Official middle-aged man's Craft Beer thread

Questions · Feb 14, 2014

Pogue Mahone said:
Hmmm, Beerbods you say? My birthday soon, this sounds like a gift I deserve.

I think you must be worth 36 quid. Commence hint dropping. The thing is you are supposed to drink one on a Thursday night and then log in and talk s.hit about it online (bit like we do on this thread ) but I had the Rochfort 6 on the first night and got a bit carried and had a few more.

Pogue Mahone · Feb 14, 2014

Questions said:
I think you must be worth 36 quid. Commence hint dropping.

You're a gent.

My hint dropping might be quite overt.

Normal Rob · Feb 14, 2014

Cesar Chavez said:
Judging by your language I'd say you need to relax! You don't have to read and post on the thread. A few of us enjoy our beer, are excited by the current revoltion in beer, spearheaded by 'craft' brewers, the fact that the new guys on the block are shaking up the big brewers who have done a lot to reduce variety and innovation over the years. It's becoming an international movement, so you're British comment is wide of the market and somewhat confusing.

Fair comment. But it is the word 'craft' that does you no favours. I'm all for inventiveness in ale. But don't use a trend following term, favoured by companies like Starbucks etc, to describe good beer. It smacks of desperation.

Questions · Feb 14, 2014

Normal Rob said:
Fair comment. But it is the word 'craft' that does you no favours. I'm all for inventiveness in ale. But don't use a trend following term, favoured by companies like Starbucks etc, to describe good beer. It smacks of desperation.

What about Artisan then ? Now that gets my goat so maybe you can come up with a term to describe a non cask quality beer Rob.

Normal Rob · Feb 14, 2014

Questions said:
What about Artisan then ? Now that gets my goat so maybe you can come up with a term to describe a non cask quality beer Rob.

Why do you have to have a term? Beer is beer.

Questions · Feb 14, 2014

Normal Rob said:
Why do you have to have a term? Beer is beer.

But this is about bottle and keg beers though Rob. Not cask, which I happen to spend the majority of my drinking time on as it happens. I don't know why you can't chip in with some decent posts about the beers you recommend rather than just argue about what it's called. It's an ambiguous term...... So what...... Just drink the stuff.

Herr Tubthumper · Feb 15, 2014

Questions said:
I think you must be worth 36 quid. Commence hint dropping. The thing is you are supposed to drink one on a Thursday night and then log in and talk s.hit about it online (bit like we do on this thread ) but I had the Rochfort 6 on the first night and got a bit carried and had a few more.

I really like the idea of BeerBods but in my case I'm not sure the Frau would see the point in paying 36 quid for me to drink beer and talk shite; she currently gets this service for free.

Cesar Chavez · Feb 15, 2014

Your post suggests you are rather missing the point, all beer is not equal, that's why the new wave of independents started brewing to add some variety and taste, as well as reviving 'lost' styles and ingredients. I further suggest you do some research as opposed to posting ill thought out comments. If I were to say 'cars are cars' would you be comfortable with the suggestion that they are all the same?

Normal Rob said:
Why do you have to have a term? Beer is beer.

Herr Tubthumper · Feb 15, 2014

Cesar Chavez said:
Your post suggests you are rather missing the point, all beer is not equal, that's why the new wave of independents started brewing to add some variety and taste, as well as reviving 'lost' styles and ingredients. I further suggest you do some research as opposed to posting ill thought out comments. If I were to say 'cars are cars' would you be comfortable with the suggestion that they are all the same?

I also think it is far to say this new wave of brewers have stoked interest in cask/real ale as well. This was certainly the case for me.

Normal Rob · Feb 15, 2014

Cesar Chavez said:
Your post suggests you are rather missing the point, all beer is not equal, that's why the new wave of independents started brewing to add some variety and taste, as well as reviving 'lost' styles and ingredients. I further suggest you do some research as opposed to posting ill thought out comments. If I were to say 'cars are cars' would you be comfortable with the suggestion that they are all the same?

You really are taking self importance and smugness to a new level. Beer is beer, and yes, cars are cars. 'Craft' is just a crap term .Deal with it.

Herr Tubthumper · Feb 15, 2014

Normal Rob said:
You really are taking self importance and smugness to a new level. Beer is beer, and yes, cars are cars. 'Craft' is just a crap term .Deal with it.

Fine. We get your point. Can you just leave us alone now?

Normal Rob · Feb 15, 2014

Herr Tubthumper said:
Fine. We get your point. Can you just leave us alone now?

Certainly. For the record I reiterate that I am not against the actual creativity behind the beer. I hope that you continue to enjoy your drinking.

Cesar Chavez · Feb 15, 2014

Well the industry seems quite comfortable using it to differentiate the smaller batch brews from the mass produced, mass marketed products. The bigger brewers who are trying to move into the space have also adopted the term. I'd susuggest you are in a bit of a minority here, especially on this thread. You deal with that, and then go and argue some other point that particular bothers you on the appropriate thread.

Normal Rob said:
You really are taking self importance and smugness to a new level. Beer is beer, and yes, cars are cars. 'Craft' is just a crap term .Deal with it.

Cesar Chavez · Feb 15, 2014

Good, bye bye.

Normal Rob said:
Certainly. For the record I reiterate that I am not against the actual creativity behind the beer. I hope that you continue to enjoy your drinking.

