BEER Winter 2010 by Think Publishing

BEER

PLUS

DES DE MOOR GRAHAM HOLTER KEN LIVINGSTONE KELLY RYAN

ISSUE TEN WINTER 2010

TRIED

TASTED £3.95

BRITISH ALES

TASTE: THE DIFFERENCE THE CHANGING FLAVOURS OF BEER

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BEER ¦ inside

contents Regulars

EERD BUE DG

J D’S WORL S E B TSHIP ER E MEMB ZIN MAGA

05 Welcome

Drinking beer is much more than enjoying malt and hops – it’s about reviving memories

35 Pub tour

Make your drinking plans for the Sheffield Members’ Weekend in April next year

38 Food

Chop, chop… if you like hearty English fare, head for Cambridge with Susan Nowak

45 Bottled beer

Des de Moor seeks out special brews that are good enough to give as gifts

47 Your shout

Did our taste-testers actually like cider?

49 Roger Protz

Triple or Tripel? There’s more than just spelling that separates the two beer styles

55 Home brew

The phrase winter warmer may be evocative to beer lovers, but it does limit the appeal of products that can be enjoyed across the seasons page 14

Feeling brown? Then this selection of mild recipes should put a smile on your face

57 Get quizzic-ale

BEER’s brainteaser gets no easier

61 Newsround

Real ale bucks beer sales decline, cider pub crown shared, plus festivals latest

66 Last orders

Former MP and London Mayor Ken Livingstone is now fighting for pubs

28 Jon Snow

Pub campaigning gets the Channel 4 newsreader and journalist fired up

Features

32 Beer garden

06 Changing tastes

40 Battle of the British?

14 Inn season

50 Bother to boycott?

16 Cider with Barny

53 Knock on wood

22 Abbaye habit

58 Top 10

Des de Moor explores claims that today’s beers are blander than those of the past Graham Holter asks if winter warmers are now too hot for drinkers He may be a CAMRA champion by accident, but his great cider is no fluke A trip to Orval with Sharp’s head brewer was just too good to miss for Adrian Tierney-Jones

Not a place for alfresco drinking, but Kent is where hops take centre stage With national honour at stake, two brews from each country take on their neighbours Are brewery boycotts effective campaigning tools or are they now counter-productive? Grain on grain – just what happens when you let beer go to work in wooden casks? Campaigners pick their 10 top interiors as revamped Heritage Pubs website goes live WINTER 2010 BEER 03

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BEER ¦ from the editor

welcome

Taste is a very funny thing. So personal, so subjective, but so likely

We re Twitter ‒ now on follow searchin g for WB us by andBEER Find out about oth CAMRA T er and Face witter feeds book gro up www.ca mra.org.u s at k

to arouse huge passions and arguments across a pub table. Even in the relatively controlled environment of a blind judging, it’s great to see just how wide a gamut of opinions and preferences there are for particular flavours in beers – and the extremes of emotion a good or bad beer can create. Step outside into the real world and even more emotive factors come into play. Smell and taste are the two senses that spark off nostalgia more than any. And who knows if you’re really Kelly Ryan New Zealander Kelly is part of the international line-up that is Thornbridge s innovative brewing team. tasting the beer in front of you, or reliving Inspired by a Belgian brewing professor, he has a degree memories of your first pint with your father, good in food science so he is well qualified to explain just what nights with friends and decades of history. happens to beer when it is stored in wooden casks. Our feature on taste includes one story about Ken Livingstone Better known for his reptiles passion than fans complaining a beer changed taste even before beer ‒ an early life drinking Newcastle Brown can t have helped. But the former MP and London Mayor is fired up it had moved breweries, and many brewers who over the dwindling number of pubs in the capital, and is have been involved in matching beers have similar campaigning to secure the future of those that remain. stories. This isn’t to ridicule those who swear their Des de Moor Our resident bottled beer expert spent favourite beer has changed when it moves location part of August as a volunteer at the Great British Beer Festival, dispensing advice and brews behind the Bières – even though it’s impossible to do a back-to-back Sans Frontières bar. Fortunately, Des also found time to test. While those in the red-lit room, drinking investigate why we enjoy beer ‒ it s all a matter of taste. from the black glasses and sketching flavour Adrian Tierney-Jones Drinking Double Diamond at the graphs may be able to tell you there is no empirical age of 11 has not stopped Adrian pursuing a career as a difference between the beer you remember and the drinks writer or winning awards for his work, which covers both cider and beer. He indulged his passion for both in one that now exists, there’s this issue, travelling to Belgium and closer-to-home Devon. a lot more going on than simple science. Graham Holter One-time editor of Off Licence News and Pulling a pint does far more than fill a glass. former news editor of the Morning Advertiser, Graham not More often than not, it’s tapping into a wealth of only knows a lot about drink, but can write about it as well. memories and it’s no surprise that we do a lot of Now a busy freelance journalist, fortunately for us, he is a lot better at that than he is at running half-marathons. our tasting with our heart, rather than our tongue.

GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

BEER Editor: Tom Stainer (tom.stainer@camra.org.uk) Sub-editor: Kim Adams Published by: CAMRA Ltd Produced on behalf of CAMRA by: Think Publishing, The Pall Mall Deposit, 124-128 Barlby Road, London W10 6BL Tel: 020 8962 3020 Group art director: Jes Stanfield Advertising: Tom Fountain (tom.fountain@thinkpublishing.co.uk) Managing director: Polly Arnold Cover illustration: Oscar Wilson Printed by: Southernprint Ltd, 17-21 Factory Road, Upton Industrial Estate, Poole, Dorset BH16 5SN. BEER is printed on Tauro offset which is PEFC accredited, meaning it comes from wellmanaged and sustainable forests. It is whitened using a Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) process and produced at a mill that is certified to the ISO14001 environmental management standard.

