sheer bloody guts. Unlike for a certain Scottish politician, it seems in the beer world at least, things really can only get better as innovation becomes a buzzword in the once staid world of beer.

Good supping
Now my personal loyalty will, I believe, always lie with good supping ales at moderate strength. I like drinking traditional bitters. I like being able have three or four pints - think B&P Original for instance (eh ed?) - without having a falling over feeling. But many pubs no can longer survive on drinkers like me cluttering up the bar.

They have got to offer something special as customers are looking for new experiences. Craft beer should be at the heart of this.

Food and beer matching, for instance, could be an important part of the future, so the choice of beers available will be increasingly important. And could it be that eventually a 'beer list' will be given the same respect as the grape list?

Over the next few months I intend to try and spotlight a few of the brewers doing things differently, pushing out into new beer experiences. Here's one for starters that I believe we'll hear a lot more about in the future.

Outstanding brews (www.outstandingbeers.com )

Ironically, the brewery doesn’t stand out much at all in the Weatherfields-like location. Indeed casual observers have no idea that there is an Aladdin’s cave of ale behind the care worn facade of Britannia Mill in Cobden Street.

But head brewer Dave Porter is not generally known for hiding his light under a hop bushel or two. Dave turned to brewing several years ago in Haslingden, Lancashire, when he got fed up of engineering sales and has never looked back. He makes and fits breweries for start-ups and is just about to hit his first century. The map on his wall locates his customers, with coloured pins yomping across the country.

He also trains many new brewers and gives help with recipes if they want it. Just how many brews he has created is anybody’s guess; but there are lot of ales out there that owe just a little bit to the ebullient Dave. By the way, he tells his novices that they have got to have a name that will, well, stand out – so you can see where he is coming from here.

Outstanding has a 15 barrel-brew-length plant alongside a 2.5 plant for experimental brews. All the evidence in the first year is that the brews have lived up to the sobriquet. Outstanding Stout is an impressive brew with liquorice, coffee and chocolate notes finished with a bitter sweetness. It moved a swiftly and smoothly as a gazelle when it first appeared at Harker's. This success, in a pub where blonde ale is king, must be the beer equivalent of a standing ovation at the Sunderland Empire on a wet Monday matinee.

Authentic Bock
Dave is also putting his money behind his garrulous preaching to explore new styles – at least for the UK that is. There’s a true Pilsner, a wheat beer and the richer and strong Amber Bock - using a authentic Bock yeast and at a very tasty 6% abv. Other's include Ginger (4.5%) and and Smoked Out (5.5%) brewed with traditional continental lager malt as well as the very pokey Pushing Out golden ale -7.3% strength! Now you could sip that just like wine.

When I visited Dave and his team, Alex and Glen, a party of would-be brewers were just coming to the end of a three day course. These guys hailed from all across UK, including the far flung reaches of the Highlands to deepest Kent - and even Southern Ireland had a look in. Next year’s GBG already looks like it will have lots more to bring us.Cheers!

PS: Warning to all B&P managers/beer buyers: I have recently consulted with the Oerstgruppenfuhrer of Communications at High Command, over a pint or two of B&P Original of course, and we have decided to occasionally feature your erudite thoughts herewith on your best selling beers. What I need to know is which customers are drinking what (not by name you understand but customer type), beer trends etc and who's a general real ale pain in the proverbial in your pubs (anonymous of course) well maybe not). It's chance to have your say. I'm coming for someone soon. And it could be you!

The year so far - and a quick peep ahead

2010-01-28T16:39:00.380Z

Well, the first month of the year is over. What the heck have I been doing with myself for the past few weeks?

There was certainly plenty to do as 2010 kicked off. Not least there was the trip to the National Winter Ales Festival in its new home somewhere in the wilds of North Manchester. An impressive venue for all that.

On the way there it only seemed right to pay respects to an old haunt- Briton's Protection just behind the GMex centre. This is a terrific proper pub and has been kept by the same landlord through thick and thin for some thirty years. Now that is some going by any standard, especially in these troubled times when pub licensees can hit bankruptcy a sight quicker than an investment banker tot up his outsize bonus.

When I first frequented the place some 20 years ago it was a Tetley-owned house, but now there's a choice of cask ales. It's worth visiting just to see how pubs really used to be. Cosy,clean, well polished rooms with fine tiled work. Somewhere you can either have a few quiet reflective beers or just meet the mistress.

Later we popped into the City (not the City Arms) in the Northern quarter for a pint of Acorn Blonde. Now this is a slightly unprepossessing pub from the outside but the new landlord is busy trying to convert it to a cask ale house. There was a warm welcome and some good beer, so we should give him all the help he can get.

Onto the Crown & Kettle, just across the road, simply, of course, to view the fantastic ornate Victorian ceilings that are being restored there.I used to drink here when the place was the lunchtime haunt of journos and printers when Express newspapers had their northern emporium next door, alas no longer. The Express abandoned Manchester and eventually the pub was shut for several years, but is now a decent ale house once again - 'though not as busy.

Finally, hopping on a bus we headed down Oldham Road to the Sheridan Suite and the festival. It was time to do some serious work with a formidable selection of over 200 beers ,ciders and perries.

This is the Camra festival that features strong old ales, barley wines, porters and stouts, so you have to be careful. Congratulations to the winners: CAMRA Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2010 was 1872 Porter from the Elland Brewery, West Yorkshire.

This 6.5% abv porter is 'creamy, full-flavoured porter, with rich liquorice flavours with a hint of chocolate from roast malt, and a soft but satisfying aftertaste of bittersweet roast and malt.'

Also in the Overall awards, Silver went to old ale Breconshire's Ramblers Ruin, whilst Acorn's Gorlovka Imperial Stout grabbed the bronze.Imperial stout was a style much favoured in the Baltic states in the 1800's and Acorn's is named after Barnsley's twin town in the Ukraine.

The 1872 Porter will now enter into the final of the Champion Beer of Britain competition at the Great British Beer Festival in August.

