Defining Craft Beer – The Challenge

Posted: 27th January 2012 by admin in Pub Paper, Writing
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We have now started to put the CAMRA vs Craft Keg issue into a short period of hibernation, although it will wake up rather quickly in an angry mood once the results of the working group reach members and the interested general public in a few months time.  It’s time for some peace and harmony in the world of beer.

But this is the real world, and when one fight is put to bed, there are a whole queue of the them just waiting for resolution, and the one which reared its’ head this week is “what can be defined as a craft beer or brewer”.  This is even more subjective that the previous topic.

There are several schools of thought about who can be defined as a craft brewer and what metrics define this area of brewing.  The most obvious start is size, once a brewer reaches a certain size, there is a perceived step into the world of the mainstream brewing, so brewers like Hardknott, Magic Rock, Summer Wine, Little Valley, Bridestones, Halifax Steam, Bare Arts and Brass Monkey would all qualify on this basis.  Brewers the size of Saltaire and Black Sheep would definitely fail this test, while regionals like Ossett would fall into the same category as their larger brothers of being a “good real ale brewery”.

However this test is not watertight, when Brewdog, one of the big names of the craft beer revolution, open their new £6.5 million production facilites in the near future, the production levels could technically push them out of this bracket, but their attitude to the diversity of the beers produced and how they promote their product will keep them firmly as a craft brewer in most peoples eyes.  In the USA, craft beer brewers keep that title despite their production levels rivalling those of some of the smaller mainstream producers, it is the ethos of the brewer that is the defining attribute.

“Craft Brewers” are perceived by some to have a certain attitude, creating more extreme beers, mixing styles and flavours in the face of convention, and cultivating a reputation of being Craft Brewer actively.   However only some craft brewers act in such a way,  Brewdog, Magic Rock, Summer Wine and Hardknott could fall into this definition quite easily.  They are well know as being some of the places to go if you want beers with a high IBU (measure of hop content), a high number of constituent hop and malt varieties or simply a beer with very rich flavours not found in mainstream beer.

Some of the other brewers I have listed, mainly based in Calderdale, all work to produce good beers which are that little bit different, as well as having some more mainstream offerings for the market, but this would fail the “attitude” test if rigorously enforced, so again we have a metric which cannot be reliably enforced.   However we have third test I will present in this article and that is “the brewer” as an public entity in his own right.

Many of the bigger names in the current UK craft brewing scene have the distinction of being directly in contact with their public, not via company press releases, but using social networking tools such as twitter and facebook.  Brewdog James, the owner as well as Martin the brewer uses the site, Hardknott Dave is well known in the twittersphere and Summer Wine James are all known to fans of the beer.  Faces are put to the beers, both praise and compliments become a personal affair when using the 140 characters the twitter platform allows.   But we cannot discount the many other breweries from being “craft” because they do not embrace the digital medium to such an extent.

One thing a craft brewer is not defined by is the choice of brewing vessel, that is irrelevant.   From what I see, deciding who is “craft” by marking them against various criteria is not going to work.  It is a combination of all of the above arguments, the personal opinion of each person, and 101 other factors which decide this.   If we did this as a box ticking exercise, then all the local Calderdale brewers mentioned, excepting Halifax Steam at the Cock of the North possibly would fall short of the qualifying line, which is fundamentally wrong.  I haven’t even discussed the criteria of “availability of product” which could easily include those local brewers due to the relatively limited number of outlets in both bottled and cask / keg form.

Defining the term “Craft” is going to be like trying to catch water with a sieve, as soon as it is defined, that definition will be challenged which itself will also be challenged ad infinitum (or until the next big topic comes along)

Pubpaper 641 – Good Pub, Bad Pub, Unexciting Beer

Posted: 22nd January 2012 by admin in Pub Paper, Writing
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Last week I mentioned the two questions posed by one of my fellow bloggers boakandbailey, which, to recap were 1) In a strange pub with well kept mainstream cask ales, but a distinctive range of keg beers, which would you choose and  2) In the same circumstances, if there were mainstream keg beers, but an interesting cask selection what would your choice be.

However last friday, a twist on this scenario occurred on a visit to a chain pub near Brighouse.  On ordering a pint of Black Sheep Special Bitter, I knew it wasn’t quite right, the slight hint of vinegar was creeping into the taste and it was frankly unpleasant.    The barman could find no issue with it personally, but having had the bottled variety only the night before, I knew it was off.  The only other ale was Marstons EPA, but that was unavailable.The other selection of beers were generic lagers or John Smiths Smooth.

The only choice I really had to consider was Guinness, a decent enough pint, but having recently having tried quite a few interesting stouts and porters as part of a conscious effort to get into that style of beer, I knew this would be a relatively uninteresting beer.

