The Beers of Others

It is sometimes too easy to look at the beer world from our lofty and geeky towers and demand new, or better, bigger, bolder, stronger, faster, more type beers and overlook that we are in a decided minority. As one who knocks boring brown beers constantly, you might wonder if I've any windows left in this glass house, but then I get out and about a fair bit and have my feet firmly enough on the ground, to know that most people that drink beer, simply don't see it my way.

I was reminded of this in two ways yesterday, firstly in Wetherspoons, where I nipped in to see what was on in their festival. I had my fingers crossed for one I hadn't had and while on my way, visualised Thornbridge Pioneer on the bar, in the vain hope, that mind over matter could make it so. It wasn't. Instead I had excellent bitter and dry Purity Gold, Lees Supernova, which packed in liquorice and chocolate flavours in a full bodied - yes full bodied - 3.5% variation of their mild and a half of Mordue Porter which was coffeeish and very decent.  But I digress.  There were a few customers experimenting with the guest ales, but most, despite the relative cheapness of the festival beers at £1.49 a pint, stuck to good old much more expensive, John Smith's Smooth.  I overheard one table of drinkers say that they'd be glad when the festival is over, so that can get back to ordinary beer.  Now this isn't an affluent area by and large, but these people were choosing to pay more for (what is to me and probably you) an inferior beer.  Where pennies count for a lot, the attraction of interesting cask beer was at best, limited.

The second incident was in a local Lees pub where the bitter was, most unLeeslike. The miserable drinkers were complaining about this.  (I get approached a lot in this way - being the local CAMRA guru in a small town - people think I can do something about it). It isn't a good thing when a brewery's main product isn't up to snuff.  You neglect your core products at your peril. To do so will lose you more trade than almost anything else, as those who know and love the beer, the gallon men, will simply have one and go home grumbling.

Cask beer these days is a bit of a niche product, albeit an expanding niche. Most of the expansion though, in volume terms at least, is in the cooking bitter that can be dismissed as "ordinary, dull and brown". I like to see brewers push the boat out as much as the next person, but it is these mainstream beers that keep the mash tuns filled. While brewers should be more bold in their product line, particularly when they do occasional or seasonal beers, it would be foolish for them to abandon boring brown. There. I've said it.  I don't have to like it, but I know it makes sense.

This post scratches the surface of an issue ( what beers should brewers be brewing) that intrigues me.  I know it is written from (as usual) the pub going point of view, but I'd be interested to know what others think.

Of course my preferred niche is the specialist cask ale pub where little of this applies, but I drink more Lees Bitter than anything else.

Bloggers Turn on Brew Dog

Blog commentator John Clarke, wrote some time ago - on my blog I think - that "I get the sense they (Brew Dog) may be starting to believe their own publicity. "

Following their latest foray into self publicity, reported brilliantly and with passion by Pete Brown here, they have been furiously back pedalling to try and regain support - or as they would have it, explain their position. I am not going to say much more about it, as it is all said on Pete's blog and even on the ultra loyal Pencil and Spoon blog, that they have overstepped the mark.

Maybe the old adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity is being heartily disproved here, but will lessons be learned? Somehow I doubt it.

Back to beer, I'd also like to hear James of BD say something somewhere about his cask ale policies.

Micro Brewers Kind of Disappoint

When I did my judging last week I was pleased in the first round to be tasting "Bitters and Pale Ales (Up to 4.0% ABV)". I didn't fancy the other cask category of "Strong Ales (Over 5.6% ABV)". My table was hardly expert, with a local wine merchant who spat all his beer into a bucket, a nice, young, cask ale loving lass who'd won her place in a Barrow Evening Mail contest and the boyfriend of one of the SIBA women who were providing general assistance and bringing us the beer. We tasted eleven beers and oddly enough, this motley collection more or less agreed on everything. What do I conclude from that? Well, I suppose, that when beers are good, bad or just indifferent and you are approaching them with an open mind, even if not to your taste, most people will recognise what is good and what is not. When you are doing comparative tastings, it all becomes reasonably obvious, though of course there were differences of opinion.

Were the beers all good? No. Some were poor, most were decent enough, but most were disappointingly and predictably samey. There was two stand outs in our list. Both were golden, complex, well bodied and hoppy. The modern face of bitter beer?  Maybe. Going back to previous posts there was little "innovation". It was a boring old roll call of Fuggles, Goldings, Northdown and Styrians and mostly brown beers.

Now I know micros need to have a "cooking bitter" and that a well made mainstream beer will sell, but I do wonder why, in a competition, they didn't put forward something more characterful? There does seem to be a general reluctance to push the boundaries here.

I also judged strong bottled ales. Not my forte really, but I was lucky enough to sit beside Cask Marque's inspector for East London where my flat is. He was able to confirm that the London malaise of warm beer is being pushed aside and that all over the capital, cellars are being re-equipped with decent refrigeration and that standards generally are rising. That's good news isn't it?

The Hawkshead Brewery is state of the art and the Beer Hall where we did the judging is a lovely modern venue. Hawkshead Organic Stout - drunk for pleasure -was superb. I also met Jeff Pickthall properly and you know, he's a nice fellow.

Here Comes the Judge!

Tomorrow I'm off for a little light judging in the Society of Independent Brewers (North) Beer Competition 2009 to be held at Hawkshead Brewery in the Lake District.

The categories to be judged at this half of the event (it is now too big to do it all in one venue) are:

Bitters and Pale Ales (Up to 4.0% ABV)

Strong Ales (Over 5.6% ABV)

Bottled Beers (in 4 categories)

It promises to be an interesting day out and one which I looking forward to.  I'll report back.

Brew Dog At It Again?

I read with dreary, fatalistic resignation that James Watt, the High Priest of  Brew Dog, claims that CAMRA is the devil incarnate - "I blame CAMRA for single-handedly holding back innovation in British brewing says he in an American on line magazine, Full Pint. Com. 

Knocking CAMRA in this way was only a matter of time.  (His relationship with CAMRA in Scotland is one of mutual distrust as I understand it, with not all the wrong coming from CAMRA.) Putting that aside there is a little context within his comments which softens these remarks somewhat, in that he mentions CAMRA's emphasis on "focusing on too few beer styles". Fair point maybe, but really when you stand this on its head, too few beer styles originate from British Brewers. If you don't have innovation in brewing, you can't really pick up on these styles and comment or support them can you?  So really if you think about it logically, Mr Watt is actually complaining about the lack of imagination and vision, not of CAMRA, but of British brewing - of  his fellow British brewers really, though no doubt he'd argue that CAMRA encourages their staidness.  Rather more strikingly, James is complaining about the very gap in the market he is exploiting so successfully and on which he bases his future expansion plans.  Like his brewing, his reasoning is rather innovative when you examine it more closely. 

Now it has to be said that sometimes CAMRA doesn't help itself.  Image has always been a problem as we all know and CAMRA sometimes seems to tread the wrong line. Roger Protz recently wrote about how golden ales shouldn't be pushing "traditional" brown beers out, both on the bar and in competitions, but to my mind, the main innovation in British brewing is at that "pale"end of the spectrum, not in the brown session market. I doubt if Roger meant to come across as a stick in the mud - and reading his excellently favourable article in "Beer"about oak aged beers, he gave no such impression - but it allowed the anti CAMRA brigade to have another swipe. Another point and one I have made before, is that basically Brew Dog are a bottled beer brewer who do the odd cask (and do the odd cask very well). CAMRA members are pub goers by and large, so James is blaming an orange for not looking like an apple, to some extent at least. It would be nice to see James pushing the cask aspect of his business a little more come to think of it.