BEER is the quarterly magazine of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). CAMRA campaigns for real ale, real pubs and consumer rights. It is an independent, voluntary organisation with more than 110,000 members and has been described as the most successful consumer group in Europe. BEER magazine is sent free to CAMRA members every three months, and our campaigning newspaper, What s Brewing, is posted to members, free of charge, every month. To join CAMRA, help preserve Britain s brewing and pub industry, get BEER and What s Brewing free ‒ and a host of other membership beneﬁts ‒ visit www.camra.org.uk CAMRA is a company limited by guarantee, run at a national level by an elected unpaid board of directors (the National Executive) and at regional level by its Regional Directors, both backed by a full-time professional staﬀ. CAMRA promotes good-quality real ale and pubs, as well as acting as the consumer s champion in relation to the UK and European beer and drinks industry. It aims to: 1. Protect and improve consumer rights 2. Promote quality, choice and value for money 3. Support the public house as a focus of community life 4. Campaign for greater appreciation of traditional beers, ciders and perries and the public house as part of our national heritage and culture 5. Seek improvements in all licensed premises and throughout the brewing industry. BEER magazine will only carry editorial and advertising which helps promote these aims and we only accept advertisement for bottle- or cask-conditioned products. Average net circulation for the period Jan-Dec 2009: 76,965

Campaign For Real Ale Limited 230 Hatﬁeld Road, St Albans, Herts AL1 4LW Tel: 01727 867201 Fax: 01727 867670

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THE TASTES THEY ARE ACHANGIN’

is it just nostalgia or are today’s beers just bland, dumbed-down versions of the brews we remember from years gone by? Des de Moor investigates

illustrations: oscar wilson

You don’t have to spend too much time among

seasoned drinkers before hearing the opinion that “things ain’t what they used to be”. This or that beer, you’ll be told, has changed since the good old days, and probably for the worse: dumbed down, blander, a pale shadow of its former self. And there are big problems in working out whether such sentiments are based on fact or nostalgia. First, there’s the question of how objective our senses and memories are. Second, beer is a perishable product, and the brews of yesterday aren’t around in a form that allows us to make a direct comparison. And third, the fact is beers change all the time, through deliberate tweaks to recipes, natural variations in the brewing process and the effects of transport, storage and dispense. Let’s begin with what happens when a drinker tastes a beer. The human tongue can distinguish only four primary tastes – salty, sweet, sour and bitter. But we also experience flavour through smell – our noses can distinguish thousands of odours, and beer has plenty, both from the glass and in the mouth. And then there are sensations such as temperature, viscosity and the prickle of carbon dioxide bubbles.

Few of us are used to being discriminating about our taste and smell – we just let our brains put the total impression together and decide whether we like it or not. And so much of our enjoyment of particular beers is wrapped up in the associations we have with them. That oddly-named lager you quaffed on your best-ever holiday may be a characterless affair when all’s said and done, but it brings back happy memories. Brewing professionals have more objective ways

of detecting and distinguishing flavours. Many aspects of beer flavour can be measured using lab tests – for example, bitterness and residual sugars. However, beer chemistry is complex and, despite scientific advance, some aspects remain mysterious. Ale yeasts, for example, produce all sorts of complex flavour components. Perceptually, flavours interact, so, for example, high gravities make beers with high bitterness taste less so than expected. Strangely enough, one essential instrument for the objective assessment of beer flavour in all its complexity is the trained human palate, in the form of tasting panels which are either employed directly wintEr 2010 BEER 07

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feature | TASTE

‘The biggest barrier is that people don’t have confidence in their own senses. Once trained, they often don’t go on to participate in the panels as they’re afraid of making a mistake – but there isn’t such a thing as a mistake’ by bigger breweries or outsourced to consultants. Kamini Dickie, now a technical journalist but formerly a manager of sensory panels for food and drink consultancy Campden BRI, explains. “There’s a big difference between professional

tasters and the general consumer or even more discriminating tasters like beer writers and brewers. We call general tasting organoleptic – it’s more subjective, and people are making a judgement about whether they like or dislike what they taste. Trained tasters, on the other hand, use their senses like an instrument, detecting and measuring specific flavour components, fingerprinting the beer and looking for off flavours and technical faults.” These supertasters work in teams in odour-free red-lit rooms, drinking beers from black glasses at a standard temperature of 8°C (46°F). One of the key tools in the trained taster’s toolkit is a specific and limited terminology to describe beer flavours, bringing some order to the sprawling chaos of everyday language. The standard reference is the Beer Flavour Wheel, invented in 1975 by brewing chemist Dr Morten Meilgaard (1928-2009) at the Stroh brewery in Detroit and subsequently adopted internationally by major brewing organisations. This breaks down beer tastes into 44 flavour components grouped into 14 categories. As well as bitter, salty, sour and sweet tastes it covers mouthfeel and fullness, aromas such as resinous, fruity, nutty, malty and caramel, and a number of potentially off flavours, such as soapy, sulphury, oxidised and acidic. Tasters give scores according to the intensity of these components, creating spider diagrams around the spokes of the wheel. Tasters are palate-mapped to adjust for differences in their response, using standard beer flavours such as those sold by FlavorActiV. On the company’s website you’ll find a menu of almost 40 varieties from acetaldehyde (bruised apple flavour) via ethyl butyrate (tropical fruit) and mercaptan (drains, rotten vegetables) to plain old vanilla. All are supplied in capsules to be added in controlled quantities to either water or a light, bland beer.

Sensitivities vary – women are generally more discriminating than men – and some people are genetically unable to detect certain flavours. “All sorts of things can make a difference to the way an individual perceives flavour,” adds Kamini. “Our capacity declines with age, but that is partly compensated by experience. Health and changes in diet, tiredness, even time of day.” Can anyone acquire a more objective appreciation of flavour? Yes, says Christine Cryne, who organises and trains CAMRA’s London tasting panels, representing a more organoleptic and consumer-focused, but still relatively rigorous approach to the subject. “The biggest barrier is that people don’t have confidence in their own senses. Once trained, they often don’t go on to participate in the panels as they’re afraid of making a mistake – but there isn’t such a thing as a mistake. Everyone’s palate’s different and the more people that get involved with tasting beers the better.” Christine helped set up the panels in the 1980s as a way of making the Champion Beer of Britain (CBoB) competition at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) more systematic. Panel members work with standard tasting cards that include terms familiar from the flavour wheel but are rather simpler. There are multiple-choice classifications for such features as style, colour, clarity, head, carbonation and mouthfeel, and space to note the intensity of a limited set of flavour components – malt, roast, caramel, hops, fruit, sweetness, bitterness, sulphur, astringency and yeast – in the aroma, taste and aftertaste on a scale of 0-4. The cards include clear notes on procedure, such

as avoiding strong-flavoured foods, smoking and smelly atmospheres while tasting, but there’s no attempt to reproduce the controlled environment of the professional panel. “In the end the consumer will be drinking in the pub,” says Christine. The guarantee of objectivity is in the standardisation of training and scoring, and in the number of tasters and tastings. “It takes six months to a year for an individual taster to develop