Normally in a situation where I was not driving I would have a second beer while my wife finishes her bottle of Magners. The first pint of Guinness passed my lips and had left no sign of its presence apart from the empty glass, no lingering aftertaste or flavours of note.  This is a rarity for me, I drink beers for just these elements, and it left me unsatisfied.  Just the night before I had drank an excellent Fullers Bengal Lancer or two, and liked the variety of flavours at the start, middle and end of each sip.  Was I willing to have another pint of no satisfaction from Dublin?

The answer was No, and instead took to my second love in drinks, good coffee, in this case decent filter coffee, but still far more interesting than the pint of Guinness would have been  If they had stocked Becks Vier, that would have become the second pint, as it is a beer I enjoy as I do most Becks products including their non alcoholic Blue for when I am not drinking, but still want that “beer” taste.  The same applies if they had stocked a continental beer.

I estimate I drink probably 100-150 different beers a year, and most rate half decent or better.  The pubs I visit generally will have a beer I haven’t tried before, and this contributes to the number.  Before, I would have settled for the John Smiths or Guinness just because its the beer that is on, but it is obvious to me that this has changed, I no longer drink beer for drinking beers sake, but drink for finding good beers which excite my pallet or give me satisfaction in their consumption.

There are obvious exceptions to this, when in company, at functions or dining at a restaurant with friends and especially when visiting a persons house when such an attitude would be considered rude and anti social, but here I am discussing day to day pub visits.  If I lived in an area where the pubs and supermarkets did not offer such a variety of beer flavours across their ranges, my opinion would be different, but I do not, and Calderdale spoils us in regard to this, as do most areas of the three Yorkshire Ridings and south towards Sheffield.

My experience at that chain pub was the total opposite to that at The Works in Sowerby Bridge the following day where it was more which beer do I choose, and in the end, both the Works Wonder and Nick Hambletons Nightmare Stout hit the spot nicely, but in different ways, Works Wonder was a nicely balanced beer which would make my “session” list any day.  However the Nightmare stout was the best I have had since consciously moving into that genre of beer.  It is described as an “extra stout porter” and had a lot of warm flavours adding up to a wonderful mix, with what I think was a lovely “almondy” aroma, but don’t quote me on that.

You may notice in my writing, that I don’t go detailed descriptions of beer flavours and smells.  That is because I am rubbish at it, and why all you get is a summary of my experience with the pint in general terms. There are plenty of people out there who publish beer reviews, on and offline, who can do a far better job of it that I ever can, and I am happy to leave it to them, you can find them at CAMRGB and many other places.

Pubpaper 640 – CAMRA consults over Keg Beer and reaching a balance

Posted: 16th January 2012 by admin in Pub Paper, Uncategorized, Writing
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There has been much written both in the blogosphere among beer writers and in this paper by myself and the editor regarding CAMRA’s attitude to keg beer.  Their view on the subject is generally considered to be both unhealthy to the beer trade generally and being too inclusive given the craft keg beer revolution which is taking place in the country at the moment.  The need for CAMRA to protect cask beer has now passed and its role is more a promotional one.  Cask beer and real ale is no longer a niche product, but rapidly pushing towards being accepted in larger volumes in mainstream beer outlets, both on pump and when bottled.

Which is why it is good news that the organisation is setting up a working party who will report to its national executive to explore this area of brewing and to plot the road ahead within CAMRA in relation to it.   I said in my pieces in Autumn last year that CAMRA was at risk of being superseded by a new organisation in the long term if it did not keep up with the trends in cask and craft brewing, or at least discuss them and have an official policy regarding them, so members knew where the organisation stood.

The policy, up to now, of ignoring them as long as possible and then criticising those who promote the products on a personal basis through the online medium, as their chairman did, was not a long term strategy.  Craft keg was starting to bang at CAMRA’s door and the knocks were getting louder all the time.  Brewdogjammed their foot in the open door at last years Great British Beer Festival before being rebuffed at the last minute.  Craft keg could no longer be invisible enemy.

While the companies making this product are still small in relation to their cask cousins, their size, influence and number are growing all the time.  Brewdog has just raised over £2.2 million in a private equity issue and other brewers such as Camden, Hardknott, Magic Rock, Thornbridge, Kernel and Summer Wine Breweryare on an upwards trajectory with some distinctive high quality beers.  Don’t confuse this with me saying that cask beer is inferior, both are equally good, but different products.  Some of the best beers I have tasted are cask, it still makes up the majority of the beer I drink and probably always will.

However my favourite breweries at the moment are keg brewers, namely Brewdog and Summer Wine (from Honley near Holmfirth).  Brewdog consistently deliver the hit that the hophead in me loves in a beer with the majority of their products, and Summer Wine do some different, interesting and excellent beers such as Diablo and their Espresso Stout.