It was good to see that Harkers stalwart Dave (last seen in the Crown & Kettle) had made it, while some of his his wimpy colleagues (they know who they are) had elected for a poncy wine tasting in London instead. You just can't get the staff these days. Full marks though to Baz from Sutton Hall, who, the last time I saw him, was wrapping his tonsils round some Brewdog Punk PIA at a chunky 6.2% strength. All in the line of duty of course.

Upbeat news
And so the afternoon was spent chatting to brewers and trying the odd half-pint or two. The news was upbeat. Cask ale look set for another year of growth.

Acorn's figures for the festive season were outstanding, coming in at nearly 30 per cent up over the previous year while Moorhouse's continued in the upward curve of recent years with a steady as you go 12 per cent growth as they crack on with building a new £3.5m brewery complex. This will see the 145 year old company aping last years Clarets' success to move well and truly into the Premiership of British brewing.

I also managed a glass of the rather poky 'Otley Motley' with the boys from South Wales. The family business has done very well in five years and they say they are successfully grabbing business among the female and younger drinker sectors with a modern image and first class ales. Hawkshead of Staveley Cumbria also reported business going strong as its beers become known outside the Lake District - including around Brunning & Price pubs.

Huntsman back in the saddle
So there we were. All having a cracking time on a dismal, grey and dreary January afternoon in North Manchester. Meanwhile somewhere in, I imagine, an even drearier Northampton, Carlsberg's marketing elite was working out how to cash in on the cask ale revival with their iconic, but much neglected, Tetley brand.

The Danes are already committed to closing the historic Tetley brewery in Leeds, due to 'falling beer sales'. So, apparently radical thinking was needed to aid the brand. Imagine the scene, brainstorming to pull out a marketing genie:'No one will leave this room until we have a solution'. Oh yes, yes, got it. Let's bring back the Tetley Huntsman. Stick the monocled old boy back on the pumpclips large as life. Yes, that'll do it. It's a return to the brewing heritage and all that tradition stuff that those nerdy cask ale quaffers love.

And that, apparently is it. It appears that they are basing a £3m promotion on the image, including glassware, pumpclips and posters. And just at a time when many brewers (witness Otley) are talking up a modern image for cask ale with all that girlie friendly glassware and such. So let's give them the Huntsman eh?

What do these highly paid Carlsberg whizz kids know that we don't? Time will no doubt tell. Perhaps they should also bring back with the glorious jodhpurs clad 'Huntsman Girls', used to promote the famous Yorkshire tipple in its hey day. Happy days! Now that would be a bold marketing move in these weird PC days.

On a rather more serious note, we should all take a close interest in the nanny state assault on the drinks industry. This kicked off with a vengeance in the New Year - presumably to take the advantage as 'boozed up Britain' tried to shake off its collective hangover.

Statistics are being hurled around about the nation's 'drink problem' as booze follows smoking as the number one target on the health lobby's hit list - despite much evidence that indicates the figures are suspect. Can't go into this here just now, but if you have a look at the blog of Beer-Writer-Of-The Year Pete Brown you will find a detailed and fascinating deconstruction of the so called evidence and a fine old debate going strong.

The slightly good news is that the rate of pub closures does seem to be slowing - down from 50 a week to a mere 39. This is of course a national scandal that the government has so far seemed resolutely determined to ignore - despite the incalculable damage being done to many local communities.

Hopefully this year's National Cask Ale Week in the run up to Easter will bring some focus back not only on our national drink but also on to our Great British Pub heritage. That's if the media will deign to give it publicity; the 'impartial' BBC these days is one of the worst offenders in knocking the industry as it constantly rolls out the aforementioned drivel without query.

Anyway, it looks like the NCAW will be bigger and better than last year's inaugural week as the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) gets firmly behind it. I suppose I am preaching to the converted here, but we must all make a big extra special effort that week. And that means going to the pub. Cheers.

Festive beery book delights

2009-12-18T09:53:00.108Z

This is for anyone out there who, like me, is still struggling with ideas for Christmas presents – or if you just want to spend your tokens on something sensible on Boxing Day.

Hops & Glory, One man’s Search for the Beer That Built the British Empire
By Pete Brown
Published by Macmillan

There is a taxi driver somewhere in Birmingham who knows a whole lot more about IPA (India Pale Ale) than he did last Christmas.

That’s because I happened to spend two hours in his black cab returning to Cheshire one dark and stormy night. I had attended the launch of Hops and Glory in the glorious Coopers Tavern in Burton on Trent.

This book documents the story of IPA in the 1800s - and there seemed to be an echo of the sub-continent in the monsoon-like rains that hammered the Midlands and jiggered up my train journey that night. Reaching Brum too late for my connection- it was the rain not the beer (ok maybe a bit of both) - the kindly rail people whistled up the cabbie.

Anyway, brimming with IPA and enthusiasm after the launch, the journey gave me plenty of time to bore the poor young Asian driver with the beer's fascinating story until, somewhere in Shropshire, I fell asleep and left him alone with his Satnav. He thought Whitchurch was near Wolverhampton.

But boring is the last thing that you can accuse Pete Brown of being in this book that has just earned him the title of Beer Writer of the Year 2009 from no less than the British Guild of Beer Writers.

For the former advertising executive it is his third beer book – and the most ambitious to date. Over a pint with a mate, Pete decided to undertake the journey that the legendary beer used to make from Burton - the home of British brewing - to the Indian sub-continent in the 19th century. And to do it with a barrel of IPA, named Barry, just to see how the beer survived.

The sort of reckless adventure that many of us speculate on after a pint or two, this was no small undertaking. Ships just don’t make that pre-Suez Canal route round the Cape of Good Hope any more. The intrepid Pete made it happen, with a little help from brewers, specialist travel companies and assorted beer writers and, of course, his long suffering wife Liz.

The result is a hugely humourously entertaining tale that relates IPA's pivotal role in beer history and the Empire - and Pete's adventures along the way. IPA was brewed especially for the colonies in response for a call for lighter beers than stouts and porters to tackle the torrid heat. It had to be brewed strong in alcohol and heavily hopped to survive the 12,000 mile journey.But it was still a lot less potent than the indigenous Arak that probably made you blind, if it didn’t kill you first.