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enough experience,” says Christine. “And in order to be put forward for CBoB a beer has to be tasted in a number of pubs by a number of tasters on a number of occasions.” The panels also supply tasting notes for the Good Beer Guide. Panel members also regularly visit breweries to collect information, establish beer styles and, most importantly, understand brewers’ intentions. “You might identify what you think is an off flavour that’s meant to be there,” says Christine. “There was a Liverpool micro that I was always marking down for sourness, but when we visited the brewery we discovered it was using a Belgian yeast culture, and the sour notes were intentional.” Kamini has a similar story, when a professional

panel was presented with Innis & Gunn and identified the butterscotch note of diacetyl as an off flavour – though it was just what the brewer wanted in this wood-aged beer. “There’s been some discussion recently about revising the flavour wheel,” she says, “to accommodate the more innovative beers, as it does tend to be biased towards mainstream styles.” One thing both the industry and consumer panels are looking for is consistency, at least within certain parameters. With a living product made by complex processes from agricultural ingredients prone to local and seasonal changes, it’s practically impossible to achieve exact identity between one brew and the next. Then there are all the changes that take place after the beer has left the brewery, as a result of maturation, transport, storage and dispense. Ponder this for a moment and you’ll realise that guides to beer are more about the brands, and all those writers offering their authoritative recommendations for brews you simply must try are making a rather problematic leap of faith in the assumption that two separate portions of liquid with the same label or pump clip are, in some meaningful sense, the same. In some sense all beers are a permanent work in progress, with no hope of ever achieving a definitive text.

Now, usually the last thing brewers want is to risk annoying consumers by perceptibly changing the flavour of a popular brand. The drive to discipline the unpredictable and downright ornery behaviour of yeasts, sugars and flavour compounds has been a recurring theme of technological development in the industry. Beer historian Ron Pattinson points out that some of the biggest breweries like Heineken have been known to brew flagship brands in several batches then blend them using trained tasters to help iron out inconsistencies. They’ve also hedged their bets by using several different types of malt and hops in a single beer, so differences will be minimised if supplies of one ingredient fail. Smaller brewers, in contrast, often struggle to ensure consistent supplies and have much reduced technical capacity to control flavour. “Consistency is the biggest problem microbreweries have,” says Christine, “because they don’t have a big enough brewlength and don’t have the buying capacity. A beer can be cracking one day and the next batch is just not the same brew, which is why panels make a point of tasting the same beer several times. But having said that, natural variation can create some of the most fantastic flavours as well.” Smaller brewers do find it easy to respond

creatively to customer reaction. Justin ‘Buster’ Grant of Breconshire brewery is typical in evolving recipes in response both to his consumers’ and his own developing experience. He’s ended up making lots of little changes to brands such as his Golden Valley (4.2 per cent ABV). “I judge the results by how the regulars at the brewery tap respond,” he says. “Mostly they don’t notice, but they soon tell me if they do.” That’s not to say that bigger brewers don’t tweak their beers – a second function of sensory panels is product development, and Kamini says results can be correlated with market research to identify changes thought to be pleasing to the consumer. Brewers also analyse rivals’ brands, but the resulting modifications may not always result in an overall enrichment of the palate.

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Ron Pattinson is convinced mainstream beers have got blander since the 1970s. “Bitter has got less bitter,” he says, “and most of it is down to practices, not ingredients. The test case are beers like Harveys Sussex Best and Timothy Taylor Landlord, which have been brewed the same way for decades. Nowadays they stand out as bitter beers, but in 1973, when I started drinking, they weren’t particularly different from everyone else’s.” He blames the move from open to conical fermenters, particularly if the brewer didn’t bother to tweak the yeast strain at the same time. Beer educator and former brewing chemist Dr George Philliskirk, now director of the Beer Academy, agrees the trend in mainstream beer has been towards blandness, but mainly blames brewers reacting to what they think the market wants. “It’s copycat brewers tasting beers like Carling and thinking because that sells well, their beers should be more like it,” he says. “Then they reduce the odd bitterness unit and over the course of 10 years you end up with bitterness down by 20 per cent.” A challenge facing all brewers is controlling the effects on flavour after the beer leaves the brewery. Readers of BEER will be familiar with the fact that cask- and bottle-conditioned beers are sensitive to storage conditions and treatment in warehouse and cellar. Some beers can improve with age, sometimes over many decades, if you believe those obliged to put best before dates on unpasteurised Belgian lambics, while most deteriorate, but none stay the same. “Keeping and dispense are two of the biggest

issues for beer consistency,” says Dr Philliskirk. “Oxygen is the main enemy. Too many pubs leave casks on too long. And dispense makes a hell of a difference to perception of flavour. When I was head of Carlsberg’s technical department I read about a journalist complaining cask Tetleys just wasn’t the same in London. When I looked into this I soon realised that in Yorkshire it’s served with a pip sparkler that aerates it, whereas in the south it’s served flat, which is not what it’s designed for.” The flavour of Tetleys’ cask beers is bound to be the focus of controversy the next year as they move from Leeds to Marston’s Banks’s brewery in Wolverhampton. “I’m sure Marston’s will make a good fist of it,” he says, “but it’ll face a particular challenge as in Leeds the beers are brewed in Yorkshire square fermenters, which they don’t have in Wolverhampton.” WINTER 2010 BEER 11

