The Beer Thread

[Tommy!]

2 minutes ago, Just Some Guy said:

There's no justification for selling anything other than real ale through a traditional beer engine.

Well my local has 2 hand pulls they don't use because they can't sell through quickly enough. 

They could justify having a fresh ale on because it would sell through before it's off and I'd have a better beer available than I do now on offer. I'd rather a cask but it's never going to happen. As long as it's not eating into cask offerings I'm ok.

Now it obviously will, because greedy cunts, but it will be in pubs I don't use anyway in truth.

[Carbomb]

If it's a completely new kind of product that occupies a space between keg and cask, I'm all for it - provided it's any good. Markets evolve with new offerings all the time. I'll still want cask ales, but I accept that they're declining in popularity.

[Keith Houchen]

Anything that pisses off CAMRA nonces gets the thumbs up from Kool Keith. 

[Merzbow]

I helped my mate set up her gig at the local pinball hall last night and treated myself to a couple of sours out of their beer fridge, starting with this absolutely gorgeous cherry and tonka(?!) from Great Beyond. The tonka takes the edge off which can often make cherry sours a little too tart and sweet, adding a bit of spice and even nuttiness that hides just underneath. 100% recommend picking a can up if you see one, the nicest fruit sour I've had yet.

Next was a super strong milkshake sour from Yonder, very cake-y as the vanilla gave it almost custard taste but in a good way for a change as it didn't feel like it was full of sugar with that overpowering sweetness. I really like it but I can still see it putting people off with the gimmicky sweet milkshake deal.

[TibBo]

These sound like the beers you occasionally buy because the labels look cool, and immediately regret it after the first swig.  Never had a sour, but your review has tempted me to try them if I ever see one anywhere 

[SaitoRyo]

I've seen a lot of stuff in the UK media recently (mostly The Guardian) about the pint potentially being phased out in favour of a two-thirds measure. Apparently there was a study in some pubs last spring where they did this and it was good, or something? 

Anyway, I'm curious what people think about this and whether they'd be sad to see the pint swapped for something smaller and, in theory, cheaper.

Living in the Czech Republic for the best part of the last decade, I've gotten used to drinking half a litre (with a decent amount of head on it). In saying that, it's also the equivalent of £1-1.50 for one of these around my way, so I would be used to it, wouldn't I? 

I personally can't see the pint going away anytime soon, but I can certainly see some pubs introducing smaller measures as an option. 

 

[Just Some Guy]

Craft beers tend to be sold in 1/3 or 2/3 measures while cask remains sold in 1/2 or pints.

For guys of my generation, telling the Mrs you're nipping out for a 2/3 feels wrong.

TBH I think it's a non-story. As long as there is beer in British pubs a pint will be a option along with the other measures as well.

[SaitoRyo]

1 minute ago, Just Some Guy said:

TBH I think it's a non-story. As long as there is beer in British pubs a pint will be a option along with the other measures as well.

Probably this, yeah. 

I am continually taken aback by how much British people pay for one, mind. Newcastle used to be between £3.50 and £4 not all too long ago. Last time I was back, average was between £4.50 and £6. I know there are other forces at play, but fucking hell. 

[TobyK]

For the past year or so, most places in London area you're looking at £5.50-£7 for a regular pint. Going for one now genuinely feels like a novelty day out!

[BomberPat]

A lot will have to change in coming years, between cost, and the impact of climate change on hop growing. I don't see pints being phased out in British pubs, but something has to give - a lot of breweries are bringing down the ABV of their beers, and I expect more places will trial 2/3rd measures if they think it will keep costs down, though likely as an option rather than a replacement for pints. And again, a lot of craft beer places already tend to list the prices of their pricier or stronger beers in 2/3rds anyway.

It's not quite a non-story, but I think it's indicative of something more than just the size of the drink.

[Ulf ist Gut]

I read the Guardian article earlier and thought it made some decent arguements in favour of the pint, especially that there's nothing that says you need to chug it instantly and buy another when you can happily sip one over a longer period and read a book or have a chat so there's clearly still a place for it amongst 1/3rds, 2/3rds that, as others have said, already exist in the craft beer comunity when you want to try multiple beers or high ABVer. The point towards the end that really it's the reason someone is getting hammered that's more of a driver than the size of the measurement sums it up for me - if someone's out to get drunk the size of the measurement on it's own isn't really going to change that.

I know that doesn't really add anything to what's been covered already. To be honest, the main thing I wanted to do is recommend a visit to the pub mentioned in the article, the Nicholas Nickelby. It was recently taken over by the Bohem brewery, who are a London based brewery who brew Czech style lagers, and they're very pleasant. I popped up there last month and had a half of one of their core range and a half of a black lager and both were excellent. Pricewise, together they came to just over a fiver so very good for London. It's also five minutes from The Robin, which is probably my favourite pub in London and somewhere i've sat and read with a pint. Really good range of cask that's priced by the ABV so the lower ones are usually around a fiver as well (I think one they'd had brewed specially for the pub was about £3.80 or something ridiculous the last time I was there). Really good collection of vinyl behind the bar as well.