Going back to innovation, British brewers by and large are the most staid and conservative bunch you could ever meet - with of course, honourable exceptions.  (Try persuading a Regional Brewer to do anything different and you'll be met with hostility and usually condescension).  Even micro brewers, on the whole are brewing incredibly dull mainstream beers, again with honourable exceptions.  The real need for innovation comes at brewing level and one thing I think CAMRA should do much more of is to campaign seriously for that.  

CAMRA has been a bit too easy on traditional ale brewers in this country and at both local and national level, we should try and correct that. There is indeed too much emphasis on "boring 4% beers, with boring hops".  So come on brewers. Give the public 4% beers, but please give us choice too. Innovation isn't and shouldn't be the sole domain of  smart young things.  The market is changing and needs to be grabbed and reshaped.  CAMRA needs to embrace and promote both tradition and innovation.

And finally Brew Dog is establishing its niche and I doubt really if James wants too many other brewers to steal his clothes by out innovating him.  He wouldn't want to become mainstream, so maybe he should be careful that what he wishes for doesn't become "too" true.


See? I'm caught up in BrewDog whether I aim to be or not. Their stuff works on me too. They are part of the brewing and blogging scene now.

A Couple of New Beers

We had a CAMRA meeting last night and it gave me the opportunity to try two beers I've never had. First was Saltaire Republika, a strawberry infused blonde beer which was surprisingly good, with a whiff of fresh strawberry on the nose and a good bitter finish with strawberry again evident. Interesting and different, but I dare say it will appeal to some more than others.

More promising, as they always are, was a new beer from Mallinson's of Huddersfield. St George's Square is pale, full bodied, spicy, with a long bitter finish. It was really excellent and was my beer of choice for the rest of the evening. The Baum, our hosts and our current Pub of the Year lived up to its reputation. The beer was on top form and as a bonus, though some won't approve no doubt, they offer 40p off a pint to CAMRA members.

Both Saltaire and Mallinson's are tremendous breweries. Seek them out.

Whatever Happened to Dave Hastings?

Anyone remember him? He came, he insulted, he left and now his blog has gone from the blogosphere. 

Was he a spoof?

North Yorkshire

I spent the weekend there with my CAMRA chums and of course, Eileen.  A quick run down of impressions will suffice I think.  The pub scene is relatively thriving. The usual rule applies in that good pubs were really busy and crap ones weren't - not that we spent any time in crap ones - but we did look see a few times.  The cafe bar scene is big there, with modern IKEA furnished places abounding, but as well as food and foreign beers (a must), well chosen cask ales completed the picture. Ripon was big on these, as was Knaresbourgh.  Cask beer was uniformly in good condition, though with a few surprises. John Smith's cask was widely available, as was Theakstons and Black Sheep.

The JDW in Thirsk, where we stayed, was excellent with brisk and friendly service and good beers from the JDW festival list. My usual luck with North Yorkshire weather held. That is, it pissed down, so much so that we just stayed in JDW all night, until we drank them out of the excellent Grumpy, brewed by Port Brewery's Tomme Arthur at Shepherd Neame.  This was resinous, bitter and hoppy with the amarillo hops shining through. No caramel malts to ruin it either. Delicious.

Best pubs were old favourites, Blind Jack's in Knaresborough - heaving on a Saturday lunchtime and The One Eyed Rat in Ripon which had a German beer festival on.  Both are old favourites and "don't miss" destinations.  Best beers? The aforementioned Grumpy, closely followed by Saltaire Bavarian Gold.

The One Eyed Rat was full of us CAMRA types, a visiting (posh) rugby team from Darlington and locals. It was an eclectic mix and the friendliest scene imaginable.  All mixed easily. That's one sign of a good pub. The quality of the offering is another.

Beautiful Bewdley

It seems a bit like ancient history now, but it was only last week, so I better mention Bewdley before my memories fade altogether.

I hadn't been there before, but it is immediately attractive with the Severn flowing through it and lovely old buildings lining its banks - apart that is, from a grim office block on the far bank which should never have been given planing permission. We stayed in the JDW George, a rambling old coaching house. My room was in the rafters and was immensely attractive, though a steep climb up lots of stairs. We tried a couple of the beers in the bar. Not impressive at all was Galbraith's Luncheon Ale from New Zealand (brewed at Everards) as it just seemed a middle of the road brown bitter, but we were happy to find in form Purity Pure Gold, so all was not lost. The young staff here were attentive, cheerful and quick, so credit where it is due.

We spent most of the day on the Severn Valley Railway, so that no-one had to drive and as it was all steam that day, enjoyed the experience, including being pulled by the new Tornado,the first steam loco to be built for donkey's years.  Kidderminster was, by and large,  a forgettable dump, though with a very pleasant railway buffet, restored to GWR splendour and including very decent beer.  Then the long haul to Bridgenorth where we camped out in the buffet there, an old haunt.  Beer was again splendid, apart from a disgusting near the end of cask Northumberland Fuggles Gold.  We complained to no avail and had to buy replacements.  "It is meant to taste like that" being the response.  We left for our train and returned unexpectedly as our train was delayed, to find the Fuggles Gold off and the lines being cleaned. Naughty.

No great pub crawl in the evening. Just three highly recommended pubs, the delightfully busy Mug House for more Purity and Hereford IPA, the Waggon and Horses with Wye Valley Butty Bach and more and the Woodcolliers Arms for a nightcap of real cider from Westons.

Bewdley as an absolute delight . Go there if you can.

The photos show my mate Steve experiencing the Fuggles Gold and a view of Bewdley with the Mug House in the background.

Mediocre Beer and a Nargis Kebab

Worcester has seven pubs in the Good Beer Guide, so it's going to be a bonzer place beer wise for a wander round isn't it?  Well, not on this showing actually.  Firstly we didn't encounter a single beer in what you'd describe as tip top condition.  Most were sort of OK, but lacked that sure touch of cellarmanship that marks out really good cask ale.

First up was the Plough, where Purity Gold was the beer of choice. Now this is a splendid beer, but here it was ordinary.  The Postal Order,one of the better JDWs,  had only Ruddles on offer, as they were getting ready or the Beer Festival. OK tomorrow there would have been brewers and CAMRA talking about beer, tastings and plenty of choice, but the night before? Nothing.  We decided that it just wasn't our night and went to the Dragon Inn having had a pint in another GBG pub, whose name, even after checking the GBG, escapes me.  (It might have been The Swan?).  It was that sort of night.  The Dragon Inn wasn't a bad pub, though hardly the friendliest ever and the beers were decidedly ordinary presentation wise, though no complaints about choice, with Millstone, Cannon Royal and  Little Ale Cart Bailie Nichol Jarvie.  This beer, named after the locomotive, not the whisky, was hoppy and bitter, but sort of died in the glass.  Others did enjoy the Millstone, but this to us, was coals to Newcastle.

We bailed out to Abdul's Curry House. This was a class act which everyone enjoyed.  My nargis kebab starter was interesting and I'd have it again.  We walked back to our digs, fu' as puggies from the food,* despite the moaning of one of our party about taxis. OK he has just had a knee replacement, but taxis for a couple of miles?

Fu' as a puggy means very drunk or full (having overeaten). In our case it was the latter

Morrissey's Foxed Off

Our CAMRA Branch has a trip to North Yorkshire on Saturday and Sunday. We were due to visit the Punch Bowl Inn, owned by the Morrissey/Fox team and featured on Channel 4, but our Dear Leader tells me it is closed. Somehow I have missed this, but it seems the dynamic duo have handed the keys back in. First the on site brewery went and then the pub. There is some interesting stuff on it in The Publican, but it seems all was not sweetness and light with the locals who felt excluded.

