Image Problem With 'real' Beer

[waggastew]

Just read this interesting article about recent moves by CAMRA to make real beer more popular. Mimics many of themes/discussions on this site.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wor...-malt-manifesto

 

[raven19]

Interesting read.

Happy to keep good home brewed beer our own little secret! :lol:

 

[thesunsettree]

Interesting read.

Happy to keep good home brewed beer our own little secret! :lol:

+1. Imagine how much more the pricks would wanna tax us if they thought we were enjoying, let alone if they found out what we made was better. Mums the word, eh...

Cheers
matt

 

[bum]

Translation of the guy's points.

1) I don't like the way people look at me when I drink tasteless beer.
2) I'm a tight-arse (although I (Bum) wish things were like that here).
3) I'm a vacuous shit-head.
4) I don't know what I'm talking about and I feel like like it is the world's fault - not mine.
5) I'm an idiot. I am completely marketing-led.
6) I don't like beer.
7) Why isn't there a beer day for me?
8) I (Bum) have no idea what this dickhead is talking about here.
9) Yeah, I'm still marketing-led. I can't tell the difference between good and what I am told is new.
10) Yeah, I don't actually like beer.

 

[Dazza_devil]

After reading bum's summary I don't need to click on that link.

 

[nqtrancer]

Heh, the commenters on that page talk of ales being served @ around 12 degrees as being the best for "taste". I think the problem is for their beer to capture a larger market, its needs to be thin on flavor.

How many women/soft men do you know who say even the lowest of IBU beers are still "to bitter"?? I'd say just about every i know that doesn't drink beer feels that way.

I'm glad beer gets served COLD here, I've noticed a few of the locals are now running temp gauges on the taps where i have seen as low as 4 degrees if i can remember right.

 

[boingk]

i have seen as low as 4 degrees if i can remember right.

Those awful Tooheys 'Supercold' temps can get down to -2'C. Had one out of curiosity and yeah...nothing.

- boingk

 

[Bastow]

Its pretty funny that our image of the Brits is that they all drink warm flat beer. I have been living here for a year now and simply love Real Ale. It has given me a new outlook on beer. In reality though the majority of British people drink tasteless Lager. Camra started in 1971 when real ale was in major decline, it still seems that it is too me, must have been heaps worse in the 1970's. The Real Ale is a British institution and Camra is trying to preserve it. Most pubs i go to have more taps then i have ever seen in an Aussie pub and is something i will miss when i come home at the end of the year.

Cheers Adam

 

[Howlingdog]

For Aus perception of flat and hot British beer you would have to blame icon of Australian film, the producers, directors and actors in the Oz classic "The Adventures of Barry McKenzie":
Production company Longford Productions
Producer Phillip Adams
Director Bruce Beresford
Screenplay Bruce Beresford, Barry Humphries
Based on the comic strip by Barry Humphries
Music Peter Best
Cast

* Paul Bertram
* Peter Cook
* Barry Crocker
* Barry Humphries
* Spike Milligan

when London my local Is the Union, Royal Hill, Greenwich - Meantime Brewery's only pub.

 

[Bribie G]

The only problem I have with real ale is that whenever I go back to the UK the pint glasses seem so much smaller than when I was in my 20s and disappear so much more smoothly in far fewer gulps

 

[DennisKing]

Its pretty funny that our image of the Brits is that they all drink warm flat beer. I have been living here for a year now and simply love Real Ale. It has given me a new outlook on beer. In reality though the majority of British people drink tasteless Lager. Camra started in 1971 when real ale was in major decline, it still seems that it is too me, must have been heaps worse in the 1970's. The Real Ale is a British institution and Camra is trying to preserve it. Most pubs i go to have more taps then i have ever seen in an Aussie pub and is something i will miss when i come home at the end of the year.

Cheers Adam

Glad your enjoying our beer Adam. You are quite right, the majority here do drink lager, the big brewery's in the 70`s stated massive advertising campaigns for larger while changing their cask beers to bland keg versions . Along with poor cellarmanship in some pubs cask ale seemed domed. CAMRA along with the smaller independent brewers who carried on producing fine ales managed to reverse the trend and I`m sure cask ales will be around long after I`m gone.
The guy is right about one thing, there is a degree of smartassness about CAMRA and CAMRA members. If cask ales were available in every pub and club the majority of it would be badly kept and so taste awful. so I like the way things are, good pubs tend to serve good beer and crap pubs don`t [in most cases]. I have normally been able to find a decent pint wherever I`ve been in the UK. As long as that continues the larger boys can continue in their ignorance as far as I`m concerned. Sometimes it`s good to have something others don't get.

 

[waggastew]

Another article below from today's Melbourne Age. Back here in Oz things are moving away from our traditional VB/Carlton Draught. There seems to be two directions, super-low-carb-blonde-dry-light e.g. Pure Blonde and 'boutique' e.g. Little Creatures. I guess diversity is a good thing.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/as-taste...00403-rkvp.html

 

[Bastow]

I've been meaning to check out some Meantime products and might have to check out that Pub cheers Howlin'.

I know what you mean Dennis, if we all did the same thing the world would be a very boring place.

I have a very good mate who is a bit of a craft beer nut, and from his reports the Beer industry in Oz is looking very good at the moment, heaps of independents and being able to get your hands on them! So looking forward to coming home in that respect, also I can start brewing again!!! But i'll be Belgium in a months time and am going on a bit of a beer odyssey. Basically i'm just going to sample as many tasty beers as possible. This Tuesday I am going to try and "reserve" a case of Westvleteren 12, apparently its pretty hard to get through so wish me luck.

Do any of you guys use "Ratebeer", i just signed up and am going to start rating as many as possible, life's hard hey!!! :chug:

Bastow

 

[manticle]

How could beer nerds ever have an image problem?

Chicks dig bearded cardigan wearers who fix computers and analyse pints.