You know the topic is hot when established cask brewers like Saltaire dedicate half a page of what is essentially a publicity pamphlet to the subject and come to the conclusion that if it is good beer then the storage vessel is not an issue.   The correct opinion from my point of view.  Good beer is good beer, same as poor beer is simply poor beer.

One of my favourite blogs in the beer arena, boakandbailey summed this up perfectly,  in a strange pub with well kept mainstream cask ales, but a distinctive range of keg beers, which would you choose.  They then ask the same question, if there were mainstream keg beers, but an interesting cask selection what would your choice be.  I had the same answers as them, the interesting beers, be they cask or keg.

There is a campaign recently launched online simply titled the “Campaign for Really Good Beer”, a name which hits the spot when describing exactly about what our attitudes should be.  I will still continue to bang the drum for the new keg brewers where they deserve it, as I will with any beer, regardless of container, that I am a fan of.  All I am is acting as a signpost at the end of the day, same as anybody who recommends anything.  Some people may consider it a wrong turn, others a nice diversion on their journey.

To finish this week, I will put up some of those signs.  I’ve been making an effort to venture into the world of stout more over the last few weeks, and have found some lovely examples. Both bottled, William Bros “March of the Penguins” hit the spot over the weekend, as did the Marble “Chocolate Marble” Stout I purchased from Bramsche Bar in Todmorden after a very pleasant afternoon sampling good ales and tasty bottles, including current favourite Brewdog.  The town is a place I hope to explore further soon, as there are a couple of pubs which seem to be embracing the ale in its centre which seem worthy of investigation.

Pubpaper 639 – A local case study into the pub scene – Hebden Bridge

Posted: 10th January 2012 by admin in Pub Paper, Writing
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Last week I looked briefly back at 2011, and concluded that it had not been a bad year locally regarding the pub scene in Calderdale considering the economic climate, especially in the real ale sector of the local industry, but also for local pubs, of which I observed a number of re-openings this year, especially in the Calder Valley, after some large losses in the area in the previous couple of years.

However we cannot relax and keep looking back at the previous year when 2012 will offer fresh challenges. This year is when there will be real bites into the economy overall, a large number of public sector workers (the council is one of Calderdales major employers along with HBOS) will be cut over the next couple of years as part of the coalitions plans and extra taxes will cut into the average persons disposable income.

Different pubs are experiencing very different trading conditions already, and this is drawing from just one afternoon in one small town in the the Calder Valley, Hedben Bridge. For those who don’t know the town, it is a tourist town which nestles in a valley between 3 hills, surrounded by beautiful countryside and moors, and is so famous for its alternative lifestyle that the phrase “on the bus to hebden bridge” is a listed euphemism for being a lesbian. The town is full of independent shops and has a famous arts festival each year.

Already I have to update my comments from last week regarding the towns pubs, passing the Hole in the Wall in Hebden Bridge last Sunday, the place was nearly empty, most of the ale pumps were not on stream, and the place looked a lot more run down since I last visited. I have heard rumours that change of ownership had not done trade any good and sadly this seems to be true, which is a pity for what was a very good ale and cider pub not long ago.

On the upside I’m glad to say that the Shoulder of Mutton is shaping up to be good pub under the “ownership” of Eddie “Red Rooster” Geater, 4 ale pumps on (out of 5) when I visited, with what appeared to be 3 solid regular and 1 guest ale. The selection included Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Black Sheep Best Bitter, with Slighty Foxed as a guest ale. Having tried the guest beer, the ale seems to be kept in a good condition and the staff seem friendly and well trained. A steady stream of customers seemed to agree with me.

The other change in the town is that the White Lion has been refurbished and has now gone slightly more upmarket, seeming to attract plenty of customers. The main reason I visited the Shoulder of Mutton was that there was very little room in the Lion, but am glad I did, although it will be interesting to see what the food is like and what has changed regarding its previously solid if not spectacular beer selection at the White Lion.

For a long time before I started to take real ale seriously and still drank what you may call the mainstream ales such as Black Sheep, the Castle Eden beer they had as a house beer was probably my favourite brew, so my personal links with the White Lion go back over 10 years (having lived in the area for 14 years), and I admit I have a soft spot for the place still, despite it not being a prime location for my choice of drinks any more.

Hebden Bridge is “the” tourist town in the area, and the main location for outsiders to visit within our boundaries and it has always had a good roster of pubs to visit considering its compact size. Add to the pubs above the White Swan, Railway Inn and the Moyles, as well as the Fox and Goose and Stubbing Wharf on its outskirts and you have a good balance between dining, real ale and regular pubs.

