**** Official middle-aged man's Craft Beer thread ****

[Questions]

What's the diff between 'craft beer' and real ale? Serious question.

Well real ale is cask conditioned and served as such although any thing that is bottle conditioned as well could in theory be acceptable under CAMRAS definition. Any beer or ale that is made for the keg or bottle and still top fermented could be described as a craft beer really. Although even that doesn't really cover it does it. Not sure about this small batches malarkey either. Oh and of course idiots like me and others will pay 3.50 and more for a fecking half of the craft stuff.

 

[vegster]

Seems to be continued confusion as to what craft beer is, generally I would say it is small to mid size independents creating a range of traditional and innovate styles, from across the whole spectrum of beers. It's not home brew as it is available commercially, although you could argue the smallest craft brewers aren't so far removed from that, and it's not real ale, although it can be cask conditoned. Probably easier to say what it isn't! And that would be Carling, Budweiser, Stella etc etc.

Here is a great example of what it is:

Port City Brewing - Port City Brewing Company

My local Whole Foods store sells craft beers by the pint, you can also fill up your growler and of couse get the regular bottles and cans. Once a month, Dave, head beer buyer hosts a beer tasting evening. Brings a whole new dimension to grocery shopping.

Just checked your link,also adds a whole new dimension to the English language " Artisanal Brewers " is well posh.

I am a bit concerned about the other puff about shipping to " Mid Atlantic markets ".... does this mean Atlantis exists and along with the sandals and the beards are they rather portly around the middle ?

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Just checked your link,also adds a whole new dimension to the English language " Artisanal Brewers " is well posh.

I am a bit concerned about the other puff about shipping to " Mid Atlantic markets ".... does this mean Atlantis exists and along with the sandals and the beards are they rather portly around the middle ?

Could well be although I suspect more a reference to the mid atlantic geographic market, reinforcing the limited output etc and not a mass produced product.

Having said that though some craft beers are now available coast to coast, Sierra Nevada is one which is pretty much available anywhere as is Colorado's Fat Tyre.

Even the President is in on it, although it's home brew at the White House, reinforced with honey from Michelle's bees!

 

[Trufflehound]

What's the diff between 'craft beer' and real ale? Serious question.

I am not an expert and it seems to mean different things to different people. In my mind it implies it is brewed in small batches, is 'artisan' and the difference is real ale is cask and hand drawn and craft beer is similar but keg and dispensed with pressure. Some breweries release the same beer in cask and keg versions so the term can get blurred a little; some are unquestionably real ale, some unquestionably craft and a ton of great stuff in between which is debatable. Enjoy.

Well real ale is cask conditioned and served as such although any thing that is bottle conditioned as well could in theory be acceptable under CAMRAS definition. Any beer or ale that is made for the keg or bottle and still top fermented could be described as a craft beer really. Although even that doesn't really cover it does it. Not sure about this small batches malarkey either. Oh and of course idiots like me and others will pay 3.50 and more for a fecking half of the craft stuff.

I agree with the definitions of cask/real ale, but I think the term craft beer is actually much simpler than people are making out.

In my books craft beer is simply any beer - top or bottom fermented, and incuding cask/real ale - where there is a proper brewer in charge of the brewing process. In other words any beer not made in a giant industrial complex, where a mindless drone presses a button on a computer at one end, and something indescribably awful comes out the other end in cans, bottles or barrels. In essence, craft brewers care about their product, industrial brewers don't. For the latter it's all about marketing and shifting units, not about taste.

To see how this functions in practice, watch the excellent American documentary 'Beer Wars'.

 

[Trufflehound]

I don't care what they call it - I'm just glad that after years of Bud / Miller / Coors controlling what beers you could drink in the States we now have as good a choice of beers as you have in the UK

As per the above post, watch the Beer Wars documentary if you haven't already. Bud / Miller / Coors are still doing everything they can do to control what people drink, and would happily drive all the other 2,100 breweries in the US out of business if they could.

It's heartening to see how many small breweries are springing up all over the world these days, despite the big boy bully tactics of the majors.

 

[Trufflehound]

On the issue of snobbery, it had never really occurred to me before, until I met a CAMRA geek at a 'craft beer' festival last year, that there are many real ale folks out there who still turn their nose up at any beer if it's keg. Despite the fact that the vast majority of the best-tasting brews in the world (OK, that may not be true in the UK) are served from kegs these days.