Seems too MF are now looking for other free houses in the Yorkshire area. Maybe they'll have learned enough lessons to make it work next time!

Sedgeley and Halesowen

The Wembley Weekend (see below) is always chosen carefully to maximise the potential of finding decent beer in a variety of good pubs. It doesn't always work out that way, such are the vagaries of cask ale, differing tastes and the quality or otherwise of the local beers we encounter. Worcester and Bewdley looked promising though.

Our first stop - and don't worry this isn't going to be a list of pubs, but a recall of highs and lows - was the excellent little Black Country local, the Bull's Head in Sedgeley. Bustling and busy on a Tuesday lunchtime, the welcome was warm as we exchanged banter with the locals, trying very hard to follow a dialect that was a thick as the crusty cobs we ate. We enjoyed the place a lot and listened to the tale of the local Wetherspoon's being firebombed earlier in the week, with some amazement.  (The Bull's Head is opening at 9 a.m, to compensate the thirsty.) Holden's Mild was a dark delight, though the bitter is too sweet for my taste. The Golden Glow and the Dragon's Blood were both deliciously hoppy and balanced, with the Dragon's Blood being surprisingly pale, though I am sure no-one really knows a dragon's blood's true colour.  Three and a half pints of mild plus four giant cobs - see photo - were just over a tenner.  Value and then some.

Surprisingly our next call, the classic Beacon Hotel, home of Sarah Hughes beers and an old friend to us, was poor. Again busy for a Tuesday lunchtime, the beer was on a low, with the Amber tasting infected and the famous Sarah Hughes Dark being nearly as bad.  We struggled through our beer and beat a hasty retreat. A great pub though and surely just an off day?

Our final pre - Worcester call was another great pub which didn't disappoint.  The Waggon and Horses in Halesowen is a corner street local with fourteen handpumps, foreign beers galore on the bar, four cask ciders, as well as a carefully chosen list of foreign bottles. What's not to like?  The two young lads serving us were enthusiastic, knowledgeable and had obvious pride in what they were doing. They were helpful without being patronising and talked us through what they had on sale and what was on particularly good form. Beers from Nottingham, Oakham and White Lion didn't disappoint. Real Black Country pork scratchings were a perfect if tooth jarring accompaniment. We left with reluctance.


Next was Worcester where the picture changed. For the worse unfortunately.

The giant cobs, filled and I mean filled, with good quality cheddar or ham were £1.20 each!

A Few Days Away

Once a year I go off for a few beers with three other mates. I won't bore you with the details of why, but it is known as the Wembley Weekend, though we don't go to Wembley, and now we're all retired, it isn't a weekend.

So Worcester and Bewdley, here I come. There seems to be some terrific pubs in those areas, so it should be good. Watch out for the odd tweet. I'll mention beery highlights on my return.

PS. I'm the youngest. Not often I can say that these days.

The Good Face of the Pub

We lost a couple of our Sunday regulars at the pub yesterday. Dave and Gwen who have been going there each Sunday, more or less, for the last twenty years, have decided to move to Wensleydale, where Gwen originates and where she still has relatives. They maintain a caravan there, so it's familiar to them.

So there was a little celebration yesterday. The Sunday regulars were out in force including a few old faces, returning for the occasion. Sandwiches were provided by the landlady and a framed print of the pub, signed by all the Sunday crew, was presented by me, on behalf of the regulars, to Dave and Gwen. It was an honour to be asked to do so and to say a few words on behalf of everyone. Of course I recalled old times and faces, I mentioned that the pub just won't be the same without them, as it is the comforting familiarity of seeing the same faces, of passing a few words at the bar with each other, of the ease with which we can talk of this and that in our cosy little world, that makes it such a good place to spend a Sunday. You really can forget your cares for a while.

Dave replied, saying that truly, the thought of leaving the THT behind was a major factor in deciding whether or not to move. He said that it had been hard to think of times without the company of all their friends at the pub. It had been a close call. He went on to praise the unique nature of our pub and to thank everyone for the happy times they had spent there. It was an emotional occasion. We were saying goodbye to two of our own. We all felt a sense of loss.

When you hear so much negativity about the pub trade, it is good to remember that there are thousands of decent pubs, with splendid regulars, whose lives are enhanced by their pub visits and by the people they meet there. I feel lucky and privileged to be one of them. I am sure that Dave and Gwen will find a new pub to go to and that they'll settle in to their new lives well, but I know that from time to time, they'll think of their old friends in our pub and we'll look over to their usual corner and picture them there.

When E and I left, much later than we intended, Gwen and Dave were still there, with some of their usual crew, having a last one for the road. I hope the picture got back down the lane safely!

Pictured are Dave, Gwen and the Landlady (centre).

The Slosberg Connection

I've been following the Brew Dog "share float" stuff with great interest and not a little incomprehension. I haven't coughed up £230 for what seems to be a  chimera; no not the fire eating monster, or the antibody, but the "fanciful mental illusion or fabrication."

There is much to admire about Brew Dog. The cocking of snooks at the authorities, the viral advertising, the excellent attitude to beer and what it should be like and most importantly what it shouldn't be like and, of course, their cutting edge beers. And they are Scottish; not from the posh part of Edinburgh, or Glasgow wide boys, but from Fraserburgh  for God's sake. What's not to like? Nothing of course.

What is ground breaking, (some may say odd) is the way they are using their viral advertising to lure supporters in to buy their share issue, "Equity for Punks". It is clever, it is interesting, it isn't sold as an investment, more a sort of "give us some money now and we'll be nice to you and maybe give it back to you sometime in an unspecified future" kind of way. It is open, it doesn't make false promises and all is therefore well. Or is it?

The reaction of some bloggers and followers of blogs is along the lines of mass - well not mass - maybe "selective" would be better - hysteria. Sort of "You are nice guys, I love your beer, here's my money". It is either noble or foolhardy, but maybe tilting at windmills in such cynical times isn't such a bad thing, though it seems to this writer that these shy Scots have the chutzpah of Del Boy. In an unassuming way of course.

Has anyone asked the obvious question which is " Why does the brewery need to be ten times bigger? Will that make the beer better? Will it increase innovation? I have an analogy. Anyone remember Pete's Wicked Ale? Pete Slosberg was the Brew Dog of his day in the US. He broke moulds, he innovated, he became the second biggest craft brewer in the US, then in 1998 he sold the lot to the giant Gambrinus Company who make his beer in a non innovative way, in whatever brewery they care to. I dare say its still pretty good beer, but you take my point. It isn't innovative or cutting edge anymore. It is though big and Pete has presumably got lots of money out of it.

Not that this need apply to Brew Dog of course, but I'm just saying, that's all.  Strangely though even I'm slightly infected. There is a tiny bit of me that wants to chip in too. Seems I've also been touched by the virus, but I'll resist.


Much is made by Brew Dog of their new shareholders, but I've never heard of Skyy Vodka and if they've got a billion from selling it..............?

PubCos Off the Hook - For Now.

The Office of Fair Trading has ruled out action against the PubCos on the grounds that their current activities and the tie they impose, doesn't act against consumer interests.. They said  it had "not found evidence that supply ties are resulting in competition problems that are having an adverse impact on consumers".

CAMRA, who had raised the complaint expressed disappointment, but will ask the Government to take action following the scathing Business and Enterprise Committee Report. There is more than one  way to skin this cat it seems.