However when people have less disposable income it is the “trips” which get cut first, and the destinations like this town lose out first, like any tourist destination whether it be a theme park, seaside resort or entertainment complex. Visits to the local and “popping into town for pint” survive the cuts longer, but are not immune still, many local landlords will attest to that.

I don’t profess to be an expert on the pub trade, but what I do see is the successful pubs having a unique selling point, whether it be the locals loyalty, real ale, food or entertainment. There are still a lot of pubs just about trading, as in most areas of the country and these are the ones which are most at risk of any spending cuts from consumers.

Pubpaper 638 – The xmas excess and looking back at 2011.

Posted: 4th January 2012 by admin in Pub Paper, Writing
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Note : For those you read my previous post, certain sections have been recycled from that article.

I’m writing this in the lull between Christmas and New Year where at this stage, if you are like me, despite appreciating their beer and cider, have got to the stage of being thoroughly sick of alcohol generally.  Most of us still have stocks in the fridge or cupboard to run down, and there is still the turn of the year to see out.  Despite almost constant drinking from Christmas Eve through to the following Wednesday, I managed by some miracle to avoid a hangover, but my liver now feels like its been out on a weekend session with Oliver Reed during one of his bad weeks. Come 2012, more than a few of us will be giving up beer for the month and trying to undo the excess that the Christmas period wreaked upon our bodies.

When I was younger New Years Eve was a big thing, but I haven’t really bothered with it since the dead duck that was the Millennium festivities in Halifax at the end of 1999.  At most, since that time it has been a visit to the local pub to see in next year. Having children does have a bearing on this, but it is as much apathy towards the event which is the primary contributor.  New Years Eve is as much about the people you are with as about the place you are at. There has been a trend over the last decade and especially since the recession started in 2007 to have parties at home or a friends house.

New Years Eve used to be an excuse for clubs especially and some greedy pubs to charge over the top money at the door and bar throughout the evening, however this aspect of the evening has pretty much disappeared in the current financial climate with any customer income being welcome. However it should be noted that even back then, the good pubs and most locals generally tried to cover their extra staffing costs for extended hours and enhanced staff salaries only regarding the door charge and generally added some value to the evening for the entrance fee, usually via entertainment or food.

In fact many “big dates” for pubs and clubs seem to be waining in their popularity, in Halifax town centre there were 2 dates in particular that are well know in the town, “Mad Thursday” – the Thursday preceeding the Easter bank holiday and “Mad Friday” – the last Friday before xmas.   I remember most pubs were absolutely rammed on these days in the early to mid 2000s when I did these evenings myself, and the queues to get into the clubs got ridiculous, however talking to people who still go down to town on these days, the pubs can cope relatively easily and the clubs are not anywhere as busy as before.   This decline is systemic of the general downturn in the last 5 years.

At this time of year it is traditional to look back at the previous year and when looking back at 2011, it has generally been a good one for Calderdale pubs.

This year was when Halifax finally caught up with its smaller neighbouring towns and could finally be called a destination again for real ale drinkers.  The traditional haunts of the Three Pigeons and Pump Room were joined by the Ring O’Bells in late 2010, with Dirty Dicks and Lewins opening this year to give a real ale presence in the town centre again.  Along with Stuart, who edits me at Pubpaper, we created a Halifax Real Ale Mile this year, taking in 5 pubs skirting the bottom of the town centre towards the Shay stadium, all stops en route being ale pubs at their heart.  It is the first time in over 5 years such a link up has been possible location wise.

The situation in Hebden Bridge is pretty much identical to last year pub wise, the Inn on the Bridge has now closed, although this was no real loss from a real ale front, but all the main players on the ale scene are still as they were a year ago.

The rapid growth in new ale pubs in Sowerby Bridge has now settled down, with a couple of existing pubs on the main street becoming more ale focused being the peak of activity, not forgetting the relaunch of the Roxy club, with a small selection of real ales. The Puzzle Hall Inn coming back into regular service (although this started in 2010) is never a bad thing and is back into the live music scene with a bang now.

Hipperholme is very much as it was, but with 2 excellent ale houses in Travellers Inn and Cock of the North, while the same can be said about Brighouses’ ale scene with the Red Rooster and Ship Inn. Elland has also maintained its status quo, with the only major change being the change of ownership and refurbishment of the Barge and Barrel.

And on that note, I hope you have a fantastic 2012.

Review of the Year – The Pub Scene in Calderdale

Posted: 22nd December 2011 by admin in Writing
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Looking back over 2011, its been a good year in the real and craft ale scene at all levels, local, regional and national.  Nationally the craft and real ale scene has bucked the general downturn in beer sales over the last couple of years and new breweries are still being created and existing ones expanding at a healthy rate across the UK.  The product has been recognised more commercially now, with supermarket chains generally having a good range of ales and beers that are not from the mainstream brands, and the product getting good coverage in the national quality press.  This is the first year I can remember when beer and food matching articles are appearing in more than one of the broadsheets.

