Dark Star - British Beer festival.

[itszamora]

I have to say that so far I have not yet tasted a lager made in Britain that can approach the quality of the German and Czech produced lager beers.

It's quite amazing how the drinking of quality lager (that is produced under the German Reinheitsgebot laws or their equivalent) has taken off.

I worked at the GBBF from 1991 to 2006, in 1991 "Foreign Beers" was a small subsidiary section tucked way at the rear of Olympia, then the yuppies got a taste for Hoegaarden which is actually a wheat beer brewed in Belgium (I think).

Now "Foreign Beers" is a massive part of the Earls Court set-up, if any of you have a chance to go there ask for Alastair, a genial Jock who runs that part of the show, or at least ran it up to 2006.

My tipple of choice is "Rauschbier" a wheatbeer brewed in Bavaria which has smoked ham hung in it for added flavour, grab it while you can on draught.

If you want decent lager from your local supermarket or offie then I'd say Becks is the best, as I think again it's brewed under regulation, you won't get the "Wifebeater" type hangovers that you get from all the chemically "enhanced" UK and US offerings.

Unfortunately most of the lager available in pubs/bars in this country is utterly foul and gives it a very bad reputation amongst sensible people. You are entirely correct in that some foreign lagers are lovely though.

 

[Danny-Boy]

In which case, may I respectfully suggest the afore-mentioned 'Natural Blonde' when you next visit the Evening Star?

Yup I agree that's not bad for a UK-produced beer but it still doesn't hit the spot like a really good chilled Erdinger (which you can get in Morrison's).

What beer should always be drunk with a slice of lemon in it, that's how the Bavarians drink it.

Now I've got my bus-pas the ES (or 92220 as us sad railway-nerds txt it) will be more on my visiting list...

 

[Arthur]

Yup I agree that's not bad for a UK-produced beer but it still doesn't hit the spot like a really good chilled Erdinger (which you can get in Morrison's).

What beer should always be drunk with a slice of lemon in it, that's how the Bavarians drink it.

Now I've got my bus-pas the ES (or 92220 as us sad railway-nerds txt it) will be more on my visiting list...

Can I also tip up

Blooming lovely. Went within an evening at my local last week.

 

[DerbyGull]

Can I also tip up

Blooming lovely. Went within an evening at my local last week.

Lots of breweries doing elderflower ones at the minute, tried many and not a massive fan, wheat beer is very nice

Anyway check this little contraption, its usually fall on all 3 levels, the beer comes out headless (more beer :yahoo: ) cos apparently derby ppl dont like head on there beer. Anyway its quite a site! A real ale fans dream

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

but I've never understood the passion for Harveys, and I suppose a bit of me thinks it's local people who are just caught up in the whole 'Sussex loyalty' thing - I only say that because to me it tastes so rank, but it's all personal taste at the end of the day as you say.

I think it all depends what you are brought up with. I love Harveys - but that was what we drank - both at the Black Horse in Rottingdean and Shades (and other places in town).

It is not the most accessible of pints - it is quite apparently quite distinctive to someone drinking it for the first time - but it is worth sticking with.

Lots of good beers out there though.

 

[Brovion]

...
Lots of good beers out there though.

Indeed. Like me you probably did you early drinking back in the early-mid 1970s when there was a real fear about the future of beer. In those days there was no such thing as bad real ale, we were just grateful to drink anything that wasn't the fizzy keg 'brown lager' that the likes of Whitbread, Watneys and Charringtons tried to pass off as 'bitter'.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Indeed. Like me you probably did you early drinking back in the early-mid 1970s when there was a real fear about the future of beer. In those days there was no such thing as bad real ale, we were just grateful to drink anything that wasn't the fizzy keg 'brown lager' that the likes of Whitbread, Watneys and Charringtons tried to pass off as 'bitter'.

True - you forget how dire some of the beer was. I never went into the White Horse in Rottingdean because it was Watneys and you knew the beer was going to be terrible. Now most pubs sell some beers you would be happy drinking.

Incidentally I just read a great book called "A man walked into a Pub - A sociable history of beer" by Pete Brown. The story of british beer drinking. The author is actually a lager drinker as it happens - and lager is an interesting tale by itself. It chronicles beer drinking in the 70's -it wasn't great. No wonder so many people love Harveys.

 

[ROSM]

Isn't it great to see (largely) informed debate about REAL beer that rather than homogenous mass produced chemical pisswater that without CAMRA in the 70s we'd all be left with now?

I dont think there is a 'bad' real ale. There are some I dont enjoy as much as others and some (the fruit ones) are not my cup of tea.

I personally dont like Directors but dont criticise those that do. And if we're talking harveys, it's more than just the Sussex best, my own favourite is Armada but some of the bottled ones (Nut brown ale, Tom paine and Kiss are v v pleasant)

But it is all in the taste and quality of product. Some Dark Star ones vary in quality so greatly so one day/place good, nxt day not so. Doesn't mean he product is poor. The locale makes a difference - Brains SA tastes great in South Wales but not so good the time I had it in Birmingham (possibly because they pulled it through a beer engine which tried to give it a 'tight' head)

Ulimately the regional ale tastes usually the way it does because that's what the locals wanted. therefore harveys will have a sussex foothold, Adnams in Suffolk and so on. the style, taste and method of serving all dictate the end product.