It appears that the servants of the British Empire and the dodgy 'honourable East India Company' sort of invented the binge drinking culture – what they put away as they ruled much of the world would make your average Friday night clubber look like the biggest wimp in town.

On his journey Pete sailed the Atlantic in a three mast tall ship, faced the perils of Brazilian prostitutes, Somali pirates and Iranian customs officials.

He survived it all to bring us this terrific beer and travel romp with pace, passion and Pete's acute sense of the ridiculous. It should be enjoyed with a bottle of Worthington White Shield or Thornbridge Jaipur. I wonder, though, if my friend the cabbie will be buying it.

For other beery books consider: A Beer a Day: 366 beers to help you through the year from Jeff Evans. Although published in 2008 by Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) I only recently read and enjoyed Jeff’s ale romp through the ages that links history with beer for everyday of the year.

World’s Best Beers: 1000 Unmissable Beers from Portland to Prague By Ben McFarland, published by Jacqui Small. This gives clear but highly humourous descriptions of the world’s beers, how to pour them and what to eat with them. Ok, it maybe sounds a bit geeky but it is very well presented and worth it for Ben’s quirky writing alone, which offers a whole new world of beery metaphor.

Happy festive reading.

A weird story tale of ale pundits, penguins and, er, vanilla bean white chocolate? Or, just what IS the point of a 32% beer?

2009-12-10T18:03:00.245Z

I don’t normally give bottled ales any space here, for the very good reason that this beer page is about cask ales. But this is a short insight into the goings on in the more rarefied beer punditry stratosphere.

There is something calling itself Tactical Nuclear Penguin – at 32% strength? Yes, that’s 32 not 3.2%abv - If you drank a pint you wouldn’t be able to ask for another that’s for sure. It's a beer that has caused a bit of a spat recently.

This stuff has been brewed by the publicity hungry Brew Dog micro up in the wilds of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. Up there, until relatively recently, decent ale was almost as rare as aerodynamic porcine.

Anyway this ale has been proclaimed as ‘the strongest beer on the planet’. It is to be sold only in the bottle. An Imperial Stout style ale that has been matured for 18 months in whisky casks, it was condemned last week by no less than the venerable Roger Protz, editor of the Good Beer Guide and the most eminent British beer writer.

Roger proclaimed TNP an impostor because, he stated, beer simply can’t be brewed at that strength with ale yeast. He suggested that it had been given help from, say, champagne yeast. But Rog sparked a right old ding dong on his blog (see www.beer-pages.co.uk). The largely anonymous correspondents poured boiling vitriol on his bemused head for the challenge. They said that it was indeed beer because the brew was frozen to increase the alcohol volume.

You see this is what goes on out there in the beerosphere. But let’s not get technical and just accept that it is a super strong ale. The two young (still in their twenties) and radical (but talented) Brew Dog lads say this is to be ‘savoured’ in small doses - at a whopping £35 a bottle they may be spot on there. They go on to say it ‘pairs well with vanilla bean white chocolate’ – no, not deep fried Mars bars. The question is: what is the point of it?

The pair have brewed several strong ‘progressive ales’-the previous one was Tokyo at 18.2% abv - simply to annoy the alcohol watchdog, the Portman Group - as they follow the fashion in the States for ‘extreme’ brewing. Apparently it plays well in Japan. This apparent obsession with all things strong is what disturbs me a bit. In a world of largely hostile media it doesn't help the cause. But it appears that Brew Dog and their band of supporters to take the view that this is the way forward for British brewing.

Well I don't think we need worry too much about that or for that matter their outrageously sweeping claim that British beer has ‘got a bad reputation’. They don't say with whom exactly, but presumably among their more nerdy followers. I think the 600 or so breweries in brewers' society SIBA(the guys are not members) are proof of the contrary. Think Roosters, Acorn, Anglo Dutch, Dark Star or Hawkshead to name a few that are brewing terrific cask beers at reasonable strengths.

You need only walk into a B&P pub any day of the year to know this statement to be arrogant rubbish. British craft ale is unique and holds its head high among the greatest beers in the world - without drinking like a saki. And my message to the Brew Dog drinkers of this world is that by far the best place to enjoy it is down the great British pub - not sat at home having a sort of nerdy introverted ‘with chocolate’ experience. But perhaps the Brew Dog lads can't get out much in Fraserburgh.

I do know what the ever-so-polite boys down the local would say if I suggested drinking this way. It would go something like: ‘Steve, your intriguing beer views are just a little out of kilter with wider opinion as expressed by the general drinking public’ – or ‘what a load of old cobblers’. What do you think? Cheers.

In praise of Harkers' 20 years - unashamedly

2009-12-01T20:17:00.176Z

Report from a splendid birthday bash

Last night I had a pint of Boddingtons Bitter. The first Bod's for some years, now brewed by Hydes for Inbev, it tasted fine. But I doubt it will ever again be my pint of choice as it was in 1989.

Who can remember what happened, let alone what they were drinking, on any specific day two decades ago? Well, I don’t recall exactly what I was doing the day that the Old Harkers Arms doors were flung open for the first time in Russell Street, Chester.

I do know that - in a neglected area of the city at the time - from my office window just across the road it was an inspiring sight. I promptly did the 30 second dash for a lunchtime pint.

Surrounded by a beer landscape of Greenall's pubs in those days, it was when I had my Ice Cold in Alex moment.In the classic war film the legendary John Mills and his team hit the bar in Alexandria after days fleeing the Nazis through the torrid North African sand. They stare, stunned, at the beer 'so cold there's dew on the outside of the glass'. OK that was lager, but you get my drift. Gazing at an array of hand pulls that splendid day in Harkers was, well, quite similar really.

Anyway, last night I was back for another Bods and a walk down memory lane in Harkers as the first Brunning & Price pub in the north celebrated its 20th. Typical of the B&P style it was just a few laid back beers, no media (except me) no big fuss - just a little well-justified pride modestly expressed by co-founder Jerry Brunning.

