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

[Pogue Mahone]

Me and the Frau were Sunday night regulars at The Ganges along with NSC's Jack Straw. Lovely place. I'm not sure I would be able to make it after 5 pints of Punk IPA though. Merry Xmas!

It was probably not sensible behaviour. There were 12 of us, so somehow we muddled through, but it did get quite messy.

I wish I did remember my curry as I love Ganges!

Happy Christmas. Time to go to the pub.

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Arh, cheeky halves, that explains how you stayed vertical. A crafty, but well thought out plan.

Thank you. Apart from the pint of BORIS I was only taking halves so I am feeling chipper this morning. Good to see the evening shift clocking on for work. Enjoy.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/equity-for-punks-reaches-target-and-closes-early

**** me. They have raised 4.25m from their drinkers.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I have just cracked open a Punk IPA to start the evening. Happy new year all you crafty types. Here's to 2014!

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I have just cracked open a Punk IPA to start the evening. Happy new year all you crafty types. Here's to 2014!

Happy New Year to you too, Mr T. Be careful out there...

Are you going out? What's the weather like?

Absolutely pissing it down here, think Boxing Day, 2am. I will crack open an Erdinger (Asda's finest) at about 6pm. Need to pace myself.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Happy New Year to you too, Mr T. Be careful out there...

Are you going out? What's the weather like?

Absolutely pissing it down here, think Boxing Day, 2am. I will crack open an Erdinger (Asda's finest) at about 6pm. Need to pace myself.

Yup, heading out to Neukolln. An area you and Mrs Mahone know; going bar hopping with a few Deutsch friends. It's still, a clear sky and very very cold. Fireworks are a tradition here and I can see and hear a lot from my apartment. Have a good one and enjoy the Erdinger.

 

[Albumen]

Greene King are making friends again. What do you do with your 'Pub of the Year 2012'? Force it's closure of course.

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/...tter+Daily&c=DcxpGoQUD5+7rl2LwJ0mWQLKHHcK4GUs

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Greene King are making friends again. What do you do with your 'Pub of the Year 2012'? Force it's closure of course.

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/...tter+Daily&c=DcxpGoQUD5+7rl2LwJ0mWQLKHHcK4GUs

Knobs. I feel sorry for the chap. One crumb of comfort is that he built up an award winning pub and beer is a boom industry at the moment. I predict he will be back, bigger and better and without his hands tied by Greene King.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-25594482

Brewdog beer targeted in burglary.

 

[Springal]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-25594482

Brewdog beer targeted in burglary.

Going to fake Brewdog China ?!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Going to fake Brewdog China ?!

Ha ha. Good point!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I am having a cheeky Hardcore IPA on a Sunday afternoon. I'm feeling a bit naughty.

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Well I had a very pleasant evening of craft beer excellence. Blue Mountain Brewery had four of the taps in my local craft emporium, lined up were 'Steel Wheels' ESB, a Stout, an English Pale Mild Ale and 'Dark Hollow' Artisinal Ale - all delightful as you might imagine.

Now enjoying one of their staples, Full Nelson, Virginia Pale Ale.

 

[MJsGhost]

If anyone fancies a treat... there's a double rice IPA on at Craft at the moment. I can't remember which brewery it's from, but it's absolutely DELICIOUS.

It's about 10% abv, so a sipper not a quaffer (and at £5.95 for a half you wouldn't want to chug it anyway!)

Quite possibly the tastiest beer I've tried in there so far...

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Quite amusing video about craft beer snobs. Scary thing is I've seen people just like this in bars in Williamsburg. Like the barman's comment @ 1.45

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Another one bites the dust. Anheuser Busch acquires Blue Point Brewing Co. of New York. Seems they can see the writing on the wall and are buying their way into the craft beer business. Another beer that will have to go on the black list, shame because it’s a great beer.

Anheuser Busch to buy Blue Point.

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Humbug.