[andrew "the ref" coyne]

21 hours ago, SaitoRyo said:

I've seen a lot of stuff in the UK media recently (mostly The Guardian) about the pint potentially being phased out in favour of a two-thirds measure. Apparently there was a study in some pubs last spring where they did this and it was good, or something? 

Anyway, I'm curious what people think about this and whether they'd be sad to see the pint swapped for something smaller and, in theory, cheaper.

Living in the Czech Republic for the best part of the last decade, I've gotten used to drinking half a litre (with a decent amount of head on it). In saying that, it's also the equivalent of £1-1.50 for one of these around my way, so I would be used to it, wouldn't I? 

I personally can't see the pint going away anytime soon, but I can certainly see some pubs introducing smaller measures as an option. 

 

We have these in Australia, aka the scooner. Honestly it's my preferred size. By the time you get to end of a pint it's warmer and flatter, so smaller portions suit me better. I think it's also more accessible to those who might not be big beer monsters.

[mim731]

10 hours ago, Ulf ist Gut said:

I know that doesn't really add anything to what's been covered already. To be honest, the main thing I wanted to do is recommend a visit to the pub mentioned in the article, the Nicholas Nickelby. It was recently taken over by the Bohem brewery, who are a London based brewery who brew Czech style lagers, and they're very pleasant. I popped up there last month and had a half of one of their core range and a half of a black lager and both were excellent. Pricewise, together they came to just over a fiver so very good for London. 

Weird to hear about the pub being taken over, as this was a shithole old man pub for much of the time I was growing up not far from there. I have a weird half memory of them having plastic bucket seats in the window when I was a kid, the type that would be moulded that you might see in a cafe, but that could be a misremembering. Either way, weird, but not wildly unexpected that it's become some sort of trendy craft beer haunt given it's location.  

[Carbomb]

14 hours ago, Ulf ist Gut said:

I know that doesn't really add anything to what's been covered already. To be honest, the main thing I wanted to do is recommend a visit to the pub mentioned in the article, the Nicholas Nickelby. It was recently taken over by the Bohem brewery, who are a London based brewery who brew Czech style lagers, and they're very pleasant. I popped up there last month and had a half of one of their core range and a half of a black lager and both were excellent. Pricewise, together they came to just over a fiver so very good for London. It's also five minutes from The Robin, which is probably my favourite pub in London and somewhere i've sat and read with a pint. Really good range of cask that's priced by the ABV so the lower ones are usually around a fiver as well (I think one they'd had brewed specially for the pub was about £3.80 or something ridiculous the last time I was there). Really good collection of vinyl behind the bar as well.

That's literally five minutes' walk from my house. Been meaning to go for a while since I heard they were taken over - I used to go relatively regularly to the Bohem Taproom up in Bowes Park/Bounds Green, which is about ten minutes' train ride away. Excellent beer.

I don't know The Robin - where's that?

EDIT: Ah, you mean the Brave Sir Robin! Never been to that. 

3 hours ago, mim731 said:

Weird to hear about the pub being taken over, as this was a shithole old man pub for much of the time I was growing up not far from there. I have a weird half memory of them having plastic bucket seats in the window when I was a kid, the type that would be moulded that you might see in a cafe, but that could be a misremembering. Either way, weird, but not wildly unexpected that it's become some sort of trendy craft beer haunt given it's location.  

Yeh, I remember much of that too. 

Edited September 25, 2024 by Carbomb

[Ulf ist Gut]

13 hours ago, mim731 said:

Weird to hear about the pub being taken over, as this was a shithole old man pub for much of the time I was growing up not far from there. I have a weird half memory of them having plastic bucket seats in the window when I was a kid, the type that would be moulded that you might see in a cafe, but that could be a misremembering. Either way, weird, but not wildly unexpected that it's become some sort of trendy craft beer haunt given it's location.  

That doesn't surprise me, it's got that slightly gross old style frontage that usually marks out a small pub where you can smell the bogs as soon as you walk in. Neither myself of my flatmate had any idea there was even a pub there until the reopening. Seems to be doing well though, I popped in just after 16:00 on a Thursday and all the tables had reservations for later on.

9 hours ago, Carbomb said:

 

EDIT: Ah, you mean the Brave Sir Robin! Never been to that. 

 

 

It was the Brave Sir Robin - it closed rather suddenly in I think February last year along with it's sister pub in Kentish Town who's name escapes me but then just as suddenly reopened the same summer renamed The Robin Beer and Cider House. I believe the guy who runs it now used to work at/run The Southampton Arms so he's brought a lot of that vibe beer wise over (not that the previous incarnation was exactly terrible for beer, far from it). Well worth a trip if you're nearby, although it does tend to get busy in the evenings. Right opposite Crouch Hill station too so you can also get the overground to Gospel Oak for the Southampton Arms/change to get to Kentish Town West for Tapping The Admiral or the otherway to Leyton Midland Road and the Gravity Well taproom and put together a bit of an old craft crawl.