While disappointing, this is hardly surprising, given the narrow  remit of the OFT, though it could well be argued that the effect on consumers is somewhat more oblique than stated by both CAMRA and the OFT.  Reading the report, it seems to me the OFT has been a bit keen to get this one done, dusted and forgotten.

The Morning Advertiser has the story and you can download the report which is quite interesting.

Breaking News: The BEC will re-convene before Christmas to consider its position.

Brussels

Hooray. Despite the crashing pound, me and E are going on a day trip to Brussels in mid November, courtesy of the Sunday Times "Two for £90" offer. We get there at ten and leave at eight thirty in the evening, so it's a fair old day out. That's the beauty of having a London place, we can get these little pleasures more easily and in fact, we'll make a saving, more or less, or at least beak even on the deal, as we won't have to pay that grinning, bearded git Branson anything for Eileen's immensely expensive journey to Manchester and back.

It's a little while since I've been to Belgium and even longer since Brussels, so of course the question to ask, is what I shouldn't miss pub wise. I really want to visit Oud Moeder Lambic which I know is a tram journey away, but otherwise I'm open to suggestions, though they must be easily reachable from the centre on foot.

Ideas very welcome.

Anyone Understand This?

I read in The Publican that SABMiller saw its UK beer volumes rise by 15% in the first six months of the year. The article goes on to say that lager volumes fell by 1%, but gives no clue as to how the overall rise in volumes is derived.

Well one might conclude that this rise is ale volumes, as they don't brew stout, but can that really be true?  To me this just doesn't add up.

Footnote: A look at SABMiller's trading statement leaves me none the wiser, except to conclude that the Publican is mixing up world and UK positions.

Sailing By - From Tuesday, October 02, 2007

I have just returned from a night out at the Rain Bar, hosted by JW Lees our local brewer. The idea was to put beer up against wine in a foody menu.The event was compered on the beer side by Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, New York and a local wine guru, flying the wine flag. Beer won, unsurprisingly given the fact that almost all the guests were beer buffs of some sort. The menu was superb and the concept interesting. All in all a very informative and for me, different night and it was nice to get an invite.

I left full of food, wine and beer at midnight and stumbled into a taxi. Radio 4 was just finishing as I got into bed, hence the title of this posting!

Food with Beer

I've just read Woolpack Dave's latest post on the above subject. It's a good post with a lot of sensible things said, particularly when he says "But I'm a beer writer, I can't say these things. Surely fine dining food must be able to match with beer?" He goes on to say "We need to think in the same way as the sommelier in a great restaurant. We need to think about what is bold enough to stand up to great food, what can match and compliment to provide an integrated experience. Without this approach we are still going to find a great gulf between the beer and restaurant trade.". Now you might well say as I first thought, "This is pretty obvious and none the less true for that". But the more I thought about it, the less convinced I became. In a fine dining experience, I rather fancy that most experienced fine diners know the sort of wine they like to accompany food, whether or not that wine is actually the best match. I also rather fancy that most do not rely on the sommelier for advice. I certainly wouldn't. I don't have an unlimited budget and wouldn't want to be a hostage to fortune, nor be embarrassing myself by whispering. "only up to £25" ( or whatever) when seeking advice.  I suspect reliance on sommelier advice is a very top end trait only. 

When we extrapolate that situation to beer, it becomes more complex still.  At least in a fine dining restaurant, you can be reasonably sure the wine list is well chosen and the descriptions accurate. It isn't then that difficult to make an informed choice. When you substitute beer for wine, the matter becomes rather more complicated, as the list isn't so likely to be so well chosen - the expertise just doesn't exist in the restaurant trade and frankly, those who like beer with fine dining meals, are likely to jib at someone else's choice. There are many other factors too, that to my mind militate against it, not least of all lack of serious demand. But that needn't be the end of it.

Moving back down the scale, to pub, bistro or home dining, things become easier.  A nice stout might sit well with a steak pie. Or an IPA just might cut through a curry and a good crisp, well made pilsner would suit most roast pork dishes very well. One will have one's own preferences, but at that end of things, you can afford to experiment. You can't really at the other.  There to me is the difficulty. You would need a level of expertise at the selling end, together with a willingness to experiment and pay through the nose at the buying end, for this to work on any grand scale, which it really won't. This bird is not going to fly, though individual restaurants could make it work to a limited extent and at least offer choice.

Now, paraphrasing Dave, I'm a beer writer too and would like to see more availability on restaurant menus of beers that generically go with food; say a decent wheat beer, a top class, stout, a spicy Belgian, a proper pilsner, a hoppy and bitter IPA and a strong barley wine. The list isn't exhaustive, but it would be a good start.  Regretfully not all will be British - the diversity just doesn't exist at the top end. Beer is a long way behind wine, we need to walk before we can run, but we do need to push this.  Many beers are indeed a fine accompaniment to food and in his penultimate paragraph, Dave suggests a way forward. It is a good one.

Finally on a further note of agreement, barley wine and good cheese - there's a splendid match.

Photo nicked from Garrett Oliver's site, but that's OK. See next post which is reproduced from my personal blog, dated 02/10/2007. He gets a nice mention there.

The Red Lion

I've just watched Channel 4's "The Red Lion", a documentary look at pub life seen through a number of different pubs each called the Red Lion. It was non judgemental, sympathetic and if this doesn't sound too contradictory, warts and all. From binging student girls, to elderly men seeking companionship, to rugby teams, old ladies and a permanently tipsy landlord, the pub all meant something more than just a drink. It was companionship and good times, though not without a little pathos.

It was excellent viewing for the fervent pub goer and a timely reminder in its final Red Lion, of what the closing of its only pub can do to a village community.

Great stuff and if I may add, the sort of thing Channel 4 used to do so much of and should do more of.  Well done Sue Bourne and the Cutting Edge Team

Watch it here.

Out and About

My mate Graham suggests a few pints later - we haven't been out for a while with one thing and another. Shall we meet in Manchester and do the usual rounds?  Boring old places like Micro Bar, The Angel, The Marble Arch and maybe even nip over to the other side of town for a change, to Knott Bar, The Lass o' Gowrie or Kro Bar?  No. We're off to sample the beery delights of Rochdale. It's good enough to compete in so many ways, with quality beer and pubs abounding.  And it'll make a change.

That's the thing about living in a relative beer nirvana. You are spoilt for choice.

Graham with his Mum amd Dad in a famous German pub.

Middleton's Other Brewery

After dropping Eileen off at the station this morning, I arrived home just after seven on a glorious morning. The air was fairly still, but I got a distinct whiff of Middleton's other commercial brewery - the one that isn't Lees. Anyone know its name?

As usual in any competition I run, there will be no prizes whatever, but I'll be impressed with you. Isn't that enough?  Oh and I'm excluding Tyson from this. He probably knows what it is.

A Small Comparison

I had the chance to compare three widely spoken about beers last week, though not all at the same time.  First was Marble Dobber which I have already mentioned was voted Champion Beer of Greater Manchester last Friday.  This is a terrific beer for the hophead. It is intensely, resinously, bitter, but by no means one dimensionally so. I guess it has a progressive and complex hopping regime. given that it grows in hoppiness throughout, to a lip smackingly resinous and lasting finish.  It drinks all too easily for its 5.9% strength and deserves the often used, but easily understandable descriptor, "dangerously drinkable". 

