You can forget all your fancy continental lagers, your carefully brewed to exacting spec rheinheitsgebot German pilsners and helles, put the leading UK lager Carling firmly back in its can and reach for the best. That is if you live in Greater Manchester. So what is this wonderful specimen of the brewer's art? Why none other than Holt's Crystal Lager.Yes Joey's finest fizz beat off strong challenges from all over the world to take the gold gong in the international keg lager 2.9 to 4.7 abv category at the prestigious Brewing Industry International Awards. Holt's Chief Executive Richard Kershaw said (cuttingly) "Our Crystal lager won over the judges in a blind tasting and beat off competition from beers around the world, including Carling, Fosters and Carlsberg. The gold medal proves that taste and quality are more important than brand advertising.
So there you have it. The world's best lout. Official. Mind you, you'll have to find a Joey Holt's pub to sup it in.
Sorry about the shitty photo, but that's Holt's for you.
16 comments:
Is that the 5% one or is that Diamond? Weak branding you see, even a lager lout is confused which is which. For British regional brewery lout, Sam Smiths Pure Brewed is decent enough.
I find the 5% one okay in Holts pubs and as good as any national brand, the 4% one is drinkable but not up to my discerning palate. Usually a bit cheaper but Holts aren't the bargain they once were. I quite like Holt's Bitter too though the pubs tend to be old man pubs. Not beardie, just full of coffin dodgers or amiable old codgers to be polite.
Do they put the lout in cans and sell it for buttons?
Finding a Holt's pub round my neck of the woods really shouldn't be a problem. I'll make a point of giving this one a go next time we have a blast of decent sunshine to go with it.
It's the weaker one Cookie. And I've changed the title. Thought I might get a few more hits that way.
Have you had it? Is it any good?
I don't trust anything with the words "Extra Cold" emblazoned on it.
"Beat off competition from beers around the world, including Carling, Fosters and Carlsberg".
Not saying much, is it, but well done Holts anyway. I like the fact that the big boys aren't even any good at what is supposed to be their domain in the beer world.
"You'll have to find a Joey Holt's pub": I don't mind Holts pubs. We have two in Southport now.
Agree with you Rednev. I could submit my own piss and it'd beat that unholy trinity hands down.
Guys - I think you may have missed the word 'cuttingly'...
A very dry use of irony was alive and well in that quote.
THG: the word 'cuttingly' is not part of the quote.
Indeed RedNev. Indeed.
Dave Porter won't be impressed! He's got a lager and a pilsner on at Automatic in Bury.
RedNev - Indeed not, as was made very obvious by Tandleman's very clear post construction. My point was, by employing the word 'cuttingly', the post itself was hinting that the gentleman being quoted - by choosing to list those other brands, was already fully aware that the victory was "not saying much" as you put it.
In his acceptance speech, he was taking a subtle, light hearted dig for precisely the reasons you later suggested.
The guy's remark was cutting, and it deftly exposed the dangers of putting too much emphasis on this victory.
Personally, I think triumphs like this should be celebrated, regardless. A poor set of competing beers doesn't mean this brew wouldn't have won anyway - even in the presence of greater competition.
Well done Holts!
I reckon I'd better think twice before attempting to defend the integrity of another guy's posting in future...
The Bronze medal winner in the same category was yet another Manchester Brewery Hydes, with the Inventively named Kaltlager
Okay, THG, fair point, but when I wrote 'well done' to Holts, I wasn't being sarcastic. I see TCG says that Hydes came third, so that's another in the eye for the big boys.
They're useless at ale (when they bother to try it at all), and now it seems they're useless at lager. The turkey twizzlers of brewing.
RedNev -
Absolutely! They could hardly be better summed up.
Useless at ale, lager, and the rest.
It's just sales that they're good at, and perhaps that's the most frightening aspect of it all...
Cheers.
No word here of peroni... ???? Bet you don't know who this is!!
Bet I do!
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