Still they will have to go on an almighty big shopping spree to dent the spread of new brewers.

But it does confuse buyers, that's for sure. Even retailers get in on the confusion act, positioning Blue Moon and Shock Top and the like with the true crafts on the shelves. There should be a special aisle for craft beer snobs and another for the unenlightened masses. The poor souls.

 

[vegster]

If anyone fancies a treat... there's a double rice IPA on at Craft at the moment. I can't remember which brewery it's from, but it's absolutely DELICIOUS.

It's about 10% abv, so a sipper not a quaffer (and at £5.95 for a half you wouldn't want to chug it anyway!)

Quite possibly the tastiest beer I've tried in there so far...

I'm off to Belgium in a couple of weeks to stock up on some Rochefort 8's and 10's, some Chimay Blues and some Westmalle Dubbels plus a few try outs, all at considerably less cost than £5.95 a half !

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Humbug.

Still they will have to go on an almighty big shopping spree to dent the spread of new brewers.

But it does confuse buyers, that's for sure. Even retailers get in on the confusion act, positioning Blue Moon and Shock Top and the like with the true crafts on the shelves. There should be a special aisle for craft beer snobs and another for the unenlightened masses. The poor souls.

Brewdog have been developing a craft beer specification so that true craft can carry a badge proclaiming the fact. I read it is based on a US definition; is this used at all?

Whilst the likes of me, you and others on this thread will be able to spot the fraudsters I do worry for others and their now confusing road to enlightenment.

 

[Albumen]

I've never really joined the Brewdog fanclub as in my opinion the beer is overrated. Now I shant be having another one after reading this.

http://snipelondon.com/noshup/punk-...-homophobic-as-the-industry-they-rail-against

The independent Scottish brewery Brewdog invited Snipe along with a few dozen other London food writers to a tasting and a creepy rant last night.

The location was the new Brewdog Camden pub, where founders James Watt and Martin Dickie planned to treat the assembled with a tasting of their beers and entertain us with the story of their four-year existence. That’s when it got creepy.

Watt encouraged us to talk to our beer, yes, out loud, to encourage it to ‘open up.’ He then gestured to one of the female servers and said that this is what he would do if he wanted her to ‘open up.’ Weird – but easily brushed away as a poor choice of words. He’s speaking off the cuff, with a beer in his hand, and presumably meant that he wanted the server to feel comfortable and share her thoughts.

Then Watt told us of he and Dickie’s experience at some young entrepreneur’s award interview. This ‘feminist,’ he complained, was upset at the portrayal of women in their marketing material, including the fetishisation of lesbians. Watt did not use the word fetishisation.

A feminist quizzed us on the appropriateness of calling a beer ‘Trashy Blonde’ and using the word ‘lesbian’ in some of our promotional material. To which Martin responded;
‘I have nothing against lesbians at all, in fact I have some DVDs at home of just lesbians’. It went down like a lead balloon and we did not win this award.
I don’t recall if that’s the exact quote or not – but close enough, it’s a cut and paste from the Brewdog blog.

Here’s the kind of marketing material that dirty feminist was speaking of:

“A titillating, neurotic, peroxide, punk of a pale ale. Combining attitude, style, substance and a little bit of low self esteem for good measure; what would your mother say?

You really should just leave it alone…

…but you just can’t get the compulsive malt body and gorgeous dirty blonde colour out of your head. The seductive lure of the sassy passion fruit hop proves too much to resist. All that is even before we get onto the fact that there are no additives preservatives, pasteurization or strings attached.

All wrapped up with the customary BrewDog bite and imaginative twist. This trashy blonde is going to get you into a lot of trouble.”
(From A FemALE View)

And it wasn’t a one off, this we’re-a-couple-of-losers-who-made-good schtick is a regular part of the show. They’ve told the same anecdote over and over to other audiences.

In the end, Brewdog’s ‘Beer for Punks’ is mere branding, as manufactured as their mid-90s David Carson aesthetic.