Herr Tubthumper · Feb 15, 2014

Something else I have learnt today is NOT to pour yourself a 10% Imperial Stout as you sit down to do your German homework.

beorhthelm · Feb 15, 2014

Cesar Chavez said:
Your post suggests you are rather missing the point, all beer is not equal, that's why the new wave of independents started brewing to add some variety and taste, as well as reviving 'lost' styles and ingredients. I further suggest you do some research as opposed to posting ill thought out comments. If I were to say 'cars are cars' would you be comfortable with the suggestion that they are all the same?

i'd say your missing a point too. "craft" beer is an american term, defining small breweries not making lager (because thats all americans know otherwise). we already have a prefect good term for this: ale. i do slightly dislike the spread of the term "craft" other here, as it implies everything else is without any craft. a bit like how "real" has been used when really they mean cask conditioned. my bottle of Arundel Gold, Harveys Old, or Hogs back TEA seem pretty real to me. the "new wave of indepedents" presumably excludes the Harveys and other established local brewers that have stayed the course. adding variety and taste is all too often throwing in lots of Cascade, Citra or Nelson Sauvin for a heavy citrus flavour. but if as you say the industry is happy with it and the big brewers are happy to use "craft", maybe it will die off itself and we can just back to enjoying our ales, regardless of the brewers size.

Questions · Feb 15, 2014

beorhthelm said:
i'd say your missing a point too. "craft" beer is an american term, defining small breweries not making lager (because thats all americans know otherwise). we already have a prefect good term for this: ale. i do slightly dislike the spread of the term "craft" other here, as it implies everything else is without any craft. a bit like how "real" has been used when really they mean cask conditioned. my bottle of Arundel Gold, Harveys Old, or Hogs back TEA seem pretty real to me. the "new wave of indepedents" presumably excludes the Harveys and other established local brewers that have stayed the course. adding variety and taste is all too often throwing in lots of Cascade, Citra or Nelson Sauvin for a heavy citrus flavour. but if as you say the industry is happy with it and the big brewers are happy to use "craft", maybe it will die off itself and we can just back to enjoying our ales, regardless of the brewers size.

Not sure anyone has said you can't just enjoy your ales but when I think of a craft beer I'm thinking bottle or keg and certainly not a cask conditioned ale. So I think the term is fine.

Herr Tubthumper · Feb 15, 2014

beorhthelm said:
i'd say your missing a point too. "craft" beer is an american term, defining small breweries not making lager (because thats all americans know otherwise). we already have a prefect good term for this: ale. i do slightly dislike the spread of the term "craft" other here, as it implies everything else is without any craft. a bit like how "real" has been used when really they mean cask conditioned. my bottle of Arundel Gold, Harveys Old, or Hogs back TEA seem pretty real to me. the "new wave of indepedents" presumably excludes the Harveys and other established local brewers that have stayed the course. adding variety and taste is all too often throwing in lots of Cascade, Citra or Nelson Sauvin for a heavy citrus flavour. but if as you say the industry is happy with it and the big brewers are happy to use "craft", maybe it will die off itself and we can just back to enjoying our ales, regardless of the brewers size.

FFS it's just a name/term to differentiate between cask and keg beers. Why get your knickers in a twist over it?

Pogue Mahone · Feb 15, 2014

beorhthelm said:
i'd say your missing a point too. "craft" beer is an american term, defining small breweries not making lager (because thats all americans know otherwise). we already have a prefect good term for this: ale. i do slightly dislike the spread of the term "craft" other here, as it implies everything else is without any craft. a bit like how "real" has been used when really they mean cask conditioned. my bottle of Arundel Gold, Harveys Old, or Hogs back TEA seem pretty real to me. the "new wave of indepedents" presumably excludes the Harveys and other established local brewers that have stayed the course. adding variety and taste is all too often throwing in lots of Cascade, Citra or Nelson Sauvin for a heavy citrus flavour. but if as you say the industry is happy with it and the big brewers are happy to use "craft", maybe it will die off itself and we can just back to enjoying our ales, regardless of the brewers size.

Craft beers and Ales are NOT the same thing - I like a good ale, but the spread of craft beers has taken my interest in beer to a new level. It's a bit simplistic to say that if it's not lager, it's ale - especially as some of the beers that are termed as craft call themselves lager...

It's not about the size of the breweries. I'd be delighted if the larger ones provided beers that taste as good as some of those that I have discovered as a result of this thread. In my experience, few do.

Nobody is excluding Harveys etc because they are not new. Harveys beers are just fine, and I'll happily have a drink in a Harveys pub.

I'd prefer to sample the beers on offer in The Craft Beer Co, The Southover or The Wick, though. Personal taste - there you go.

beorhthelm · Feb 15, 2014

Pogue Mahone said:
It's not about the size of the breweries.

the origin of the term is exactly that, its comes from America to define breweries producing less than a few million barrels a year. it has become used to descibe what were called microbreweries over here until recently. but seemingly excluding all the smaller indie brewers as i say (in the american rules they would be classified as such). i'll concede there can be "craft" lagers, but the vast majority of what is called craft is ale in brewing style. its good that you've gained an interest in beer, though there are many varied and interesting ales on the shelves that havent seen fit to put "craft" anywhere on their labels or marketing.

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