Locally in Calderdale, this year was when Halifax finally caught up with its smaller neighbouring towns and could finally be called a destination again for real ale drinkers.  The traditional haunts of the Three Pigeons and Pump Room were joined by the Ring O’Bells in late 2010, with Dirty Dicks and Lewins opening this year to give a real ale presence in the town centre again.  All these pubs have at least 5 pumps, and 3 guests at any time, my threshold for what is an “ale” pub.

Along with Stuart, who edits me at Pubpaper, I created a Halifax Real Ale Mile this year, taking in 5 pubs skirting the bottom of the town centre, all ale pubs at their heart.  It is the first time in over 5 years such a link up has been possible location wise, with the demise of the Royal Oak (now Dirty Dicks) and Ring O’Bells over that same period.

These were re-opened by a couple of very good landlords, one highly experienced with several pubs in his empire in case of Sean at Dirty Dicks and one relatively inexperienced, with a background from the chain pub arena, David at the Ring O’Bells taking on his first licensed premises.  Both have created good pubs to visit and drink at, always with a good selection of beers and they deserve the success they are getting,

An honourary mention goes to the relief manager at Lewins, who’s name has escaped me.  He has turned a standard pub into a very good ale and pie house, with an interesting selection of beers whenever I have visited.  The pub is cosy and welcoming, even to my 2 year old daughter.  His 39th pub shows the experience of the previous 38, and his knowledge of beer is as good as most people I have met.

The situation in Hebden Bridge is pretty much identical to last year pub wise, the Inn on the Bridge has now closed, although this was no real loss from a real ale front, but all the main players on the ale scene as still as they were a year ago.

The rapid growth in new ale pubs in Sowerby Bridge has now settled down, with a couple of existing pubs on the main street becoming more ale focused being the peak of activity, not forgetting the relaunch of the Roxy club, with a small selection of real ales. The Puzzle Hall Inn coming back into regular service (although this started in 2010) is never a bad thing and is back into the live music scene with a bang now.

Hipperholme is very much as it was, but with 2 excellent ale houses in Travellers Inn and Cock of the North, while the same can be said about Brighouses ale scene with the Red Rooster and Ship Inn.  Overall a good year for the area, with consolidation in most areas and growth in its biggest town, not bad in times of recession.

 

Caldercask – Winter 2011 – State of Play at CAMRA

Posted: 20th December 2011 by admin in Caldercask, Writing
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This article is a re-edit of two previous articles I wrote for Pubpaper, but targeted at CAMRA members.  You can find the original articles here and here.  The PDF of the published magazine can be found here

The world of real ale is reaching the crossroads.  We have travelled far enough up the road that we are no longer a niche product for old men with beards and is accepted as a regular drink of choice across all sectors of the population, young, old, male, female.  We are gaining market share and sales in a declining sector and being added to more pubs beer selection on a daily basis.  It is now accepted that a pub worth its salt should have at least one good real ale on tap, with many “non ale house” pubs now having two or three such beers.  The level for being called a “ale house” is generally considered to be 4 or 5 pumps minimum.

But were do we go from here, do we stick to the traditional view of real ale which CAMRA takes, cask conditioned and no added carbon dioxide, or do we move forward to an age of “Cask and Craft Ale”.  Do we need a CAMRA or a CAMRCA (Campaign for Real and Craft Ale) going forward.  CAMRA has done a great job over the last four decades to get the product where it is today, but may need to re-appraise their position as a campaigning body.

The American Craft Ale scene is thriving on a town, county, state and national level because they embrace all different kinds of beer.  All that is matters is that the beer is distinctive, well brewed, tastes good and does not come from a mainstream brewer.  They care not what vessel the beer was produced or that it does or does not contain certain ingredients, excepting the obligatory malt, hops and water, as long as all those ingredients are natural.

In a time when the big trade bodies (CAMRA, SIBA and Cask Marque) are joining forces both via sponsorship and joint campaigns, should there be a perceived “lock out” of certain styles of beer just because it doesn’t fit into the existing definition of  ’Real Ale’.  Keg beer is no longer the domain of “Watneys Red Barrel” and bland lagers, but also includes many quality interesting ales brewed in the UK which have had success in this country and world beer markets both critically and commercially.

There is a tipping point for any organisation where reaches a certain plateau and its actions and words are judged the national stage.  CAMRA has reached this level in the authors opinion.  Its’ “Cask Report” is now a well respected publication both inside and outside of the trade and its’ press releases reach the national press on a regular basis.  However some of its words and actions over the last 6 months has possibly took the shine off its reputation.