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‘We got our first complaint about how the beers had changed for the worse the day after the Wells and Young’s merger was announced, months before we started brewing in Bedford!’ Carlsberg and Marston’s might well learn from the experience of Wells & Young’s, which faced a similar challenge in 2006 when the latter’s historic brewery in Wandsworth, London, closed and production of its well-loved brands was relocated to the 1970s brewery of its partner in Bedford. “This wasn’t an acquisition, it was a merger,” recalls Wells & Young’s head brewer, Jim Robertson. “So we worked closely with Young’s brewer, Ken Don, and his team to do the beers justice. We already had the experience of closely recreating Kirin Ichiban in collaboration with the Japanese brewers.” Young’s had fairly simple traditional ingredients,

such as Maris Otter pale barley malt and Fuggles and Goldings hops, which were already pre-purchased several years in advance, but getting the water right was vital. “Fortunately, Wandsworth used what we call ‘town’s liquor’ – the mains supply – treated with mineral salts. In Bedford we have our own well, but Young’s already treated the mains water so it closely matched the mineral content of ours. The next stage was to train the Young’s yeast, which had been used to open fermenters, so it worked in our conicals. For a while we brewed and sold beer from both Wandsworth and Bedford, side by side, and did lots of testing with our own tasting panels, with brewers, publicans, customers and CAMRA.” How successful was this work? “It’s sometimes said this industry has more experts than any other, and none of them are qualified,” laughs Jim, “and we got our first complaint about how the beers had changed for the worse the day after the merger was announced, months before we started brewing in Bedford! I’d honestly say we didn’t get it completely right until 18 months ago. Given the complexities of a living product, we never said we’d exactly match the beers, but we tried to match them faithfully, within their natural variations. And I think we’ve now achieved that. I’d gingerly suggest they’re now slightly better in terms of consistency than they were at Young’s.” And what about the old regular in the corner of the pub, insisting that beers were much better

in his day? “Making something that people have an opinion about is a rewarding part of my job,” says Jim. “I’d like to know what it is people think isn’t the same, and whether it’s the beer that has changed, or their perception of it. If it’s the beer, is it down to the brewing or the dispense?” “Those conversations can be very difficult,” says Dr Philliskirk, “as you often don’t have the reference points. I’m convinced that the technical quality of beer as it leaves the brewery is better than ever. We do, however, have a problem with variety, and too many cask beers taste exactly the same.” Ron Pattinson agrees: “A century ago you could walk into a pub and have a choice of five or six draught beers, such as bitter, mild, Burton and porter, all completely different in character and with strengths ranging from 3 to 7 or 8 per cent ABV. These days you’re likely to be offered bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter or bitter, all golden or light amber and between 3.7 and 4.5 per cent.” Beer campaigners can help by raising awareness

of beer flavours and the factors that affect them in a rather more objective way, while encouraging brewers to be braver in stretching the palates of more-informed consumers. “The consumer will judge at the end of the day,” concludes Dr Philliskirk, “but we need to help the consumer to make informed choices.” This doesn’t mean expecting everyone to become a sensory instrument, as on the professional panels – Kamini admits that when tasting regularly at this level it can be quite difficult turning the skill off to sit back and enjoy a pint. But the CAMRA panel approach seems to be getting the balance right. “You only do the objective tasting for the first quarter of a pint,” says Christine, “and you’ve got the other three-quarters to enjoy, and an excuse to try the other beers on offer. Beer should be about enjoyment, and I can’t think of a better way to volunteer for CAMRA than tasting beer!” l Contact your local CAMRA branch if you’re

interested in getting involved with tasting panels. WINTER 2010 BEER 13

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feature ¦ SEASONAL ALES

inn season

Strong beers for the coldest months have long been a part of the drinker s calendar, but are winter warmers a little too warming for today s tastes? Graham Holter investigates Italian author Pietro Aretino once said:

“Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.” Not everyone is as charitable. American writer Robert Byrne sums up the feelings of many of us: “Winter is nature’s way of saying, ‘up yours’.” Perhaps they’re both right, in their own way. Pub gardens take on a bleak quality in the coldest months of the year. But inside, amid wafting wood smoke, we can expect a cheery welcome and, with a bit of judicious planning, that most prized of seasonal ales: the winter warmer. Are these beers really works of genius? Well, it can sometimes feel like that on an icy December evening. We all have our own idea about what a winter warmer should be, but matching this to the reality of what’s available is not always easy. Something dense and malty, maybe, perhaps with hints of spice. For some, strength is the key (it’s supposed to be a warmer), meaning the beer is enjoyed slowly, rather than glugged like the golden ales of summer. As ever, beer writer Michael Jackson’s words provide some guidance on these matters. “Winter beers are as much a state of mind as a style,” he observed.

They re tasty, but people look at the ABV and say they can t go out and drink two or three pints. It s not that people don t like Dr Gully s, they just don t like the strength

Brewers were celebrating the winter solstice in pagan times; later, monasteries were producing special beers to commemorate Christ’s birth. These days, Christmas is more a marketing opportunity than a religious festival, and this is reflected in the sometimes gimmicky bottled beers that flood the market from November onwards, many of them destined to fill the stockings of fathers, uncles and brothers everywhere. Graham Donning organises CAMRA’s Winter Ales Festival (19-22 January Sheridan Suite, Manchester, www. alefestival.org.uk/winterales for details). “Many of the larger family and regional breweries tend to re-brew their favourites – Bateman’s Rosy Nosey etc – because they seem to have fewer facilities to

brew shorter, more experimental styles of beer,” he says. “There are, of course, the classics: Marston’s Owd Roger, JW Lees’ Moonraker, Robinson’s Old Tom, and some are beginning to develop styles within those beers, such as Old Tom Ginger and Old Tom Chocolate. “There are also the smaller brewers who have always been experimental and have developed winter beers over the years by sometimes laying beer down to be racked off after a much longer time in the conditioning tanks. Phoenix brewery does this with the beers Tony Allen brews for the winter months and the Marble brewery also brews some excellent winter beers.” Phoenix is promising three strong ales

this winter: Earthquake, a 7.5 per cent ABV IPA matured for three months; Humbug, a hoppy ale at 7 per cent; and Black As Your Hat porter at 7.5 per cent. Dark Star’s 7.8 per cent Christmas beer is called Critical Mass and is another example of a matured beer. One batch is brewed each year, mashed with dark, roasted malt to give a ‘very heavy’ mouthfeel, which is balanced by Challenger and East Kent Golding hops. The phrase ‘winter warmer’ may be evocative to beer lovers, but it does limit the appeal of products that can be enjoyed across the seasons. Nerabus Ale, a 4.8 per cent deep ruby beer produced by Islay Ales with hints of treacle and spices, is now being marketed as a strong mild for precisely this reason. Director Paul Hathaway says: “We brewed it in our first winter, which was 2004-05. In fact, we do four seasonal

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alamy

‘Christmas is more a marketing opportunity than a religious festival, and this is reflected in the sometimes gimmicky bottled beers that flood the market from November onwards, many of them destined to fill the stockings of fathers, uncles and brothers everywhere’ beers, but they ended up being brewed all year round. It’s not our biggest seller, but it does have a following, particularly with Europeans, who like darker beers. “As soon as you start using the words ‘winter warmer’, people think of it as something to drink in the winter rather than at any other time. It’s not a particularly bitter beer. We’re trying to communicate the fact these strong milds are a style of beer in their own right. “We did a festive ale a few years ago with ginger and cinnamon and that went down well, but that was a one-off. We did a beer called Kentucky Kiss, a dark beer based on Nerabus, which spent six weeks in bourbon casks, and that went extremely well. It’s possible that we’ll do it again this year, but we’re only a fourbarrel brewery and it’s a question of if we can find the time to do it,” he says.

