Craft beer

[Tongs ya bas]

28 minutes ago, Padge said:

As I keep saying Craft is meaningless, it's become a marketing slogan.

It is the "Home Made" of the brewing industry.

 

Exactly

[Tongs ya bas]

25 minutes ago, chuffer said:

yeh sorry I probably didn't put that point across well. I don't think all independent breweries taste the same. Some are great and definitely pre-date the craft fad, I hold Sam Smiths in that regard which is in stark contrast to its next door neighbour john smiths in tadcaster (owned by Scottish and Newcastle or Heineken now maybe) which churn out bland, mass-produced cack for several brands such as Kronenbourg, fosters, john smiths, Heineken etc). But I think the craft beer fad has turned lots of drinkers toward breweries like Sam smiths, me and my mates are big fans whereas we may not have necessarily "discovered" it had there not been an explosion in decent beer which has educated us a bit more. You could perhaps attribute that to the increase of the "craft" beer thing, dunno....we didnt intend to get on any bandwagon but I appreciate the resulting variety and range of stuff that's out there now....i will walk straight out of a pub if all you can see on tap is fosters, Guinness, tetleys/worthys, strongbow and stella...if they do bass or pedigree then maybe I'll stay but now now I'm looking for stuff I've never tasted before

Yes

[Futtocks]

1 hour ago, Padge said:

As I keep saying Craft is meaningless, it's become a marketing slogan.

It is the "Home Made" of the brewing industry.

It is the "artisan" of the brewing industry. A term applied to all sorts of products; some good, some bad, some average.

A small independent brewery should, in theory, take risks and try new ideas that an industry behemoth could afford to... but usually doesn't. However, what it usually means is "Oh Christ, not another IPA!"

[chuffer]

25 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

It is the "artisan" of the brewing industry. A term applied to all sorts of products; some good, some bad, some average.

A small independent brewery should, in theory, take risks and try new ideas that an industry behemoth could afford to... but usually doesn't. However, what it usually means is "Oh Christ, not another IPA!"

you're right and if I was starting up a new brewery I would be loathe to push yet another IPA for that very reason

[Bob8]

7 hours ago, chuffer said:

you're right and if I was starting up a new brewery I would be loathe to push yet another IPA for that very reason

If you were thinking in terms of the market, you would not be setting up as a micro-brewery.  That is not really a commercial decision. 

If you just happen to have the equipment lying around, then there is a market for the IPA and it is easy to make and easy to cover up mistakes.

[shaun mc]

The small brewers will generally start with basic brews though - blonde ale, amber ale, dark ale, porter until they get used to brewing - what works and what doesn't, the capabilities of the kit they have etc. They will waste less developing their take on the basic styles of beer. They will also be well down the pecking order in terms of access to the best malt and hops. And then they have to get someone to buy it. Once established then there's more development of different brews. No-one makes a rhubarb saison with motueka hops as their first one

[Padge]

Speaking of Saison, I have just been to Crete and we found a small bar that was selling a local brewed Saison at 6.5% and a local IPA at 10%. It isn't just the usual suspect nations that have taken the new trend for micro-brewing to heart. By the way both were very nice.

[longboard]

12 hours ago, Futtocks said:

It is the "artisan" of the brewing industry. A term applied to all sorts of products; some good, some bad, some average.

A small independent brewery should, in theory, take risks and try new ideas that an industry behemoth could afford to... but usually doesn't. However, what it usually means is "Oh Christ, not another IPA!"

I saw a beer recently advertised in a hostelry as "artisan craft ale." Jasus. I asked the bar man if it was low calorie, ethically sourced and organic. He said he'd have to ask the manager. I said that I was only joking. He didn't get it. He looked at me as if I was some kind of header.

[Bob8]

2 hours ago, Padge said:

Speaking of Saison, I have just been to Crete and we found a small bar that was selling a local brewed Saison at 6.5% and a local IPA at 10%. It isn't just the usual suspect nations that have taken the new trend for micro-brewing to heart. By the way both were very nice.

Denmark and the USA both jumped onto craft beer with great eagerness.  In both cases, the existing beer and alcohol market was pretty dire (beer culture utterly dominated by bland macro-pilsner), while there was plenty of wealth around.