The spat with Brewdog over payment / packaging sizes / keg brewed beer at the Great British Beer Festival was a fight with the wrong brewer who courted the publicity for their own good and extracted the maximum value from it, getting far more press than having a handful of beers at the festival ever would.  The CAMRA chairman could also step back on occasions and think about how his views are presented to the public.

There needs to be some change within the body to reflect the modern face of real ale in all its guises. Young blood keeps an organisation on its toes. CAMRA cannot afford to rest on its heels.  I want CAMRA to survive and thrive, so the good work so far can be continued, but like a marriage they need to work at it.

We now need to discuss how we take real and craft ales into the next 40 years.  What is for certain is that we will need our big “brand name” real ale producers such as Copper Dragon, Thwaites and Black Sheep to keep producing good solid ales and retain their position as being the “gateway” drink that gets people to step into the world of ale from the realm of the mainstream.  This is due to the fact that these are some of the most common breweries you find where there is only one ale pump.  Once we get people to try the more common real ales, they they will be more inclined to try different varieties and styles of beer.

The real and craft ale (from this point onward refered to simply as ale) industry currently has a 3 tier structure, the top level comprised of the major “brand name” ale producers, such as those named above.  The next being those who are large scale producers, but not household names to those who have not dipped their toes in the real ale pool, examples being Brewdog, Abbeydale, Salamander, Acorn and Castle Rock.  The last tier are those smaller breweries who operate from every corner of the country, producing smaller runs of beer on a regular basis and servicing a local / regional area or specialist market, such has Halifax Steam, Brass Monkey or Elland in my local vicinity of Calderdale.

This model is one which will serve the trade well going into the future, companies from the small company tier will move into the large scale arena, as will companies move from that to being a “brand name”.  However, the next step will be one of our existing “brand names” breaking the glass ceiling and becoming a company with the public profile of a company such as Greene King, while keeping its brewing heritage and distinctive beers, sadly something Greene King has not in the authors opinion.   This needs to be done organically and not by being purchased by one of the brewing giants and becoming just another brand in their portfolio.  The purchase of Sharps in Cornwall by Molson Coors for example, sees them as an separate brewing operation currently, but 5 or 10 years down the the line, when the profile of ale is raised even higher, will they become the “real ale brand” for their owners.

If CAMRA modernise like I hope they do, then we will have a health partnership between the vast majority of breweries and the major trade body lobbying on their behalf.  But if they do not and the number of breweries diversifying into craft keg and other beer styles increase as I think it inevitably will, then a schism will appear between the trade body and the suppliers it represents.  I don’t see this happening for the next 10 years at a minimum, but it could happen without modernisation and the emergence of a CAMRCA (Campaign for Real and Craft Ale) will become a possibility.

However this body will not be started by 4 enthusiasts and their passion for real ale, but by the industry players themselves, similar to The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) in concept, but taking in the all levels of ale trade and styles of non mainstream beer.  This body would also take on a campaigning role similar to that of CAMRA currently for its membership.

Once this takes place, then the new organisation can organise their own “branded” beer festivals on a local, regional and nation level showcasing the members products, and the CAMRA events could be let slip off their calendar, depriving CAMRA of valuable revenue.  The opening of membership to the general public and provision of services and discount similar to that of CAMRA could then drain that source of income from the existing trade body as well, leaving the organisation weaker.

I’m not suggesting a coup here, but CAMRA are laying themselves open to the possibility of such a move. However it is up to its members and the groups such as the publisher of this magazine to decide which way things go when voting at the AGM.

Pubpaper 637 – Reasons to be cheerful – Sheffield Tap, Brewdog Beers and Lewins

Posted: 18th December 2011 by admin in Pub Paper, Writing
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The Sheffield Tap is located on the platform at the City railway station, and is becoming a mecca for real ale and craft beer fans across the area.  The 10 cask pumps and 12 keg pumps without a mainstream beer in sight is the main reason, however the collection over 200 bottled beers is an excellent second reason to visit.   The pub itself is quite traditional in design, with enough trees being sacrificed to create the wood panelling to cover an area the size of Wales, and 4 rooms surrounding the bar, giving plenty of space, although it seems that space rapidly fills come tea time and later in the evening.

The bar has been restored to its former grade 2 listed grandeur before British Rail gutted the space to make a waiting room in the 1960s. The mahogany bar that was removed was restored to the central area, and the original design and panelling was repaired or replicated where that was not possible, even down to the mouldings on the ceiling taken from the originals.  The effort put into the pub can be seen from the moment you enter, and these efforts are being well rewarded by the trade it receives.