The Boddies served to emphasise the affectionate nostalgia of the birthday bash. Chatting with launch landlord Francis (Fran) Hill we recalled the wild times in the early days when expense accounts lunches could be properly enjoyed before the lunch time no-booze gestapo became rampant. Fran now lives 'quietly' in head office where he is still sorting out new pubs

For me the return of Boddingtons also highlighed the huge changes in the beer-scape in recent years. The Cream of Manchester was once the most popular beer, but after changing its recipe and upping its strength it has long ago been usurped by craft beer brands – not least the much celebrated Weetwood Cheshire Cat - for the faithful band of bar stalwarts that haven't moved much over the years.

Thirsty Stalwarts
First brewed just down the road near Tarporley in 1993, it is downed by bucketful, with two or three 18 gallon barrels always ready to go and the bar stalwarts always ready to receive it.

At the birthday bash one of the regulars also in at the start - big Dave - had better recall than I as to the beers on the bar in 1989. He listed Timmie Taylor’s, Thwaites and Oak (now Phoenix) as among the regular brews. Nothing to complain about there in Greenall land. But last night you could sample delights from exciting brewers such as Anglo-Dutch and Purity – unknowns until recent years – as well as Weetwood and B&P’s own ‘Original’, smashing session ale from Phoenix. Now scores of guest ales go through the pumps every year under the watchful eye of ebullient boss Paul Jeffery and youthful beer buyer Dave.

With all this doom and gloom about pubs closing at the rate of some 40 a week we may think this a rather remarkable survival tale, 'tho' it will no doubt go very un-remarked in the mainstream media. So I make no apology for this unashamed praise.

Yes, since Fran first opened the doors, ale has played a big part in Harkers' success. But it is not the whole story. Many pubs in these difficult times may do well to take a close look at the reasons for success.

Some years after the Warrington based brewing dynasty abandoned ale, there is much greater diversity of both pubs and beers in the city. Despite the industry problems, competition grows each year. Nevertheless, the canal side ‘local’, well off the main drag, remains a top destination venue. It has no music, no gaming machines or karaoke nonsense - on a quiet day all you hear is the usual suspects at the bar singing the beer's praises.The pub that was once a warehouse has set the bar for good atmosphere, conviviality, great food and hospitality to attract customers of all types and ages every day of the week. The other day it was even given an airing on Radio 2. And all this without spending a penny on advertising down the years.

I travel around quite a bit visiting breweries and pubs these days. By the nature of the task, I use the train a lot to travel south. And when I return from my ramblings in the flat ale sands of London I almost always take a weary stroll up City Road to relive, just a little, that 'Ice Cold' moment.

To a northern beer writer you see, slipping down that first creamy pint is the cask ale equivalent to sliding into a warm, scented bath - followed a brisk rub down from two geisha girls.That's cask beer for you.

Let's hold that image and raise a glass to Harkers and its next twenty years. I wonder what we will be drinking there then Dave?

Spotlight on Thornbridge: from sheds to starship

2009-11-11T17:28:00.218Z

Five years ago I visited a new ten barrel brew length brewery in the Derbyshire Peak District. It was situated in rather endearing 'sheds' at the back of a splendidly restored stately pile. It was the fledgling Thornbridge Brewery, Ashton-on-the-Water.

A short time ago I revisited Thornbridge; but this time to a state-of- the-art brewery on the nearby Riverside Business Park, Bakewell. The occasion was the official opening - by no less than Garrett Oliver of New York’s outstanding Brooklyn Brewery fame. Now, in the US, Garrett is regarded by the growing army of beer nuts as a bit of a supreme being, so it was a bit of coup for Thornbridge.

Brewery founder, and beer-loving-entrepreneur Jim Harrison (he's the chap with the hair in the pic) had wished to keep the brewery at the magnificent Thornbridge Hall, which he, with business guru wife Emma, had spent several years putting back to its rightful glory. But an obdurate National Park Authority would have none of it.

So instead the ebullient Jim went ahead just down the road. With amazing kit supplied by Velo of Italy there now is the capacity to produce a mighty 30,000 barrels a year.

As beer writers swarmed like flies, interviewing every fermenting vessel in sight, I staggered through the new brewhouse for a bit - Jaipur IPA in hand but note book poised, of course. I peered nervously at the mighty malt conveyor as brewer Kelly extolled its delights of, well, conveying malt to masher, and squinted studiously at the awesome Steele's masher and space pod like fermenting vessels. Then anxiously - afraid of spilling - I climbed the steps to the command centre and and marvelled, totally bemused by now, as Kelly outlined this very scary computer control. It looked like it belonged in the the star ship Enterprise. Only a ten minute drive, this was light years from the sheds.

The trick
I quickly came to the conclusion that it was a very beautiful thing indeed. The trick, you see, was simply to imagine all that juicy malt and tongue tingling hops bubbling away together behind the shiny stainless steel. Then I returned to the bar.

Of course, the big question that kept the Thornbridge team awake at night was: would all this expensive new kit brew the same quality of ale ale that first scooped ‘beer of festival’ with the magnificent Jaipur (see beer notes) at Sheffield back in 2005?

Well, it seems it does. The first brew out of the new Riverside home was, would you believe, victorious at Sheffield Beer Festival 2009. The 'legend in its own brew time' ale has now collected more than 50 awards to date, I think - it's hard to keep up. So the head brewers - Italian Stefano Cossi and the aforementioned Kelly Ryan, a Kiwi - are well pleased. The news came hard on the heels of the Great British Beer Festival success, where their Kipling scooped silver in Strong Bitters and Lord Marples took bronze in the Best Bitters.

This really is a fascinating story of success for a brewery that has embraced innovation from the early days in the sheds. There is a ‘Brew Dog’(those of extreme brews and silly marketing activities fame) attitude to innovation, but tempered by an ice cool business head. The original brewery will be kept going for more experimental brews, but the continental style Riverside will allow the flexibility to brew many different beers. We can all look forward to that.

The repertoire now spans from the wickedly drinkable low gravity session ale Wild Swan (3.5%) with its gorgeous citrus bitterness – I really can't get enough of this beer and it is a huge favourite at Sutton Hall - through a gamut of styles to the new Seaforth English IPA, the rich and fruity St Petersburg Stout and the mighty oak-casked Alliance Barley Wine.