I was advised in advance the the Waterhouse had Jaipur IPA - also 5.9%, coming on, as one of my co-workers at MFDF had supplied a pumpclip for it. I took Eileen with me on Saturday and after fighting our way through good natured cider and lager drinking Rugby League fans from Leeds and St Helens, in town for the big match, a pint and a half was procured.  As always this beer wasn't clear. I have come to the conclusion that this must be deliberate. I have never had a clear pint of it, not even at Thornbridge Hall.  "You don't drink with your eyes" I hear some cry. Well, effectively you do.  Appearance is most certainly part of a beer's appeal - ask anyone who has judged beer - and to me this just doesn't look the part.  I have to say it didn't live up to its hype and again, with the exception of a few good pints, to me it rarely does.  Sure it had bitterness, but this fought against the sheer underlying sweetness of the beer. There was some citrus from the C hops, but overall it underwhelmed.  The finish was sweet too and faded almost immediately.

A new discovery for me is the M&B run Wellington, which along with its companion pub, Sam Smith's Sinclair's Oyster Bar, has peripatetically shuffled round Manchester City Centre. I say new, as I haven't been in it since its second move from Shambles Square.  A tip from a fellow CAMRA member took me in there in Thursday. I was impressed by the beer quality, so took the discerning E for a visit.  On the bar was the 4.9% Brew Dog 77 Lager.  It had to be ordered, as I see cask Brew Dog all too rarely.  Firstly it was a much darker beer than I expected. It was well conditioned, full bodied and rather malty with developing bitterness, through to a decent bitter finish. It didn't seem to me to have many lager characteristics at all and I wonder if there are slightly - or even completely - different versions brewed for cask and bottle?

So conclusions? Well none of this is scientific, but my feeling is that in their quiet understated way, Marble are producing spectacularly good beers and while keeping a low profile, are going from strength to strength.  That's fine as it's local to me. The others? Well, on this showing, Jaipur didn't come out too well, but so many people rate it so highly, I keep trying it whenever I see it, in the hope of being converted.  I'd like to try another somewhere else, as I would with Brew Dog, though I have to say the 77 was very drinkable. Let's see more of their cask in the North West please. In cask I have rarely been disappointed with their beers.

Disgracefully Sinclair's has had cask removed and I bet they sold more than an eighteen a day. Is Sam's becoming more or less a totally keg brewery?  If so, a pity, as they have some really fine pubs.

The Champion Beer of Greater Manchester is.......

Marble Dobber of course. Of course? Well the panel I chaired put this through as our best beer by a fair old way. I was confident it would win and it did. Pale, bitter, hoppy, complex and at 5.9%, no pushover, it had a lot going for it.

Beer writer and top blogger Pete Brown was on the final panel. I had a couple of chats to him. He looked tired after all his booky events, but the book is selling well. I promised I'd buy one.

Second was Silver Tally from Prospect Brewery of Wigan and third was Special, a strong dark mild,  from Green Mill of Rochdale.

Service? What Service?

 There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.
 
Sam Walton


Readers of this blog will know that I think the pub industry needs to up its collective game in terms of how they treat their customers. Seems a lot of customers agree with me. Retail Eyes surveyed 6,523 consumers on which sector delivers the best customer service — just 6% said the pub and bar sector delivered good service.

Let's think about that for a moment. Six percent. It isn't good is it? The reasons given are so simple, obvious and easily corrected, it makes you annoyed just to think about it. Customers (oddly enough) disliked dirty and uncleared tables. They resented waiting too long at the bar and staff who were disinterested, or didn't engage with them. No less than 56% have walked out without buying anything because of this type of thing, losing pubs business immediately and no doubt for the long term.

One publican commenting (fairly alone among those who blamed lack of support from PubCos, low wages, better prospects elsewhere and the smoking ban!!)said, wisely I think, "It costs nothing to smile and be attentive. A good pub will have staff smiling, and importantly looking at the customers, registering they know who is next. I've been in the trade for forty years, and if there is one thing I still find irritating it's the lack of customer care, having said that, it comes from the top, no such thing as bad staff, it's bad managers. It hurts but the survey is very accurate."

Amazing when you think about it. It really isn't that difficult to train people in the basics and it isn't much more than the lack of these basics people are complaining about. Employing untrained, slapdash staff is just giving profits away and speeding up the rush to the supermarket.  Not correcting that is a suicide policy

Time for houses to be put in order I'd say.

Putting a Face to a Name

We had our six weekly CAMRA Committee meeting last night in Sam Smith's Yew Tree near Rochdale. It has the advantage of being reasonably central and has a guaranteed private room. It also has cask Old Brewery Bitter or, rather, did.

When I got there, three of my colleagues were already there. I sensed something was up. "It's gone keg" says one. Damn. A well dressed and very posh gentleman was on his mobile at the bar. He had a large list in front of him and was asking each recipient of his calls in turn, in the plummiest of tones, "Do you have a spare microwave?" He preceded this by announcing "Humphrey Smith, Area Manager here". I whispered to my friends, "This is the top man - this is Mr Humphrey, the controlling owner of Sam's". We determined to beard him in his den. When he got off the phone, introductions were made. "Why had the cask been removed?" "Head Brewer says you need to sell an 18 a day otherwise the beer sours in wood." quoth he gruffly. "Why not do metal nines then?". "This is a traditional brewery" says the oracle. "Our cask beer comes in wood." One of our number continued the conversation as he went out to his car, a very modest X reg Rover 75. Apart from a sideswipe about Lees, he got no further. Mr Humphrey had left the building.

We had a quiet word with the landlady after his departure. Was he really the Area Manager?  Yes. He had taken over when the last one left, to save money it seems. Now Sam's are known for their eccentricity.  It comes from the top as Mr H rules the roost. What he says, goes, odd or not. You also now know the criteria for getting cask in your local Sam's pub. Flog an eighteen a day!

He presumably wanted the microwave for re-heating" the pre-prepared meals, from the company they recently bought. They introduced standard menus and chucked out all home cooked food, though I believe in some cases, this has been moderated.

Latest Wikio Rankings Exclusively Announced

On about the third time of trying to arrange it, the very nice Wikio Blog Rating people and me have finally managed to sort out me hosting the latest blog rankings for the Wine and Beer category.

So I can reveal that the table for October is as follows:

1 Pete Brown's Blog (=) 2 Brew Dog Blog () 3 Pencil & Spoon (-1) 4 Tandleman's Beer Blog (+2) 5 Spittoon (-2) 6 Stonch's Beer Blog (-2) 7 Brew Wales (-2) 8 Woolpack Dave's beer and stuff blog (+6) 9 The Beer Nut (-2) 10 The Pub Curmudgeon (+13) 11 Bibendum Wine (-3) 12 The Bitten Bullet (+12) 13 Boak and Bailey's Beer Blog (+5) 14 Jamie goode's wine blog (-5) 15 The Wine Conversation (-5) 16 Called to the bar (-3) 17 `It's just the beer talking` ? Jeff Pickthall's Blog (-2) 18 Pubology (-6) 19 Impy Malting (-8) 20 The Good Stuff (+6) Ranking by Wikio

Naturally I am pleased that I have crept up two places to fourth, so I'll need to change my badge as soon as it is available on line.  Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, links to it and comments on it.  I'm now breathing down the neck of the leaders, but this is a fickle game, so who knows next month?  Pete Brown still leads the field - well done Pete - and a surprise entry to me at least is Brew Dog, who have shot straight in at number two.Congratulations to all my fellow bloggers that have done well this month, particularly Woolpack Dave, the Bitten Bullet and Curmudgeon, who have shot up the rankings.

Given that beers blogs occupy the vast majority of the top 20, maybe Wikio should rename the category Beer and Wine?