The main reason I wanted to visit however, as a precursor to my company christmas function was to have a first sample of Brewdogs’ Trashy Blonde and 77 Lager as well as trying Punk IPA on tap for the first time.  Punk IPA on tap did not disappoint as it was a good as the bottled variety.  Maybe even slightly better given the extra room for the aromas to expand.  The Trashy Blonde, although significantly weaker than Punk IPA, still retained the hop emphasis that you come to expect from Brewdog, but is a beer that would appeal as much to the non hophead.   The 77 Lager has a lot less hop emphasis, but is a pleasant well made and balanced beer you could happily drink for the session.

My drinking partner who is not such a fan of the hop confirmed this, as he preferred the 77 and Trashy Blonde to the Punk IPA overall.  I could have added another 2 of their beers if I had been willing to spend £10 or £16 a bottle for “Bitch Please” or “Tokyo” respectively, but I had the rest of the night to fund.  To be honest I would have been happy not to go to the company function and spend the night sampling an ever bigger collection of beers.  I also tried the Thornbridge Sequoia on my visit and was impressed as I was with their Jaipur when I drank that last month.

The beer at the function was uninspiring as can be expected with these corporate functions, the best options being San Miguel and Gaymers Pear Cider, and I even had to send a couple of San Miguels’ back for being flat upon pouring.

Having now tried 6 of their beers, Punk IPA, Alice Porter, 5am Saint, Hardcore IPA, Trashy Blonde and 77 Lager, I would say that the Punk IPA is best overall, followed by Hardcore, Trashy Blonde, Alice Porter, 5am Saint, with the 77 Lager coming last, although that is not a slight against the beer, it just shows the strength of their core collection.  The day that they open their bars in Leeds and Manchester can’t come soon enough.

Taking a day off the beer to recover, I popped into Lewins in Halifax on Saturday afternoon, and sampled 3 very good pints, the outstanding one being the Summer Wine Brewery Barista Espresso Stout (4.8%).  A really nicely balanced dark stout with a creamy coffee flavour from the Arabica beans mixed with a moorish finish makes a really nice occasional pint, as these coffee stouts are not a beer you can spend a session on in my opinion.  Although not as strong in coffee flavour as Dark Star Espresso, I’d say it is on a par with that very good stout, but would allow more to be drank on a night due to its lighter coffee taste.

Lewins’ has been ran excellently over the last 6 months by the interim landlord who has turned around the place, but sadly pub number 40 could beckon for him soon, which is a pity.  He hopes to retain control of the premises with a new manager being trained up to take over from him, and I hope he succeeds as it would be pity for the hard work to go to waste.

Pubpaper 636 – What is beer?

Posted: 13th December 2011 by admin in Pub Paper, Writing
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What is beer? The answers to this question are numerous. Personally for me, it is my preferred drink of choice which I have a deep interest in and a product I search out interesting variations of.  It is also what enables me to write the 750 words that fill this column each week.  For other people it is how they make their living, as a brewer, publican or in any number of supporting roles.  For many it is just a way to relax and socialise or something which accompanies any number of social or sporting activities.  Sadly for some it is a contributor to the causes of serious problems both mentally and physically.

The last few weeks I have focused on the more commercial and business related elements of the beer trade as well the internal debate between those who have more than a social interest in beer generally.  But there is no beer trade without beer and when broken down to the most basic level, all we are talking about is 2 plants, a fungus and water.  It doesn’t sound a promising start, it’s like being given 4 eight stud lego bricks, but consider that just 3 of those bricks can create over 1000 different shapes.  When you take into account the different coloured bricks, the number of combinations increase exponentially.

The same can be said of the 4 basic ingredients, use of soft or hard water, the choice and combination of hops, the selection and preparation of the maltings all contribute to the differences between beers.  This is before you even consider techniques such as double hopping the beer, one tool among many the brewers employ to alter the flavour and aftertaste.  The yeast also makes a critical difference as the selection of strain can add distinctive tastes. Many long established brewers will have their own strains, for example Heineken’s yeast is a strain that is over 100 years old and descended from the first batch of the beer in the late 1800s.

Beer, when viewed as a combination of physical elements is more complicated that most of its other contemporaries, Wine has one core ingredient, a single fruit, as does cider and perry.  With wine the focus is on the growing conditions of the grape, the type of soil, if it was grown in a certain area of the estate, the weather conditions etc.  In essence, the wines core flavours are decided before the crop is picked, and then the blending and storage finalises the products taste.  With cider and perry, there is a similar principle, although with significantly less politics than between rival wine regions.

With beer you need the same set of good quality ingredients as an starting point, but after that, those ingredients can take a multitude of paths before they reach your pint glass.   The brewer is the kingpin of all this, the Willy Wonka of the hop and malt.  For every “Everlasting Gobstopper” or “Meal in a Chewing Gum” of the fictional confectionery maker, the brewer has the opportunity to make a Brewdog Punk IPA, Dark Star Espresso or Fuller ESB.  The same ingredients could also make you the equivalent of Carling or John Smiths in the “right” hands.