Mouthful
Something very new is the complex Thornbridge Raven(6.6%) created by yet another Kiwi brewer, the recently arrived James Kemp. This is black IPA that combines Maris Otter, Munich, black and chocolate malts with Nelson Sauvin, Centennial and Sorachi hops before dry hopping with Chinook and Aramillo. Blimey, that is a mouthful. I wonder what Kiwi speak is for 'sounds a bit tasty'? Probably 'sounds a bit tasty mate'.

James was no-less than New Zealand’s Home Brewing Champion 2008. I guess down there, by comparison, it makes him an even bigger beer hero than Garrett is in the States.

The best part of a £2m investment. the new brewery means that Thornbridge beers will soon be much more widely available in pubs throughout the UK. And with a bottling line capable of up to 2,000 units an hour, off-sales and exports will no doubt soar.

And in a great piece of craft brewing one-upmanship, Thornbridge has added further to the international team with the recruitment of a boffin with, would you believe, a PhD in bottle conditioning – Dr Andrea Pavlsner, another Italian. Bet not many people knew you could get one of those -the PhD that is, not the Italian.

Cask Report says we are on the way

2009-10-14T16:45:00.043Z

Hard on the heels of the Camra Good Beer Guide (see last post) comes confirmation from this year's 'state of the industry' Cask Report(www.caskreport.co.uk) that the future of Britain's national tipple is really looking pretty good.

It is further confirmation, if needed, of what we who drink in good pubs such as Brunning & Price houses have know for some years; cask ale, kept well, brings people into the pub. It is the cask drinkers that Rule OK when it comes to pub choice. This, apparently, is now called the 'cask value chain' and is hailed as the saviour for many pubs as 52 a week close across the country. It means that those publicans who care enough to keep that tricky cask beer will also care about other things in their pub - like the quality of the ladies loos for instance!

The report - backed by several industry bodies including SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers - www.siba.co.uk ) was for the third year written by independent beer writer Pete Brown (www.petebrown.blogspot.com) and supported by evidence from industry statistics. So it's not just wishful thinking.

Apparently twice as many women tried cask ale last year (proves the point about the loos maybe), and many more younger people are taking to it. Altogether there were 400,000 new cask drinkers last year and it was distributed in 3,000 new pubs.

The hard bitten cask stalwarts of Harkers will be delighted to know that their pioneering work has not been in vain. At last, they are the trendy leaders of fashion and good taste ('though you might not realise it to look at them). They have certainly worked at this for long enough.

Yes, nationwide, cask ale sales are up a 'staggering' 1% - although up 2.5% in B & P pubs (while lager sales are down 4.5%); OK, still some distance to go, but it's all travelling in the right direction.

When we order that last quickie we can throw our heads back, open our throat, drink deeply and think of England. It's good for economy. Cheers!

Urgent Beerflash......

2009-08-19T14:00:00.017Z

The intrepid boys from Harkers were quick(ish) off the mark after they survived another trip to the Great British Beer Festival this year: Champion Beer of Britain 2009 Rudgate Ruby Mild is due on any day now. This, of course, is outstanding ale of the mild style at a pokey 4.4% (see beer notes).

As the lads put their heads together to see what other beers they can recall sampling (and enjoying) over what we will, somewhat euphemistically, call a 'hectic' day, they are also promising Bank Top Mild – silver winner for Mild – and VPA from Brill, which won joint bronze for Best Bitters in a split with both Thornbridge Lord Marples and Evans Evans Cwrw.

Oakham Attila – the Winter Champion Beer of Britain 2009 that took silver in the CBoB battle is also on the cards; prepare yourselves – this strong barley wine comes in at a mighty 7.5%! (see beer notes).

There may also just be something coming through from Blue Monkey, the fledgling brewery from Ikeston, Derbyshire that managed to get all three of its ales showcased at the GBBF. The Evolution is certainly very good.

Well done boys – it’s hell down there but someone has to do it!

Eve is the future - according to Carlsberg

2009-08-14T11:08:00.010Z

Well, well, well. Just as the female beer drinker is hailed as the future for cask ale (see Melissa Cole in GBBF blog below) another girlie drink jumps up to bite the curvaceus posterior. It called, obviously, ‘Eve’.
Just hark this from the Publican trade publication (any brackets are mine):
“A new type of drink developed by Carlsberg specifically to appeal to women is being trialled in 50 Manchester bars.
“On trial over a period of 12 weeks, Eve is a 3.1 per cent ABV, lightly sparkling product (product? – what the flip does that mean) flavoured positioned somewhere between a lager and an RTD (right total disaster?). It is available in two flavours - pasionfruit or lychee (good for breakfast then?).
“Eve is brewed based on malt and rice (good for pudding then?), and was developed by Carlsberg in Switzerland (a very neutral country that somehow doesn’t know how to make decent beer you see) in 2006 prior to being rolled out to several other countries (poor bleeders).”
What’s more, the Publican reveals, the ‘trial’ is being ‘supported’ with a whopping £500,000 marketing campaign in Manchester ‘that includes a radio sponsorship, adverts on over 60 taxis and coverage in local media’ (Can you imagine? Five pints o’ Eve chuck, ta.)
There’s also a website. I have excluded that out of respect to the aforementioned and formidable Melissa who is championing the diversity of proper cask beer as the answer to a maiden’s drinking prayers - and with a lot less behind her than half a million quid. Just think what could be done for Britain’s national drink if SIBA (Scociety of Independent Brewers) had that sort of money?
Anyway, this, we are told, is the latest effort by big brewers to target women. ‘Molson Coors’ (the other lot) ‘Project Eve’ division is devoted to identifying products that suit this market, and SABMiller has run female-only tasting events to educate women about beer (oh yeah – at the GBBF?).
If it goes well a national launch is planned - which will then get us some cash back before it follows many other new and exciting drinks 'products' into oblivion. OK, the national launch is true but I made up the last bit.
Of course, Melissa will be glad to hear, there’s an airy, fairy, marketing BLOKE behind this. Ian Hannaford, marketing manager for the product, really did say apparently: “Our decision to trial Eve follows extensive research (down which wine bar?) that shows there is a significant demand from women for a sophisticated, light alternative to their current drinks repertoire (what?) There really is nothing else on the market that meets their needs (tell us another).”
Methinks Melissa might disagree! Watch girlsguidetobeer.blogspot.com for what I predict will be a tasty response.