Malvern Hills brewery has already decided not to brew its winter ale, Dr Gully’s, this year. Owner Julian Hawthornthwaite says: “Dr Gully’s was pitched at 5.2 per cent, but for whatever reason we always struggle here to sell stronger beers. The last couple of years we’ve brought in a Christmas beer which is a bit more gimmicky and we call it Sozzled Santa (4.2 per cent), and that sells well. Technically, it’s a dark bitter.” Not really a winter warmer, then?

“Winter warmers I’d call beers that are really 5 per cent and over,” he says. “They’re tasty, but a lot of people round here look at the ABV and say they can’t go out and drink two or three pints. It’s not that people don’t like Dr Gully’s, they just don’t like the strength.”

Thomas Sykes Old Ale from Burton Bridge brewery, weighs in at a hefty 10 per cent and has won three awards as a winter ale, although it’s brewed all year. Director Geoff Mumford says: “Of course, it’s more popular in winter. It goes to festivals, more often than not, where people are inclined to be a bit idiotic.” But, he adds, drinkers aren’t seeking strong beers because it’s Christmas. In fact, the opposite may be true. “They’re happy to drink a Christmas beer, but they’ll only go to 4.5 per cent or something like that.” Like most Christmas stockings, winter beers can be a mixed bag. Everyone’s tasted at least one that resembles liquidised Christmas pudding. But the best are a tribute to the brewer’s art. In an age where golden ales are dominant, we should raise a glass to dark beers. WINTER 2010 BEER 15

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interview ¦ SANDFORD

of pick thecrop

Down a long lane in Devon, Adrian Tierney-Jones ﬁnds the man who won CAMRA s National Cider of the Year title by accident Photographs Charlie Best

Cider is a drink rooted in the soil and

the countryside and this is never truer than in the West Country. Travel the Somerset Levels or wander through Taunton Vale and cider’s age-old link with the land is all too visible as orchard after orchard is passed, trees billowing and flowery with blossom in the early summer, then plump and pregnant with autumn fruit. Cider-makers also have an affinity with the land (arguably even more so than the brewer), a connection that shouldn’t surprise when you consider that so many of them have farming in the blood. One such cider-maker is Barny Butterfield (a name seemingly straight out of a Tolkien novel) of Sandford Orchards. His Devon Scrumpy (6 per cent ABV) is Britain’s current champion cider, a gorgeous drop of golden sunshine made on his 200-acre farm that sits within rolling hills on the edge of the market town of Crediton. “Come and see the pigs,” he says on the sunny morning I arrive, after driving down a long lane. As we reach a field bordered by electric wire and dotted with pig arks, a grunting, demonstrative crowd of Gloucestershire Old Spots rushes towards him – never has the

pig’s oft-quoted resemblance to the dog seemed more correct. These free-range animals are just one example of Barny’s belief in sustainability and living the good life. “I believe food production should be about natural processes,” he says, “and that there should be no shortcuts. The same goes for cider-making. I get a great kick from picking the apples and then pressing them. The pulp goes to the pigs and helps to keep the ground fertile. I remember sitting in a seminar being told about bio-fuels and the like and I said that we have had things like that in Devon for centuries, with cob walls, log fires and cesspits.” As well as making award-winning cider,

delicious apple juice and keeping pigs, Barny also farms poultry and cattle. This father of two young children occasionally finds time for the odd game of rugby and even admits that the idea of brewing his own beer is bubbling away in his mind. He is a man seemingly possessed with inexhaustible reserves of energy. Perhaps it helps that he’s a young 33-year-old, a passionate apostle of fine cider and the good times that it brings. Here is a man who says that the best

RIGHT: Where it all began ‒ Barny among the apple trees that provided the vital ingredient for a cider champion

thing about producing cider is “making a drink that is the oldest natural drink made on this island; the worst is the pressure of maintaining the standard, I am certainly my own harshest critic”. Back from the pigs, in a massive shed in which the plastic food-grade fermenting vessels stand, he offers me a glass of the medium-dry champion cider. It’s orange and opaque in complexion, with apple and a hint of pear on the nose. Further contemplation of the aroma brings forth hints of ginger and the sort of floweriness that conjures a hot summer’s day in a hedged country lane. On the palate there’s a soft cream-soda kind of character, though without the fizz and sweetness; the long finish signs off with a good balance of sweetness and tannic dryness. I ask him what sort of apples he uses, but he’s not divulging. “All I will say,” he admits, “is that it is a particular blend of bittersweet and bittersharp. It is a classic Devon cider, full-bodied and distinctly bittersweet; rich, rounded and full of ripe fruit, with a long finish.”

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‘He is a man seemingly possessed with inexhaustible reserves of energy. Perhaps it helps that he’s a young 33-year-old, a passionate apostle of fine cider and the good times that it brings’

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SANDFORD | interview The award came as a bolt out of the blue. After all, he had other things on his mind. Wife Marie had given birth to their second child a month before and he had completely forgotten that he’d supplied the CAMRA Reading Beer and Cider Festival, where the competition takes place. When he got the call announcing his success, out he went to hug his fermenting vessels; he even admits to shedding the odd tear. As with brewers it’s the same with cider-makers: the award has been good for business. “When it came to the award, we knew what we were doing was right and it has really helped the business,” he says. “I love making cider, but when you are going out into the market, which is a competitive and difficult one to break into, having this sort of award helps to persuade people of how good it is.” Barny is a local lad, having grown up

in the nearby village of Sandford, where the Lamb pub sells his cider. Naturally, in an area like this, which has always been known for its ciders, he was an apple man (though he does admit to a liking for hoppy beers, including those from the US). After a spell studying philosophy at university, he returned home, pulled back by the prospect of farming. “I had worked on farms since my teens,” he says. “Once you catch the farming bug, you’re hooked.” He started making his own cider in 2000, though it wasn’t until several years later that he went commercial. As to his motivation for cider-making, he paints a rather modest picture. “I felt that my farm worker’s salary wasn’t good enough to be able to buy the amount of cider a young man usually needs, so I had two choices. I could have taken on more overtime, which would have been thoroughly demoralising, or make my own. So I went for the latter. I knew many local farmers and they let me have a few apples. I took them to a local cider-maker and had them pressed. My friends and I thought the first batch of cider wonderful, but in hindsight it was drunk far too young and raw.” Sandford