Ghostly Goings On

Southsea publican, Janice McCormack, plans to call in an exorcist after a ghost apparently kept topping up regular's drinks. The landlady, who runs the pub with husband Patrick, claims spirits are costing her a fortune after the beer-loving ghost continues to give away free beer. She said the poltergeist, nicknamed 'Reedy' after legendary actor and drinker Oliver Reed, has been haunting her pub, the Apsley House in Southsea, Hants, after she took over the pub a decade ago.

Umm.  Perhaps she'd be better off keeping her eye on the bar, barstaff, Patrick and her regulars methinks.

A Hour Out with Tyson

The Hare and Hounds Beer Festival at Holcombe Brook is the biggest pub beer festival in the country and despite needing two buses and a team of native bearers to get me there, I met Tyson for a review of proceedings.  I'll tell you about the beers later, but most were excellent and all served by handpump, with sparklers as God intended.

After we left the festival we went to Bury to drink some more. Two pubs later, I left slightly the worse for wear, for the 163 bus and home. Tyson was last seen striding to the Metrolink for a tram into town and a pub opening. He is made of much sterner stuff.  I fell asleep on the bus, waking with a start in the middle of nowhere. I didn't recognise a thing, so in my befuddled state jumped off at the next stop, only to discover I was on a dodgy council estate and on the right bus route after all, but nearly three miles from home. The buses are one an hour, so I walked.  Despite it being bandit country I didn't see a soul.

You have to be on blob when drinking with the Beer Hound.  Clearly I wasn't man enough for the task.

Bonkers Brown

It seems I was a little premature in my last post, saying that Broon was just repeating an old mantra. Well he was in some of it, but he proposes wider changes, though it is likely he'll be kicked out before it comes to that. The key is allowing councils to object to licences on a wholesale basis and shut whole areas down if they see fit. Hang on you say, "Don't councils decide licences in the first place?"

Indeed they do - that's why it's bonkers. The MA has the story here.

Muddled Thinking and the Anti Drink Lobby

We all know that the vast majority of drinkers drink responsibly don't we? Well more evidence to support this has come from that drink sodden place Scotland, whose Government seem to think has slipped beyond the pale, judging by their hysterical behaviour. Latest figures show that those consuming more than the Governments arbitrary figures fell by 4% for men and 3% for women. In addition, the number of offences of drunkenness recorded by police fell 10% and the number of drink-driving offences fell by 8%.

"These figures are very welcome, although they seem to fly in the face of some of the comments on alcohol and health being made by the Scottish Government," said Scottish Beer and Pub Association chief executive Patrick Browne.

Mr Browne goes on to say that the police should be using their existing powers to tackle anti social behaviour rather than seeking new ones. Isn't that what the PM was saying yesterday in his farewell speech to his party conference while at the same time giving “power to Local Authorities to ban 24-hour drinking?" He needs to wisen up; that power already exists in the current Licensing Act, put through parliament by his own government. Shouldn't he know that? If there are problem areas and pubs, shouldn't the authorities be tackling that using the powers they already have? If they aren't, why aren't they?

This muddled thinking infuriates, but I doubt if it'll make a jot of difference to the anti alcohol lobby.

Twother Anyone?

The Government is set to change the law and allow two thirds of an imperial pint to become a legal measure in the UK. The industry believes it will offer greater flexibility for serving draught beer and cider, especially those with a higher alcohol content. “There is no question of replacing the British pint, but introducing the option of a new imperial measure is good news for consumers, providing them with more choice," said Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson.

I suppose there is a logic to this as thirds are a legal measure, but I suspect this is not so much a widening of choice, but a part of the continual demonising of alcohol by pushing smaller measures overall. I don't know of anyone who has campaigned for this and I've never heard it as a topic of conversation among drinkers, or indeed the trade. Will it make a difference? Well being of the persuasion that suspects the worst, it may be that some unscrupulous sellers of beer will use this as an excuse to either sell two thirds for the current price of a pint, or will sell two thirds not at pro rata, but at a premium. I can imagine that glass manufacturers will be trying to design a glass that looks as much like a pint glass as possible. I rather doubt if it will be done by using lined glasses with the two thirds being an option. The on trade has always resisted such glasses and as the push apparently comes from the trade, who have never bothered with using thirds, you have to suspect motives, especially when the Government goes along with it.

What do you think?

It isn't known when this will happen, as it needs a change to primary legislation.

Manchester Food and Drink Festival

This annual food and drink extravaganza is currently under way. For beer fans it will culminate with the choosing of the Greater Manchester Beer of the Year at a mini beer festival which will take place in Albert Square next Friday and Saturday (9th and 10th October). It is interesting in that each brewer in Greater Manchester is invited to submit one beer that will be judged against the choice of other brewers. This means for example Marble will be up against Pictish (current champion with Alchemists Gold), Lees and others. Which beer from their portfolios will they choose? I don't know, though along with a colleague, I'll be setting up and looking after the beers and will chair one of the judging panels.

If you are in Manchester or can get there, do come along. It's a fun event with plenty of nice grub to accompany the beer and of course, you are near several good hostelries should the need arise to widen your horizons. Bonus - I'll be there.

There will also be an Oktoberfest at the same time, sponsored by Lufthansa and organised by Kro Bar, with genuine German beer, so plenty of variety.

Enterprising or Not?

I understand that Enterprise Inns were one of the biggest beneficiaries of Cask Ale week, with sales of the real stuff increasing by 10.7% for the 20 odd percent of their pubs that joined in. Good news and one that gives you hope they will see this as something to build on. Enterprise are the biggest customer of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Direct Delivery Scheme and now wants SIBA members who take part in the scheme, to undergo accreditation for the taste categorisation system Cyclops by February 2010. The accreditation is designed to help educate both staff and customers about how a beer tastes, its colour and bitterness etc.

I can see where they are coming from and clearly if it is done to educate and promote cask ale, it is a good thing, but of course there is a cost to the brewer, though SIBA will pay for 60% of it. There is a risk too that some brewers will lose out as the vast majority aren't registered yet and you do sort of wonder if this is an attempt to restrict choice, or charitably, inadvertently result in it.

Frankly I am not sure what to make of it, other than cask beer is on the up again one way or another.

Twitter

Its gone mad. It is showing loads of stuff from people I don't know, so I'm removing it for the time being.

Anyone else having problems?

Surprising Sheps - Cheap Guinness - Good Times

On Sunday our little group had a jaunt down the river to Greenwich, going down there on a boat and back on the DLR. We met at Tower Pier, so that gave me an opportunity for a swifty. O'Hanlon's Yellowhammer was surprisingly tasty, though for me it needed a bit - OK - a lot more bitterness.

In bright sunshine we hopped off our boat, passed what is left of the Cutty Sark (built in my home town) and the party immediately split up, with most of the men heading straight to the nearest pub to watch the Manchester derby. We chose the Spanish Galleon, a Shepherd Neame pub, on the simple basis that it was showing the match. Most of us drank Master Brew which was rather good and a surprise to me. Not outstanding in any way, but decently drinkable. Some of our party switched to Spitfire which was only considered "OK". The pub was well run and packed, with an equal bias for each side. A good couple of hours, except for the result, though our two Man U fans wouldn't agree.

After some sightseeing we met up again in the Greenwich Union, where most enjoyed the Meantime London Pale Ale. I personally thought it kind of died in the glass and switched to the Wheat Beer which was served with no head, in an incredibly chunky and heavy glass. This very good beer deserved much better presentation, as did the pale ale in fact. Some of us ate and the food was pronounced as excellent, so a good visit all round.