The imagination of brewers when it comes to flavouring beers outside of its core ingredients is second to none, you can find on the shelves beers with elements of banana, ginger, chocolate, cherry, raspberry or coffee, as well as the different citrus tastes introduced by hop mixtures naturally during brewing.

Why is beer not credited for this inventiveness in the wider picture.  Beer enthusiasts, real and craft ale fans all enjoy the variety of taste that the brewers techniques and ideas give us when the ale is sampled.  But wine has a lot more written about the differences and subtleties between the different bottles and regions.  For every Oxford Companion to Beer, a dozen substantial wine guides are written and updated every year, spirits are held in higher esteem in this regard as well.

I think this is social class issue, wine and good spirits were the domain of the middle and upper class until after the second world war, where as beer was the drink of the people.  The upper two classes had the money and inclination to buy the wine books, as well as the literacy to read them, something which only started to be made available across all classes in the second 25 years of the last century when the education system had been given time to influence two generations.  It is only the last 25 years where there has been a real commercial interest in the real ale book market.  There is still a lot of catching up to do.

Pubpaper 635 – A repost to last week and the fine line before becoming a beer bore.

Posted: 7th December 2011 by admin in Pub Paper, Writing
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Last weeks column drew a mixed reception when published online, with disagreement from one of the bigger online beer writers, who won “beer blogger of the year” recently as well as having several published books to his name, telling me to “stop worrying about what other people drink”.  I also received a text message from the person I mentioned who is now the general manager of the independent distillery saying he enjoyed the writing, a person who will as often criticise my work.

Looking at other beer writers I follow online in relation to this, there is also a debate about the line between being a fan of good beer, a beer evangelist and a beer snob.  Personally I would put myself on the socially healthy side of beer evangelism.   Writing about this topic week in week out inevitably leads to a more than healthy interest in the topic, and a higher than average threshold for what constitutes a really good beer.

My definition of what makes a good session beer hasn’t really changed since I started writing regularly for Pubpaper 18 months ago, I still like Black Sheep, Copper Dragon and Theakstons as much I did then, the only difference now is that I “professionally” hunt out new beers when possible.  I wish beers would hunt me out, but sadly they don’t, apart from my editor at the magazine, who garnished me with a rather fine case of Thwaites beer earlier in the year, which was well appreciated.

Beer is a wonderful product with such a variety of flavours and colour available across the spectrum and I attempt to try the whole range of that spectrum.  Last weeks column asking why the big multinational brewers didn’t make more interesting beers within their core offerings was not worrying about what others drink, but more a call for the brewers to produce and promote more interesting products to those millions of drinkers who drink the likes of Carling, Carlsberg and Fosters as their regular beer.

If one of these companies put £7 million (the amount spent to reposition Carling) behind a more interesting sister product to their core brand and cross promoted there is no doubt it would be a quantified success purely off attachment to a proven seller.  These companies have that kind of power and resources.  However this is unlikely to happen in the current financial climate as companies will be, in the main, happy to consolidate behind existing brands while, where it allows, trying to push into new markets, citing Animee from Molson Coors as as an example.

The writer who disagreed with me last week said more interesting beers from the majors wouldn’t sell, with the right backing I think they would.  I was sceptical when Stella launched their “Cidre” cider, a product well outside their core market and up against tough competition, but they have proved me wrong.  I’m not saying it is a particularly good cider, but it was a serious departure for the company.  That commitment is what would be needed for these new beers.

To use a food analogy, sticking to the current mainstream lagers is like going a lifetime without seasoning your food with onions, salt, pepper or garlic.  The food will keep hunger at bay, but food like beer can be so much more, all its needs is a bit seasoning.

Now to discuss the beer snobbery and evangelism angle,  I do try to evangelise good beer, I don’t deny that, but do accept that some people will stick to what they know, just as I know my wife will never like onions.  If the person is receptive then I will happily talk as long as both of us remain interested, but you must be careful not to fall into being a bore.  If they are not interested then we move onto another topic, however in the pubs I generally frequent there is higher than average interest in beers.  To clarify, a good beer is not only a beer I like, but a beer I have tried, not been particularly keen on, but recognised that it is well made, and others may like.

It is up to people like myself, fellow enthusiasts, bodies such as CAMRA, the breweries who produce the beers and the pubs who sell the beer to promote the product to new camps, something that many real and craft ale brewers and pubs do fantastically well.  The professional and amateur enthusiasts and trade bodies can only support this where it is deserved.  This is something that most who fall into those camps do already very well.

So let us pray “For thou art in the pub, Thornbridge be thy name, My Summer Wine come, Thy Brewdog will be done, in the lounge room as in the bar…..”.  Communal beer will follow after the service.

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