And before we regale whether a CAMRA festival award means much, a few years ago it went to Greene King IPA. It is a blind test and relies on more factors that reputation.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

I have to say that so far I have not yet tasted a lager made in Britain that can approach the quality of the German and Czech produced lager beers.

It's quite amazing how the drinking of quality lager (that is produced under the German Reinheitsgebot laws or their equivalent) has taken off.

I worked at the GBBF from 1991 to 2006, in 1991 "Foreign Beers" was a small subsidiary section tucked way at the rear of Olympia, then the yuppies got a taste for Hoegaarden which is actually a wheat beer brewed in Belgium (I think).

Now "Foreign Beers" is a massive part of the Earls Court set-up, if any of you have a chance to go there ask for Alastair, a genial Jock who runs that part of the show, or at least ran it up to 2006.

My tipple of choice is "Rauschbier" a wheatbeer brewed in Bavaria which has smoked ham hung in it for added flavour, grab it while you can on draught.

If you want decent lager from your local supermarket or offie then I'd say Becks is the best, as I think again it's brewed under regulation, you won't get the "Wifebeater" type hangovers that you get from all the chemically "enhanced" UK and US offerings.

Have to concur, went drinking with my German customer very near Munich airport, drunk more lager than i had in years and apart from having a dodgy stomach and being a bit tired the next day I was fine. If it had been any of the 'UK' brewed under license crap I wouldn't have got out of bed the bext day.
I took a couple of dark stars beers out to my Customer as way of thanks for getting me p**sed as he had paid. One of which was the 10+% stout, which he raved about. I have orders to stock up on my next visit ....

 

[Questions]

Indeed. Like me you probably did you early drinking back in the early-mid 1970s when there was a real fear about the future of beer. In those days there was no such thing as bad real ale, we were just grateful to drink anything that wasn't the fizzy keg 'brown lager' that the likes of Whitbread, Watneys and Charringtons tried to pass off as 'bitter'.

Watneys Red Barrel As the kids would say today 'Oh my God'

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

I love the Dark Star range. It is certainly more varied than the harveys range although i do love both.

Alos a tip & a wink to a beer called Hard Red Balls that i had recently which is from one of the Horsham breweries although i foget which one

 

[vegster]

Fair enough, but is it not possible that its ubiquity is down to its popularity rather than, say, its marketing?

Let's face it, how much marketing does Harvey's do, especially in comparison to, for instance, Shepherd Neame or Adnams?

Foster's Lager is rather ubiquitous too, and thats crap as well. face it we are all fed crap food and drink but most of us don't have the time or money to hunt for good stuff and so we live our lives eating electronicaly retrieved meat products or Thai chicken breasts pumped full of water and chemical lagers and beers because its what the advertisers tell us is great/cheap/nutritious/trendy.. sigh

 

[Questions]

Foster's Lager is rather ubiquitous too, and thats crap as well. face it we are all fed crap food and drink but most of us don't have the time or money to hunt for good stuff and so we live our lives eating electronicaly retrieved meat products or Thai chicken breasts pumped full of water and chemical lagers and beers because its what the advertisers tell us is great/cheap/nutritious/trendy.. sigh

Apart from when you scrounge my quality Belgiums.

 

[DerbyGull]

Now "Foreign Beers" is a massive part of the Earls Court set-up, if any of you have a chance to go there ask for Alastair, a genial Jock who runs that part of the show, or at least ran it up to 2006.

Don't suppose Alistair Was quite fat, with a beatroot face?

Just cos the head brewer up my way, is scottish too, knows his beers.

I think he's from isle of Arran

 

[vegster]

Apart from when you scrounge my quality Belgiums.

All I got for my time last time was one measly bottle of 5%Carlsbermiesterhoff or whatever....

 

[Questions]

All I got for my time last time was one measly bottle of 5%Carlsbermiesterhoff or whatever....

Yeah well you take the piss.

 

[vegster]

Yeah well you take the piss.

you GAVE me the piss

 

[The Large One]

Foster's Lager is rather ubiquitous too, and thats crap as well.

And that's the point. Harvey's (for instance) doesn't ram its message down your throat - as it were. It benefits from the best kind of advertising - word of mouth. If Foster's didn't advertise, how long would it last on the market?

face it we are all fed crap food and drink but most of us don't have the time or money to hunt for good stuff and so we live our lives eating electronicaly retrieved meat products or Thai chicken breasts pumped full of water and chemical lagers and beers because its what the advertisers tell us is great/cheap/nutritious/trendy.. sigh

Yes, but those that do reap the rewards.

 

[vegster]

And that's the point. Harvey's (for instance) doesn't ram its message down your throat - as it were. It benefits from the best kind of advertising - word of mouth. If Foster's didn't advertise, how long would it last on the market?



Yes, but those that do reap the rewards.

With that level off succintness and lightness of phrase and terminology surely, a career in the media beckons ?

 

[The Large One]

With that level off succintness and lightness of phrase and terminology surely, a career in the media beckons ?

Nah, f*** that.