‘When it came to the award, we knew what we were doing was right and it has really helped the business. I love making cider, but when you are going out into the market, having this sort of award helps to persuade people of how good it is’

ABOVE: ‘Born on a farm – squashed in a barn’ is the Sandford website slogan and perfectly captures this artisanal producer

Orchards became a commercial concern in 2003, getting its own press in 2004. Crediton always had a good reputation for cider apples according to Barny. “We’re on red land; it drains well, has a good pH and therefore is good for cider apples. Around here is a real hotspot for true cider-makers, both farmers and commercial. I am friends with many of them. It has the same feel as we have with farming: this is what we do here.” Barny is a classic artisanal cidermaker, using a mill, building a cheese within woven sheets to hold in the juice. No shortcuts are taken and you just instinctively know that he won’t be offering ice cubes when pouring his cider. Only fresh apples are used (no concentrate), and are either grown WINTER 2010 BEER 19

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SANDFORD | interview

on the farm or come from within a 10-mile radius. His actions suggest that he’s in it for the long run. In the past 12 months 2,000 trees have been planted on his land – later on he shows me many of them, mere striplings protected by man-high, deer-proof fencing. Apples are pressed between October and late December, while yeast from the apple skins kick-starts fermentation. They then sleep the sleep of the just in fermenting vessels. “You cannot put a high-enough value on keeping the cider-making process clean,” Barny says. Vintage Cider is made in late summer by storing some of it in rum hogsheads. A mixture of draught and bottled ciders is produced. As well as the Scrumpy, I try the bottle-conditioned

CloCkwISe From top leFt: 2007 Vintage Cider ready for bottling; local orchard delivers its crop; labels capture Sandford ethos; it’s a team effort on the bottling line

once a cowshed. Its materials are part cob (red, as this was the colour of the soil) and part breeze block; the floor is cobbled, with a drain down the middle.

Old Kirton, a Sahara-dry 6 per cent ABV cider, which is straw-pressed. Limpid in the glass, it’s dark orange, and possessed of a dry and earthy farmyard-like nose, reminiscent of the scent of fresh-pressed apples. It’s acidic and dry and has a toe curler of a sour finish. Be warned: the label says ‘not for the novice’. If we put cider in a family of alcoholic drinks then this would be kissing cousins with a hardcore lambic like Cantillon’s Grand Cru Bruocsella (5 per cent). Before I leave, Barny takes me to the site of his next project, an ivy-clad barn,

It’s shadowy with a sense of age and

dilapidation. Old wooden barrels sit at the back of the barn, a clue to its future use. This is to be the shop, where tastings and sales will be the order of the day. How much more work is still needed, I ask, thinking about other cider-makers’ retail outlets I have seen. “Not much,” he laughs. “I don’t want my customers getting used to luxury.” Not when there’s good cider to be drunk. l Find out more about Sandford cider at www.sandfordorchards.co.uk WINTER 2010 BEER 21

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MONKEY E BUSINESS A chance to head for the Orval brewery in the company of Sharp s head brewer Stuart Howe? Adrian Tierney-Jones didn t need asking twice

Some emails need an answer right away. The one

that began ‘how does a trip to Orval strike you?’ had me pinging back a yes within seconds. It’s one of my desert island beers and when last at the Abbaye d’Orval, the nearest I got to the brewery was the café. This was a no-brainer. I was also going to be travelling in good company. The invitation came from Sharp’s head brewer, Stuart Howe (he also threw in a couple of nights in Brussels plus dinner at In’t Spinnekopke and Le Bier Circus). The feisty brewmaster is a long-time fan of the beer and the trip was something akin to a pilgrimage for him. There was also a practical application. Even though Doom Bar (4 per cent ABV) makes up a vast amount of the output of the Rock-based brewery, recent years have also seen Stuart gain a name for the speciality beers he brews when the day

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TRAVEL | feature

“I love all beer, but belgian ales are the ones that excite. The story behind Trappist beer is so seductive and the beers are amazing. I have always wanted to discover not just how they are made, but their essence”

is done. Chalky’s Bite (6.8 per cent) and Bark (4.5 per cent) have been rightly feted. Stuart has also produced small-batch iconoclastic brews such as Massive Ale (a smooth and unctuous barley wine at 10 per cent) and Honey-Spice Wheat Beer (a light and sprightly drop at 6.4 per cent). He has also been busy with much smaller runs of an extraordinarily eclectic selection of beers that have featured in his blog (brewingreality.blogspot.com). His 52 brews project included a Black Saison, offal stout called Heston, gruit, jellyfish beer (for Oz Clarke) and many other goodies. So with this in mind, it comes as no surprise that the Orval trip has a serious reason. “I love all beer,” Stuart tells me as we investigate Jandrain-Jandrenouille’s new-wave saison V Cense at Poechenellekelder in Brussels, “but Belgian ales are the ones that really excite.