A Godly presence at the GBBF?

2009-08-12T11:42:00.072Z

Early the other morning, slowly struggling to consciousness, I was haunted by this image; an elderly, snow-white haired gentleman, dressed in a thatch-matched suit and adorned with a long plaited beard. And he was drinking beer. Had I seen God on his day off?

At the time I was lying in a strange and rather hard bed wearing a plastic wrist band in the NHS style. For a fleeting moment I was a little worried about my health.

Then, with effort, I focused on the band; it read ‘Camra Great British Beer Festival 2009’. Phew, thank goodness, I was still in Earls Court after a hard day at the festival.

And the mystery bearded entity? Well a fellow imbiber-in-arms confirmed that he was real enough along with hobgoblins and Viking helmeted boozers. I should have taken a photo. But, as when among aboriginals, it’s not necessarily a good thing to chuck a camera in the faces of natives at the GBBF.

Yes, I have to admit, you do see some rather peculiar sightings of the Real Ale Taliban at this annual celebration of Great British Beer (and a bit of foreign stuff) despite the much lauded advent of new festival goers.

Perhaps we shouldn't take the Michael. Most of these guys were likely to have been in the trenches fighting against the likes of the once ubiquitous Red Barrel. They are probably still in shell shock, so maybe they deserve an indulgent reverence. But, well, it can get too serious - one chap was witnessed displaying his collection of beer pump photos!

Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) is a great success story. We wouldn’t be drinking great tipples now if it were not for those activists that declared war against the big brewing keg boys back in the seventies.

However, things have moved on a pace over the past few years. These days, while the overall beer market shrinks, there’s growing support for real ale from a whole new breed of followers. Sales of local ales are said to have risen by nearly 12 per cent in the past 12 months.

Blown away
Beer writer and professional taster Melissa Cole (www.girlsguidetobeer.blogspot.com), who organises female beer tours around the festival, reports, with her own boundless enthusiasm, that ‘interest and honest excitement around it all has leapt exponentially since last year’.

“The enthusiasm by women, young and old, for cask ale at this year’s event has absolutely blown me away – I have been asked more questions and seen more interest from women to go out and try real beer than ever before."

But to get the real girlies' eye view of the GBBF you really need to follow the link to Cate Sevilla's piece at bitchbuss. After reading the piece, take a look around the site; its report on a 'Pina Coloda' and other 'play' products opened my eyes - and made them water a bit too! I quickly retreated back to the world of beer.

But despite Cate's coruscating 'testosterone' comments Melissa says: “I have also found that the demographic of ale fans is shifting year-on-year to a younger audience, which can only be great news for the category.”

So there you have it – a whole new demowhatsit of beer drinkers being nurtured for the rosy beer future.This blessed generation are going to have a much better time, I think, than my lot did – stuck for many years with our national fizz or mega regional cask brands (think Greenalls? aaah)

Their beer choice will be just amazing as several hundred craft brewers increasingly dream up new cask ale brews, using exciting new hops and other tasty ingredients. Witness the ever adventurous Thornbridge - who picked up two awards with this year with Lord Marples and Kipling - consistently break new ground.

And the Champion Beer of Britain 2009 was a perfect example of the new wave. For the second time in three years a mild style of ale took the top sport; Rudgate Ruby Mild, from the 16-year-old craft brewer at Tockwith,York.

But at 4.4% strength this is certainly no common or garden mild. It is complex ale with pale, crystal and chocolate malts and Challenger, Styrian Goldings and American Cascade hops offering rich vinous and fruity notes with hints of chocolate and spice.

Roger Protz, chairman of the final judging panel said: ‘The judges were impressed by the rich, fruity character, and the fact that it’s quite hoppy and bitter for a mild ale.’’

Runner up taking silver was Oakham Attila, the whopping 7.5 percent barley wine that was crowned Supreme Champion at the 2009 Winter Ale Festival. Bronze went to something that sounded like an antidote to swine flu - the West Berkshire Dr Hexter’s Healer. I am reliably informed that the latter would indeed -at 5%abv and with citrus, orange notes - knock seven bells of proverbial out of any errant bug. And you would enjoy the experience.

Good Stab
Sadly, I didn’t sample it, but with beer buddies Jon and Colin I took a pretty good stab at getting through beers from across the country. Especially noteworthy was the first up Loweswater Gold from Cumbrian Legendary Brewery followed by Yates Fever Pitch, also from that area.

Sticking with golden ales Pot Belly’s Yeller Belly at 5.2% was a sheer Northamptonshire delight while my tail-ender Goldenhop, from newcomer Shardlow of Leicestershire got well up my personal ratings - and later in the day that was a tough call.

Camra reported 64,000 visited over the five day event this year – up 7.5 per cent on 2008 - to try some 500 ales, perrys and ciders. That’s a fantastic amount of beer to sup.

So there we have it – another hugely successful GBBF and Camra heralding the 100,000 membership milestone. Looks like God had a busy time after all.

Campaign for Real Ale Great British Beer Festival 2009
And the winners were:
Dark & Light Mild Gold Winner and Champion Beer of Britain: Ruby Mild, Rudgate Brewery
Winter Ales: Attila from Oakham Ales
Bitters: Ranmore Ale from Surrey Hills Brewery
Best Bitters: Golden Sands from Southport Brewery
Golden Ales: American Pale Ale from Dark Star Brewery
Strong Bitter: Dr Hexter’s Healer from West Berkshire Brewery
Specialty Beers: Umbel Magna from Nethergate Brewery
Real Ale in a Bottle: Titanic Stout

PS: Millions of Chinese, courtesy of one of their national TV stations that bothered to turn out, would be delighted I'm sure to watch this strange British ritual. The BBC, however, was once again absent throughout the festival.

Those lazy and bit hazy days of summer

2009-07-21T13:24:00.024Z

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.

BrewDog, the BBC and Me!