Yesterday saw our visit to the Houses of Parliament which was fascinating and concluded with drinks on the terrace of the Strangers Bar. No cask ale while Parliament is in recess, but Guinness did the trick. It really is one of the best places to drink beer in London with spectacular views over the Thames, though sadly I won't be making a habit of it. Later we walked to Zeitgeist in Lambeth, where German beer was thoroughly enjoyed at happy hour prices of £3 a pint.

Not as cheap as the subsidised Guinness (£2.20), but you can't have everything.

Good Little Boozer

I am always looking for new pubs to try in London, particularly near our flat. Yesterday, being let loose on my own, I set off to Brick Lane for my daily walk and found myself strolling into the Pride of Spitalfields, hoping to find Crouch Vale Brewer's Gold. It was on, but a few degrees too warm, which had knocked a little of the condition out, but it was still palatable enough. I sat outside watching the amazingly varied passers by in this very multi cultural area, while chatting to a Cockney Sparrow, who had also availed himself of the sunny weather for some al fresco supping. This is one of the delights of pub drinking, the casual conversation about this and that which makes you feel part of things.

Continuing along Brick Lane, I noted with pleasure that that there are still a number of little Asian caffs where you can get a cheap curry based snack or a couple of samosas. These, like their Manchester cousins, provide value and genuine home cooking. Far better than the flashy lookalikes which predominate in Brick Lane now. Passing Truman's Brewery is always a bit sad I feel. The mighty place still stands, much as it was. The registered office with its black eagle emblem is still there, but it now is full of arty farty cafes, galleries and clothes stalls. Times change.

I pressed on until I came to Cheshire Street and went along, simply because I had never done so. More clothes shops and galleries, until I happened on a little pub, the Carpenter's Arms. It looked neat and clean, so in I went. It was a typical old back street boozer, gentrified and gastro pubbed, but in a pretty good way. Original fittings and bare boards had been augmented by pot plants and candelabra, to tasteful effect. I liked it. Three handpumps dispensed two beers from Adnams, plus TT Landlord which I had and which was excellent. In addition there was draught foreign beers, with Duvel Green catching my eye and a number of bottled beers too, some interesting, but all maybe a tad expensive. I was the only customer, so had a good look round. There was a room at the back too and I noted with some surprise an etching of the Kray brothers on the wall in the bar. The barman told me the pub used to be owned by the Krays, with their mother as license holder, as they were ineligible due to their criminal records. Interesting.

I had to try the Duvel Green, given that Boak and Bailey had talked about it recently and did so for a reasonable £2.50 a half. Quite spicy from the Styrian Goldings, soft and very drinkable, but oddly vegetal in the finish, I marvelled at how the alcohol was so hidden. You wouldn't know it was nearly 7%. It was good. I'll have it again and will certainly visit the Carpenter's Arms again too.

Walking back home, I slipped into a little cafe for a couple of samosas. Gorgeous they were, but 50% dearer than Manchester. Expensive place London, but yesterday was still perfect. Sun shining, a nice new pub and a walk round my favourite East End. Marvellous!

The photo is from the Carpenter's Web Site.

A Fool to Myself

Now I am more open minded than most when it comes to JD Wetherspoon, though well aware of their limitations and faults. I kind of regard them as a distress purchase - good in certain situations. A bit like Guinness, not something you'd actively choose, but if there is nothing better, it'll do.

Last night we decided to nip along to the Liberty Bounds for their curry night as one of the few times I have had a curry there, I've quite enjoyed it, but there is a big caveat. I've always had their "thali" - a load of little sampler dishes of various curries - and though I am well aware it is microwaved, nonetheless, not too bad. First problem; they have stopped doing the thali. I also looked at the beers on the bar - an unremitting sea of brown. This is where I really got it wrong. We should have left at that point. After all the reason for going there in the first place was gone. But, fool that I am, we didn't.

I ordered the chicken jalfrezi. Poor beyond belief. It was a three or four chilli dish. Bollocks. I've had hotter cough sweets. The free drink should have been Pedigree, but luckily there was none. I chose Exe Valley XXV, mentioned here by Paul Garrard, who found it "a complex beer that keeps you guessing". No Paul, this tasted like fermented farmyard sweepings and was by a long way the worst beer I've had this year. Undrinkable rubbish. Feeling distinctly crabby by now, I took it back where it was exchanged for the second worst beer I've had this year, Goff's Tournament. Who let that out of the brewery? Determined to salvage something from the night, I orderd a Weston's Organic Cider. It had gone off. "Would I like Thatcher's Old Rosie?" "That'll be fine." No. That was off too.

We left with me in a bad temper, having had in spades the sort of experience that others frequently complain about. The only thing missing was the chavs. There isn't going to be much let up either. I picked up the JDW magazine which lists the forthcoming guest list. Brown, brown, brown, brown and fecking brown. They even boast about their darker autumnal range. What on earth is the matter with these people? Recommended by East-West Ales it seems. What's the matter with these people?

I know. It serves me right, but if Timbo had been there, he would have got a piece of my mind.

There are three really good beers on the list: Oakham Mompesson's Gold, Thornbridge Jaipur and best of all, the delicious St Austell Proper Job. The rest are a mixed bag of hopless wonders.

E's chicken tikka massalla - I know- was considered OK.

Not Greene King Bottles Out

Greene King is to close its bottling plant at its Belhaven subsidiary in Dunbar and move bottling of Belhaven beers to Bury St Edmunds. Of course they say that this will allow Belhaven to concentrate on brewing and that the brewery is safe.

We'll see.

Green note: tankering beer from Dunbar to Bury St Edmunds and bringing bottled beer and empty tankers back. Not green at all.

Drunkards Protection Law

As the Oktoberfest approaches (two days hence) the German courts have stepped in to protect those who have had one too many and cross the road against red lights. (Visitors to Germany will know that most Germans are scrupulous in not crossing roads until the green man appears.)


It seems that one such drunk did so three years ago and was run down by a motor bike proceeding at legal speed. The motor cyclist sued the drunk for damages and in a court hearing came out with half the blame being apportioned to her. A Munich court ruled on Monday that she "was 50 percent responsible" for the accident at the festival, which attracts millions of revellers every year. "During the Octoberfest it is well known that a large number of drunk people are on the streets at night, who can not always be trusted to observe the rules of the road," the court said. "The motorcyclist should have adjusted her speed to be able to avoid these people."

The woman was ordered to pay half the damages, estimated at €2,500, and her bid for €1,000 compensation for minor injuries sustained in the accident was refused. The man she hit - who was fighting her demand for damages in court - was held responsible for the other half of the money because he was crossing the street illegally.

Commenters on this story were split on the outcome, but most, presumably putting themselves in the drunk's shoes, backed the drunk. It seems like here, you must expect the unexpected when driving and drunks are, oddly enough, to be expected at Oktoberfest.

The 'drunkards protection law' is usually referred to as the Strassen Verkehrs Ordnung, which protects all road users be they drunk or otherwise and requires of everyone that they take reasonable care to avoid causing accidents.

I am grateful to thelocal.de for the story.

Hops

I'm a big fan in case you didn't know and the good news is that the hop harvest estimates this year show that shortages are unlikely. The UK shows an estimated 4.2% drop and the overall world crop will reduce by about 4.6%; not enough to cause problems overall it seems.

Looking over the figures and drooling over the various types is a joy to me, but there are a few surprises. Hands up those that know which hop is most grown in the USA? Or what hop is the rising star? Or the German hop that is their number one? It won't be what you think. Can you name the 13 main varieties grown in the UK? " Why would you want to?"I hear you say.

Now if I was Ron P, I'd offer a prize for this, but as I'm not, I won't. I might just tell you though.