Above: Imagine a Trappist brewery and chances are it will look just like Orval

“The story behind Trappist beer is so seductive and the beers are amazing. I have read how they are brewed and understand the techniques involved, but I have always wanted to discover not just how they are made, but their essence and where they come from as beers. The idea then is to take this essence and brew a UK beer with it.” If the idea of essence sounds rather mystical and

metaphysical, at odds with the nuts and bolts of brewing and selling beer, there was a more prosaic reason for this journey. Orval also produces Petite Orval, a light and weaker version of its senior brother that is watered down to 3.5 per cent. It’s supposedly the only thing the monks drink and mainly available in the café right next to the abbaye (it was being renovated when we visited WINTER 2010 BEER 23

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feature ¦ TRAVEL and due to reopen in 2011). I tried it several years ago and thought it refreshing enough, though the most common comment of the group I was travelling with was “hopped water”. It is this monkish mainstay that Stuart wanted to be moved and inspired by. It was originally going to be part of the seasonal cask collection, but it will now be a unique, one-off bottled brew. “This is good,” he says, “because it gives me a bit of latitude to experiment with yeast and tank-hopping. Brewing a huge 10 per cent Trappist bruiser to me seems too obvious and I want to make something novel to the UK market. The Trappist patersbier, therefore, seemed a much better candidate. I selected Orval because Petite Orval is perhaps the best-known patersbier. It’s essential because it is introducing something new to the UK beer scene

and demonstrates to the public that, although we are a modern, forward-looking brewery, we have the utmost respect for the roots of and culture of beer.” Tranquillity and contemplation underscore the

CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW LEFT: X

marks the spot; the abbaye is also known for its cheese; enjoy...; historic abbey; best job in the place; impressive approach

location of Orval. It’s in a green and woody part of the Gaume region, an enclave of beauty in the southern part of Wallonia. The abbaye is a massive and imposing building built in the 1920s, with a monumental statue of the Virgin Mary at its front. Next to it, on the road that passes through the site, the brewery is smaller, though still imposing in its own right: a three-storey stone fortress from where the chattering of clinking glass on the automated bottle line can be heard as we arrive. Jean-Marie Rock is brewmaster, a compact, still figure with a twinkle in his eyes. There’s something

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TRAVEL | feature

monastic about him, even though, along with the rest of the workforce, he’s secular. He’s been at Orval for 25 years and a brewer for a total of 39. Prior to arriving in this part of the world, he brewed in Flanders at a large lager-maker; on holiday in the Gaume he visited Orval and was told the monks were looking for a brewer. He said that he already had a job, but then got in touch a few days later. In 2007 he oversaw the installation of a new ¤4 million brewhouse. There might be a romance about Trappist beers, but Orval is fully automatic. The brewhouse itself is a magical and contemplative space, with its copper-topped tuns and kettle, the walls dotted with coloured panels featuring devotional scenes and, when the lights are dimmed, there’s the pinprick of stars in the ceiling. The whole effect is magnificent.

‘Orval’s brewhouse is a magical space with its coppertopped tuns, the walls dotted with devotional scenes and, when the lights are dimmed, there’s the pinprick of stars in the ceiling’

“Becoming fully automatic was necessary for Orval,” says Jean-Marie. “The old brewhouse was inefficient. I had been planning the change for a long time and when it happened people had to be taught how to use it. We placed the new brewhouse on the site of the old one, which was quite difficult as we were brewing at the same time. In the end we only stopped brewing for two weeks.” There’s no doubt that Stuart is impressed with

Orval’s set-up. “I was quite surprised to see a state-of-the-art brewhouse,” he says. “I had images of merry monks shovelling malt, with steam everywhere. What I found was the kind of brewery every commercial brewer dreams about running. I never imagined I would come away saying this, but with regard to Orval it is more technically

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TRAVEL ¦ feature

'Jean-Marie is a charming man. He had a very sharp sense of humour. I had to check he wasn t winding me up when he agreed to come over to Rock to help me brew my beer. I hope he will come over'

advanced than we are at Sharp’s. The Orval lab is on a par with those in the big Heineken and Coors breweries. The Orval brewery makes less than half of the volume of beer that we make at Sharp’s, but cost twice as much to build! In terms of the brewing process and beer design there are as many differences as similarities, which between two ales is unusual.”

PHOTOGRAPHS: ALAMY; PHOTOLIBRARY; RICARDO DE LA RIVA; JL FLEMAL; JP REMY; ADRIAN TIERNEY-JONES; MAP ILLUSTRATION:

So what makes Orval so special? First

of all there’s the dry-hopping with the Alsatian variety Strisselspalt (East Kent Golding has been favoured in the past). As we see on entering the place where the maturing or lagering tanks sit, several 40kg bags of hop flowers are added before the fermented beer flows in and sits there for two weeks. Then there’s the secondary fermentation in bottle with the addition of brettanomyces, which give the beer an earthy, horse-blanket character that contrasts so vividly with the deep orange notes from the dry-hopping. “The use of brettanomyces makes the taste,” says Jean-Marie. “Orval is very special because of the dry-hopping and brettanomyces. If we stopped that it would be a very different beer.” The bottled beer then stays at the brewery for a minimum of three weeks at 15˚C (59˚F) before going out into the world (American beer writer Stan Hieronymus told me that Orval used to be held in the cellar for six months before it was released). Devotees of the beer claim that it is at its best after two years. The proof of the pudding is always in the eating

(or the drinking in this case), which is why we ended up in the sampling room trying that rare beast – Orval on tap. The one we tried was several months old. I found it not as orangey as when in bottle, with a hint of almond on the palate, though the bitterness and dryness was immense. “I prefer it like this,” says Jean-Marie, though quickly admitting to enjoying a bottle at lunch most days. Meanwhile, Stuart thought it cleaner-tasting than when in bottle. “Jean-Marie is a charming man,” Stuart told me later. “I think he could see that I was a bit keyed up about meeting him and he quickly cleared the air with a joke. His English was excellent and he was clearly very technically proficient and justly proud of his brewery and beer. He had a very sharp sense of humour. I had to check he wasn’t winding me up

ABOVE: Rare sight ‒ Jean-Marie Rock pours a draught Orval

when he agreed to come over to Rock to help me brew my beer. I hope he will come over.” Whatever changes have occurred with Orval (and some argue they have not been the best), I remain convinced of its magnificence – a creamy, earthy, leathery, orangey, bitter experience served in its mystical, chalice-shaped glass straight out of Arthurian legend. Time adds its own characteristic note as the beer passes through several complex layers of flavour, ageing and maturing within its distinctive skittle-shaped container. The contemplative otherworldly aesthetic of

Cistercian monks combined with the day-to-day rationality of brewing – collaboration brews are the hottest topic in brewing at the moment, but you could argue that Orval got there first. WINTER 2010 BEER 27