2009-07-28T14:49:00.016Z

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.

Hurray for summer ales - and ****** to the jobsworths!

2009-06-30T19:04:00.132Z

Have you noticed? Every time the sun dares to poke through the grey blanket that, much of the time, passes for a UK sky some do-gooder pundit pops up with a dire warning. Apparently we are all about to come to a very, literally, sticky end. Unless We Take Precautions. They get paid well for this nonsense.

The latest I heard from a Radio 4 'expert' was that the best thing is to stay in doors during sunlight hours, preferably, if I got this right, smothered in sun screen just in case we have to stray outside and with tightly closed shutters (where do they live?) to prevent warm air cunningly sneaking in. We were also warned to lay off the coffee and tea (what?) - drinking, of course, at least three litres of water a day in case dehydration creeps up. Without getting into detailed bladder issues here, I wonder: is there time for that?

Ok, some of it makes sense; like checking on an elderly neighbour and maybe wearing a hat if you're being hit by the midday sun. But do we really need them to tell us this stuff?

The other target which, of course, it just wouldn't be right to leave out of any nanny state script is the demon alcohol. Don't - especially - touch the diabolical stuff in hot weather they preach. It's the shortest road to dehydration hell. Just as if pubs don't have enough to worry about at present.

Funnily enough this problem does not seems to effect Europe. Do the Italian's quit quaffing espresso? Do the sales of vino plummet in France? Do the Czechs stop shifting vast quantities of their lovely lager beer at the slightest hint of a few rays? I don't think so.

Celebrate British ales
And I have news for these preaching 'jobs-worths'. The summer is a great time to celebrate British ales. And what's more we should all get out there on a glorious sunny evening and do our stuff for the Great British Pub. What better than to sit in a pub garden and enjoy a cool beer (or Pimms for that matter) after a day at the coalface of recessionary Britain?

The times of cricket and warm ale as a UK PLC trademark are long gone. Light, fruity summer beers with just the right bitter undertone and served at the correct temperature are, in my view, probably the most exciting development of the British drinking scene in recent years. Not least because they are terrifically accessible with a plethora of the stuff about. And, largely, what good stuff it is too.

Some, like Moorhouse's Blond Witch, one of the pioneers, are so good they have become permanent ales. But a lot pop out just for the season and it gladdens the heart to see people who are usually lager or smoothflow merchants taking to them with a gusto.

Sat in my local the other day a chap who was usually committed to a keg mild got stuck into some Everard's Sunchaser with such enthusiasm it was sheer delight to witness. When that ran out he moved deftly onto the slightly pokier Daleside's Pride of England. Good man.

There are far too many to list here. But look out for anything from Roosters,of Knaresbrough, which does light fruity, hoppy beers all year round and terrific seasonals Butcombe Blond, Woods Summer That and Summer Pale from Acorn Brewery, which just screams 'cool, tasty and refreshing' as soon as you look at the pumpclip.

New B&P Ale arrives
Of course, the really new brew to do the job is Brunning & Price's very own Original Bitter. This ale took a while in the coming. Several months and several brews, in fact, after Phoenix first took the brief. Well that's committees for you. But, hey, splendidly, Original has appeared just in time for the long summer evenings. The time when you need a good tasty supping tipple at a strength (3.8%) which won't - anxious sun watchdogs should note - clang any big dehydration bells.

It looks damn good too. A traditional amber colour rather than blonde it has a fine tight white head that clings delightfully, ringing the glass with each gusty sup. Proper northern ale this. Light fruit and floral notes - hints of fresh grass if you swirl it - hit the nose and then gently dance on the tastebuds before a dry and tantalising bitter finish creeps quietly in.

A generous gift from Kent Golding hops, that bitterness develops nicely on those beery buds at the back, urging another creamy, fruity slug. Yes, the committee got it right in the end.

This is just the stuff to watch sliding down the glass, an orange sun slipping away or even a warm rain falling, as we count our beery summer blessings. Those pundits eh? They just don't know what they are missing.

Coffee delights (yes coffee) in Yorkshire and the story of the straining civet

2009-06-26T10:41:00.041Z

Heard the one about the coffee bean that is found in the, ahem, waste matter of the Asian Palm Civet (Paradouras hermaphroditus)?

Well, living a sheltered life in the beer world, I hadn’t, until the other day when I visited Taylors of Harrogate for a bit of coffee tasting.

Apparently, the weasel or cat-like beast produces the Kopi Luwack, the most expensive coffee bean in the world, from its bottom. First it eats the red berry containing the bean or seed and then the enzymes in the civet’s stomach get to work to add flavour before nature takes its course. Then some poor blighter has to retrieve it.Makes brewing ale look very simple. Apparently, to reassure the fastidious, all the washing drying and roasting gets rid of any lingering,er, unpleasantness. So don't worry.

Now what, I hear you ask, is a beer writer doing wasting drinking time tasting coffee? Good question. But life never ceases to surprise with the Beer Writers Guild.

A few of us visited the inner sanctum of the famous Yorkshire tea and coffee emporium that is the sibling of the even more famously indulgent Bettys tearooms (famous in Yorkshire anyway, and that must make them the most famous in the world), to taste a few coffees and sober up a bit We'd just enjoyed a visit to the much venerated Roosters Brewery (more of that later) of Knaresborough.

Now coffee for me is normally just a bit of a pick me up about 11am. After dinner coffee, pah, I've never really seen the point, unless you are the unfortunate soul that is driving. However, this was interesting. And coming immediately after a sampling of Roosters’ ales, it sort of pointed up the similarities of this tasting malarkey.

Funnily enough, though, we spat it out. Just to avoid getting a bit manic, I guess. This was a wee bit tricky. Thank goodness we hadn’t done that at Roosters - far too good to waste.

The ebullient Mike Riley took us through the whole coffee buying process. Blimey, not being much of a supermarket shopper, I never realised there was so much to it. We tasted coffees from India, Sumatra, Jamaica, Rwanda, Brazil and Ethiopia, the birthplace of the stuff apparently, and other parts of the globe I had hardly heard off. And this was real coffee with character, not the homogenised stuff that comes ready to jump in the pot.