Of course, now that they have a reasonable scene, they both think they are the best in the world.

[Futtocks]

Is there a craft beer scene in Australia? Surely it can't be hard to improve on the mainstream stuff there.

[Griff9of13]

2 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Is there a craft beer scene in Australia? Surely it can't be hard to improve on the mainstream stuff there.

Yes there is, quite small but growing according to my mate who lives in Hobart Tasmania.

[Bob8]

3 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Is there a craft beer scene in Australia? Surely it can't be hard to improve on the mainstream stuff there.

Ireland and Australia seem to be two beer drinking nations where large commercial breweries have managed to maintain a strong hold.  The craft ale scene is growing in both, but not as much as Denmark or the USA, perhaps because the beer scene was not as dire as either of those two.

[Tongs ya bas]

13 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

Ireland and Australia seem to be two beer drinking nations where large commercial breweries have managed to maintain a strong hold.  The craft ale scene is growing in both, but not as much as Denmark or the USA, perhaps because the beer scene was not as dire as either of those two.

When I was in New York and Washington a couple of years ago I was surprised by the variety and quality of beers available. I never saw Budweiser or any of the others on sale in any of the many bars I visited. Maybe I just got lucky.

[Bob8]

9 minutes ago, Tongs ya bas said:

When I was in New York and Washington a couple of years ago I was surprised by the variety and quality of beers available. I never saw Budweiser or any of the others on sale in any of the many bars I visited. Maybe I just got lucky.

That is actually quite representative for such metropolitan areas.

It is hard to exaggerate how bed the mass American beer actually is.  I will drink a Stella or Carlsberg, but spat out one of two of the mass American beers.

[Bedford Roughyed]

2 hours ago, Bob8 said:

That is actually quite representative for such metropolitan areas.

It is hard to exaggerate how bed the mass American beer actually is.  I will drink a Stella or Carlsberg, but spat out one of two of the mass American beers.

Get Some Pabat Blue Riband... i'm a hipster... 

[Bob8]

19 minutes ago, Bedford Roughyed said:

Get Some Pabat Blue Riband... i'm a hipster... 

I took one swig.  It was not good.

[Bedford Roughyed]

1 hour ago, Bob8 said:

I took one swig.  It was not good.

But cheap and nice cans.

[Bob8]

Just now, Bedford Roughyed said:

But cheap and nice cans.

If I had any, I would give them to you.

[Futtocks]

I'm sure one of our resident class warriors will be along soon with a claim that this is miles better than "all that expensive poncey stuff".

[gingerjon]

18 hours ago, Bob8 said:

That is actually quite representative for such metropolitan areas.

It is hard to exaggerate how bed the mass American beer actually is.  I will drink a Stella or Carlsberg, but spat out one of two of the mass American beers.

Old Style - you have to drink it if you're a Chicago Cubs fan - is up there with the worst things I have ever willingly put in my mouth.

[gingerjon]

22 hours ago, Bob8 said:

Denmark and the USA both jumped onto craft beer with great eagerness.  In both cases, the existing beer and alcohol market was pretty dire (beer culture utterly dominated by bland macro-pilsner), while there was plenty of wealth around.

Of course, now that they have a reasonable scene, they both think they are the best in the world.

I had some of these in Denmark http://www.wunschdesign.dk/projects/ask-beer/

It cost so much I cried but some very nice beer.

[Ullman]

22 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Is there a craft beer scene in Australia? Surely it can't be hard to improve on the mainstream stuff there.

We had some really good quality beers from breweries I'd never heard of when we were in Queensland. Can't for the life of me remember the names of the beers or breweries though.

[Ullman]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

I'm sure one of our resident class warriors will be along soon with a claim that this is miles better than "all that expensive poncey stuff".

If you asked me to pick one beer as the worst I have ever tasted, that would be the one.

[Robin Evans]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

I'm sure one of our resident class warriors will be along soon with a claim that this is miles better than "all that expensive poncey stuff".

Ahhh memories of being sent to the beer off for a can cos I was the taĺlest and looked the eldest. Bloody horrible gassy pre-widgit sheeite.

[Tongs ya bas]

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