I should add, unlike Ron's competitions, you can look all this up on t' interweb. Ron could be making all his stuff up you know.

Mixed News from Germany

German beer sales plummeted to a new record low in the first six months of this year according to the Federal Statistics Office. Sales over the corresponding period last year were down 4.5% - a worrying 230 million litres. Poor weather, supermarket prices and the smoking restrictions are cited as possible reasons; where have we heard this before?

One silver lining is that sales of beer-mix drinks (and the Germans have some disgusting mixtures) fell even further, by 7.4%.

The Germans like to mix their beers with cola, lemonade and even fruit juices. Alt bier with cola is called "diesel". I haven't tried it.

Williams Brothers

For those of us that grew up in Scotland, the name Alloa is synonymous with brewing. Youngers, Maclays and of course the biggest of them all when I was a lad, Ind Coope, brewing in the former Arrol's Brewery, famous or infamous for Skol Lager and whose Diamond Heavy was an erstwhile favourite of mine. Now of course it is all gone and only one brewery remains, or rather, has emerged; William Brothers known hitherto mainly for its Fraoch Heather Ale.

They kindly sent me some of their beers to sample and finally I got round to trying two. First up after mowing my grass - I wouldn't call it a lawn - was their lager, Ceilidh (4.7%) which seemed a reasonable place to start. Dull gold in colour with a lasting white head this beer had a Southern German Helles nose, but there the similarity ended. Lemony/lime citrus and spiciness are the dominant flavours, though I didn't get the sesame referred to by the Bitten Bullet. Lemon is foremost through to a dry, citrus finish with just a touch of grassiness and a slight aromatic hint of hops. The malt base underpinning all this could be firmer, but this is a decent enough beer, though not one I'd rush to buy. Not all the Tandleman household agreed. E tried it and summed it up pithily as "horrible." A bit harsh I'd say.

A different kettle of fish is the same brewery's five percent IPA. They set out to achieve a beer for the novice and hophead alike, which is a tricky one. Well I liked it. Big, booming alpha hops give it a grapefruit nose and a resiny, quenching flavour throughout to a dry, bitter, lasting, resinous, hoppy finish. I couldn't detect the tell tale blackberry (or should I say bramble?) flavours from the Bramling Cross hops and I'm glad of that. Instead Amarillo dominated, which is just fine by this writer. The grain bill is lager malt with some wheat and that worked well too. This was a beer of some poise and I'd certainly buy it again. Oddly it refreshed far better than the lager.

Lawnmower beer? I should say so.

E loved this one too.

Phoenix Arizona

My cultural day on Saturday did eventually turn into a bit of a booze up, but not before admiring the various attractions of Rochdale Parish Church, with its defaced (literally) figures, vandalised by scandalised Cromwellians as "false idols" during the English Civil War and of course the extract from the parish register of the birth of one Gracie Fields.

The Pioneers Museum was a touching and humbling tribute to the far sightedness of the founders of the Co-op movement who were appalled by the way the poor were cheated by suppliers of adulterated and short measure food and were determined to do something about it. The displays were interesting and the young curator informative. I made a mental note to do more of my shopping in the Co-op from now on, remembering as a child, going to buy things for my Mum and always of course, quoting our "divvy" number. Anyone of my generation will remember theirs as I do ours I'll bet.

But man does not live by culture (or indeed nostalgia) alone, so we slipped next door into the Baum, the only other building still standing on Toad Lane. There are now six handpumps, but my eye was immediately caught by Phoenix Arizona, particularly as Simon the owner mentioned it was a new cask. This pale, straw coloured beer was clear as a bell and was cask ale on top form. We all savoured its divine bitter hoppiness and full malt base. So much so that we stuck with it for the next couple of hours, before a quick visit to the Regal Moon where a number of top form hoppy Elland Brewery beers sent us home rejoicing.

There are those who are calling for pale "summer" beers to be replaced as autumn approaches with mellower, fruitier beers. Replace Phoenix and Elland? Ignore such siren calls. Beers like these are always in demand.

The photo is the beer garden in the Baum. Not bad eh?

Cultural(e)

This weekend and next sees buildings that are not normally open or fully open to the public being available for visiting. My chums at the THT are a cultural lot who also like a bevvy. A good mix. So today we are touring the 800 year old Rochdale Parish Church and then the Pioneers Museum, which commemorates the birth of the Co-operative movement in Rochdale in 1844.

Now the Co-op Museum just happens to be next door to the splendid Baum, my CAMRA Branch's Pub of The Year, so we'll be in to check quality.

It's a gorgeous day here and there is a beer garden. Sounds like a good day out to me.

Next week we are all off to London for a few days. Pub suggestions welcome. They've already sorted out culture.

Jumping!

I mentioned here about one of our better pubs not doing so well. As E had a work appointment in Manchester and was therefore at home earlier, we found ourselves walking up there again. We got there about seven and the pub was quite busy. When we left around a quarter to ten it was very busy indeed, with a celebration of some sort going on in the function room and the bar packed with ordinary drinkers. The smokers outside seemed to be plentiful too, a beautiful evening making up for their banishment outside. But let's not dwell on that.

Ironically the aforementioned landlady had a night off, but no doubt she enjoyed counting the takings later.

Holt's Nine

Ten years ago Holt's Brewery did some special stuff for their chosen charity. I remember paying a fiver to visit the brewery - by and large they don't do tours - and recall visiting the roof where hundreds of hogsheads (54 gallons) were stored. Our CAMRA lot, well some of them, visited nine Holt's pubs on 9/9/99.

Our Membership Sec recreated this yesterday on 09/09/09 and while due to other things I couldn't go on the whole crawl, I joined them for a quick burst of three pubs, two of which I hadn't been in before. The beer was good in all three and I tried both mild and bitter. It was great to see pubs busy at "tea time" and mild flying out across the bar. I haven't drunk Holt's for a little while now, but that'll be rectified. The mild at 3.2% is fairly bitter, but what a good drink. I can't recall the price, but both mild and bitter were substantially under £2 a pint.

For the record, the pubs were:

The Welcome, Whitefield; The Foresters, Prestwich; The White Horse, Prestwich.


The photos were taken last night. The poster just tickled me and was a Fire Brigade warning. Likewise the name of the pub above, still tricked out in Wilson's regalia, amused me too.

Oh Dear!

E has just phoned from London. She is unwell and though she reckons it it just a cold, she's been looking up swine flu symptoms on NHS Direct, so she must be worried. I hope she is right and that it is just a cold, but as she is due back here tomorrow night, I'm turning the spare room into an isolation ward, just in case.

And ordering a bell for her to wear round her neck.

Sing Something Simple

In Hirschaid, a dead and alive little town near Forchheim in Franconia is Brauerei Kraus. It has a good reputation and a decent sized beer garden. We located it easily enough and walked in past the pub itself and into the pleasant, tree shaded beer garden which doubled as the brewery yard. The brewery, a traditional tower affair, looked a good size.

Ordering from the hatch, I had an excellent kellerbier, while E started off on the pils which she liked. The place was busy at two in the afternoon with a good mixture of types. Suddenly singing started. From one corner, a group of old men, conducted by another old man, burst into song. These were traditional folk songs and were sung with obvious enjoyment, while being warmly appreciated by the audience. We all clapped at the break, while the old guys refreshed themselves with bier and schnapps. The final piece was recognisable as our National Anthem though obviously with different words. This confused some US Army civilians who clearly thought it was an American tune. It confused us for a moment too.

We supped our beers and enjoyed the simple pleasures of beer and bonhomie and joined in the well deserved round of applause when it all finished. Germany is full of surprises.