And that’s where the synergy with ale creeps in. Like craft ales, as opposed to the industrial stuff, this is all about quality and provenance. And Taylors is highly committed to ethical sourcing, making sure that its suppliers offer fair play to their workers just as they are pledged to paying a fair price. This touches a cord - I know of a few pub companies that could usefully take a tea leaf out of their book here.

Eee tho’, what a job that Mike has eh? Coffee, as it happens, is a very tropical plant and can thrive only in hot countries, so, as Chief Coffee Taster (oh yes), he gets to jet off to sun spots all over the world to inspect crops – a bit like the Del Monte man. Who would have thought life could be so exciting in the world of brewing up a cuppa?

Anyway, back to the tasting. The trick, apparently, is to draw the coffee across the palate with a slurp – so it hits all the taste buds - and then deftly aim a quick gob at the spittoon. Mike could do it as smoothly as a magician produces a rabbit. The rest of us, well, noisy and messy, very,very, messy. Watching a post luncheon cohort of beer writers do this is not a pretty sight.

Just as erstwhile wine trade man Sean Franklin at Roosters expounds passionately about fruity hop flavours, Mike too waxes lyrical about hints of grapefruit from Kenya, nutty flavours from Nicaragua, the caramel sweetness of Colombian and full flavoured chocolate from Sumatra.

And then there is Monsoon Malabar. Now this is an interesting story. It’s sort of reverse of the India Pale Ale tale of the 1800s, whereby the beer improved as it negotiated the dodgy 18,000 mile journey around the Cape to reach the sub continent. This stuff came the other way to please the well-to-do Victorians. It too benefit ted from jollying along in the trade winds, developing smokey and spicy qualities that seemed to go down well with 19th century taste buds.

However, the advent of the Suez canal speeded the job up a bit too much, and as a consequence the coffee lost some its flavour. So now the conditions of the sea journey are recreated by opening the doors on vast warehouses in the monsoon season. This creates moist air around the coffee beans, causing them to swell and develop, before being shipped out.

Yes, there’s a lot more to coffee than I ever imagined. No longer now will I glibly throw a teaspoon or two in the pot of a morning as my thoughts dwell on the delights of a fine cask ale. No, no, now I will pause and reflect on the exotic and exciting world of coffee. And I’ll spare a thought for the long suffering civets, dutifully passing those beans for our delight as I ponder – does it hurt much?

Sparing the blushes, Stationhouse thrives

2009-05-31T13:46:00.141Z

How's the year going for you?

What with even more failed bankers jiggering off with huge pension pots, politicians pulling up the draw bridge after escaping to their moated idylls (figurative or real), and a government that seems determined to self immolate, a sceptic might might say there's not much change on the national scene since 2010 dawned in a blaze of economic pandemonium.

So how heartening to behold a man who is battling against it all and truly enjoying the sunshine of his new chosen calling. Such a man is Barrie Davidson at Station House Brewery.

Barrie relocated from Ellesmere Port to the Lady Heyes Craft Centre at Frodsham eighteen months ago and now, I discover, is just about to proudly rebrand as Frodsham Brewery (although Stationhouse will remain a trading name).

Seems hardly any time at all since the former council regeneration officer set up shop in the Port in 2004 - he couldn't then find premises in Frodsham. But now, as chairman of the 'Love Frodsham' Campaign, he has regenerated himself in his new 'home', sitting alongside Snugbury Icecream and with glorious views across Cheshire towards Jodrell Bank. And he's up to his neck in beer and business while, it seems, people sip quality craft ales as they peer anxiously about for the green shoots of recovery,

Although now with help on sales and delivery, 'perfectionist' Barrie stoically remains the sole brewer and has an impressive 14 core ales to knock out from the five-barrel-brew-plant. He brews 2-3 times a week to keep the show on the road.

Stationhouse can be found in several B&P pubs; the hugely citrussy Splash, late hopped with Cascade, and the honey tinged Buzzin - bronze medal winner at the Great British Beer Festival 2007 - are particular favourites in both Harkers and the Grosvenor.

As well as brewing for the cask, Barrie is also bottling his brands - all original brews, no blends - and has found a eager market for the bottle-conditioned delights, selling through such places as Bents at Glazebury and The Hollies, on the A49 near Tarporley.

While dedicated to extracting every flavour from an eclectic range of hops -'there's an amazing choice'- more recently he has ventured into the fruit flavoured beer arena with Blush - but only for the bottle.

I am told this goes down particularly well with 'the ladies'. But here I must tread gently. Anyone who reads Beers of the World magazine may appreciate my trepidation. In the latest issue, formidable champion of the female beer drinker Melissa Cole has had another blast at the 'condescending' approach of brewers towards women. Essentially, Melissa condemns brewing special ales for the 'fairer sex'. But both Barrie and his better half Hazel assure me that it works. So Melissa, I boldly venture, can we argue with the market?

Well anyway, Frodsham Brewery/ Station House has developed beers to tackle a range of tastes. Now most of the ales will take their moniker from local places. Hence: Frodsham 800 Ale, to celebrate the town's 8ooth anniversary and Maiden's Cross (Alvanley) based on an old recipe from the erstwhile Walker's of Burton. Frodsham 800 is a golden bitter brewed with relative newcomer hop Nelson Sauvin from New Zealand that delivers the 'crushed gooseberries' flavour of Sauvignon Blanc. Maiden's Cross is a crisp, light and fruity brew with a tangy bitterness from Northdown hops.

Several of the brews will be available at the forthcoming West Cheshire Beer Festival held at Spitting Feathers Brewery, Waverton, on Saturday July 18th. This is the third year that the very enterprising brewer-farmer-come-publican Matthew Walley has got together a group of West Cheshire brewers to show case their wares; it will include Woodlands of Cheshire Cat fame, Northern with their 'soulful' beers and the delightfully scatological WC Brewery.

I was lucky to attend the first fest two years ago when, despite the rain swept summer, there was glorious sun and some great beer and music. We don't yet know about the weather but come rain or shine the beer will definitely be there. So, at least for a day, we can all dip into a bit of Barrie's sunshine.