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Given that, it'll be interesting to see what if anyhing Angela Hartnett says about it when she 'champions real ale' on the Great British Food Revival tonight...

 

[Superphil]

On the issue of snobbery, it had never really occurred to me before, until I met a CAMRA geek at a 'craft beer' festival last year, that there are many real ale folks out there who still turn their nose up at any beer if it's keg. Despite the fact that the vast majority of the best-tasting brews in the world (OK, that may not be true in the UK) are served from kegs these days.

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face..

I believe CAMRA and its bores also refuse to allow a pub which uses a CO2 blanket in its cellar, and even bright beers are regarded as the devils spawn, and in serving them you jepordise your entry into the GBG.

 

[vegster]

It's all about taste really, I will try almost anything really just as long as its got some flavour, there are even some Lagers I would include in that. I do have a problem though with unheard of " craft brew " ice cold IPA types at £4.80 + a pint served from pretentious 3 Foot high beer taps from some place in Iowa.

 

[Questions]

It's all about taste really, I will try almost anything really just as long as its got some flavour.

Ah you still remember the Seagull glass story then ? That had some taste didn't it ?
And only took an hour to pass through your filtration system didn't it.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Bud / Miller / Coors are still doing everything they can do to control what people drink, and would happily drive all the other 2,100 breweries in the US out of business if they could.

…..…And they have become very sneaky in their brewing practices. Having realized that the craft beer revolution has been gaining momentum in the States the big boys have produced their own craft ales and using the same mass advertising they have for their other watered down piss they have got quite a big slice of the market. I used to like Blue Moon (Coors) and Shock Top (Bud) but will have to add them to the black list having found out who brews them.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

…..…And they have become very sneaky in their brewing practices. Having realized that the craft beer revolution has been gaining momentum in the States the big boys have produced their own craft ales and using the same mass advertising they have for their other watered down piss they have got quite a big slice of the market. I used to like Blue Moon (Coors) and Shock Top (Bud) but will have to add them to the black list having found out who brews them.

Goose Island is brewed by one of the biggies as well. Just got back from your side of the pond and had a great time in The Pony Bar, Heartland, Beer Authority, The Spotted Pig and The Blind Tiger Ale House amongst others. Was supposed to be staying longer but the limited power and no heating or hot water in my hotel became too much.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Goose Island is brewed by one of the biggies as well. Just got back from your side of the pond and had a great time in The Pony Bar, Heartland, Beer Authority, The Spotted Pig and The Blind Tiger Ale House amongst others. Was supposed to be staying longer but the limited power and no heating or hot water in my hotel became too much.

Heartland Brewery has some great locations. I like the one at the base of the Empire State, good food and a large bar downstairs if needed. I like their Indian River Light and they also do a very good sampler platter with 8 of their beers to try.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Heartland Brewery has some great locations. I like the one at the base of the Empire State, good food and a large bar downstairs if needed. I like their Indian River Light and they also do a very good sampler platter with 8 of their beers to try.

Indeed. I went to the Port Authority Bus venue. I think I sampled all their beers the night the marathon was cancelled....although not in sample size.

 

[sydney]

Haha, I mean a case, a box of 24 bottles! Saw it in an offie, they only had one case, now that have no cases

Re: Purple poo, that might be a sign you've overdone it a bit!

i could be but i'll blame the beetroot for the moment........melbourne cup yesterday....OUCH

 

[BadFish]

I have just finished making an all grain copy of a Sierra Nevada IPA.

Just gone in the fermenter.

Still got a week or to to wait for the last one to finish in the bottles.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I took in the very fine Old Brewery in The Royal Navy College post Charlton. It's run by Meantime and has an excellent selection of their craft beers: Juniper IPA, London IPA, Yakima Red, London Stout and the mighty American Quad all went down the Tubthumper hatch tonight.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

The IPA served in The North Laine (old Gloucester) pub brewed on site is very good indeed.

 

[Pevenseagull]

dunno if this counts but it is f***ing lovely

 

[BadFish]

I can drink three pints of my home brew (oooooo big man) with no hint of a headache. Went to the pub and had a couple of peroni's headache in the morning. Real beer without all the added shit is the way to go.

 

[spig100963]

At present there are big tax breaks for small brewers under a certain barrelage. Hence all these small local breweries springing up.

Happy days.