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feature ¦ CELEBRITY

At the recent celebratory evening for

the crowning of the Pineapple as north London CAMRA’s Pub of the Year 2010/11, it was hard to imagine that in 2002 the life of this vibrant Victorian pub was almost over as developers were close to converting it into flats. The present-day Pineapple welcomes visitors with a row of handpumps that are likely to be dispensing London beers including Sambrook’s Wandle (3.8 per cent ABV) and Redemption Pale Ale (3.8 per cent) along with other brews from the likes of Dark Star. The reason for the massive change in fortunes of this Kentish Town pub was a hard-fought campaign by a band of locals that included some well-known faces such as actors Rufus Sewell and Roger Lloyd Pack, along with Channel 4 journalist and newsreader Jon Snow. Such is Jon’s strong feelings towards saving community pubs that once the Pineapple’s future was secured, he joined the campaign to help save another pub in the area, the Torriano, that remains in a battle for its survival, which has so far lasted more than three years. “I’d lived in the area [just behind the Torriano] for 30 years and I’d seen the neighbourhood stripped of its pubs. Lots had been closed. The area had lost much of these communal places of refuge,

these social and community amenities of this urban neighbourhood. We can ill afford for them all to be lost just as we’ve lost our local priests and doctors. So let’s keep our local pubs,” says Jon. His passion towards the pub is unusual as he admits to not being a regular pubgoer. But he appears to be a man who ploughs his own furrow as watchers of his presentational style on the nightly Channel 4 News will no doubt testify. His decision to support the Torriano also created some friction with his wellheeled neighbours, many of whom would prefer the pub to be converted to flats. “They’d have been glad to see it go as it was noisy and there had been lots of local friction over this,” he says. As it is, Jon has involved himself in the

public inquiry, the planning inquiry by the Department of the Environment, and protested on the steps of the borough’s Town Hall. The fact he has been willing to commit time to defending the pub is testament to his strong feelings on the matter because his work takes a great deal of his time. It certainly made it difficult to pin him down for this interview. At virtually no notice he was forced to pull out of two separate interviews as he was first whisked away to Cumbria

The area had lost much of these communal places of refuge. We can ill aﬀord for them to be lost just as we ve lost our priests and doctors. So let s keep our local pubs LEFT: Jon Snow ﬁnds little time to visit pubs, but is passionate about saving them

to cover the Derrick Bird shootings, and then a fortnight later, it was over to Belfast where he was Channel 4 News’ man-on-the-ground reporting the findings of the Bloody Sunday inquiry. His links to the latter go back many

years when he was reporting on the troubles in Northern Ireland. Warming slightly to his theme, he recalls regularly drinking in another Kentish Town pub (that thankfully still survives), the Gloucester Arms. Around 15-20 years ago, that was a favourite of Irish Republican sympathisers. “In days of yore it was very fertile for information,” Jon says, without revealing anything further. Strangely, he was first introduced to the pub by visiting African-American poet Maya Angelou, who in 1969 wrote her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, about her early life and was staying with Jon in north London. “It was her pub of choice. She’d just amble down to the Gloucester,” he says, recalling the incongruous imagery. His selection of this unassuming Irish pub for a drink was possibly also driven by his admittance of feeling slightly uncomfortable in others where people recognise his face. “If you are in the public eye and are recognised, then it’s awkward as people wonder about talking to you or not. At the end of the day, you just want a half and not to have to shoot the breeze with strangers,” says Jon. The Irish, he feels, are the best people at handling this situation as they have this natural gift of just shouting over, “Jon, how are you?”. In contrast,

PHOTOGRAPHY: CHARLIE BEST

SNOW NEWS DAY

It s pubs that get Channel 4 newsreader and journalist Jon Snow ﬁred up enough to take to the streets to save them, reports Glynn Davis

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CELEBRITY ¦ feature there are many pubs in London where he says the customers think they are “too posh for you”. “They look at you and wonder if you are from EastEnders or Last of the Summer Wine,” he adds. He prefers to limit his pub-going to a small number of boozers near the ITN offices where he knows the landlord. These are the Apple Tree, a “pretty pub” on Mount Pleasant, and on Gray’s Inn Road, the Yorkshire Grey and the Young’s-owned Calthorpe Arms. “I go to the pub as it is an unwinding resource... with mates after work. The Apple Tree is the most regular although I’m not a pub fanatic and do not drink all that much. I don’t have a particular favourite, but there’s some good draught cider on at the Apple Tree,” he says.

I go to the pub as it is an unwinding resource... with mates after work. The Apple Tree is the most regular although I m not a pub fanatic and do not drink all that much

The visits to the Calthorpe Arms have

been reduced of late since its main fan, a chain-smoking news editor of Channel 4 News, is no longer in the role. A lack of such drinkers is becoming widespread in journalism, suggests Jon, which represents a radical departure from the days when he was rising through the ranks and there was as much booze running through newspapers as ink. And it was exactly the same in TV-land where he has always worked. “At ITN there was a bar in the building so you’d not bother going to the pub. Presenters were pissed and half-cut on air. It was antisocial hours doing News at Ten. You’d do the news bulletin at 5.45pm, be pissed by 6pm, and then be back on air at 10pm,” he recalls. Jon believes the reduced consumption of journalists is down to them having no time left for booze. “I’m working five times harder now as the more technology there is, the harder the work. It’s multiplatform, that’s the problem – Twitter, blogs and researching it, it’s all work.”

Despite his, and other journalists’ reduced visits, this has not dimmed his view of pubs as important for communities. It was the potential impact of the Pineapple’s closure on the nearby corner shop that prompted Jon to lend his name and time to helping save it. “It was run by a Mauritian guy and was organic as well as a corner shop and he said if the pub shut then he would have to close. I could see the closure having a devastating effect on the neighbourhood. So what was there to do?” The answer was for him to join the cause, and for ‘somebody to have the bright idea of listing’ the pub’s interior. It was granted Grade II listing by English Heritage in an unprecedented 10 days and, armed with this, it was difficult for developers to gain permission to convert and to close the building as a pub. Unfortunately, the Torriano does not have an exceptional Victorian interior, but is at the centre of the community.

The listing clinched it for the Pineapple, but the Torriano is more of a communal asset that also puts on plays and music, and people meet in this community space ABOVE: Jon has to pick pubs carefully if he is to avoid being mistaken for a soap actor

“The listing clinched it for the Pineapple, but the Torriano is more of a communal asset. The Pineapple is a beautiful pub, but the Torriano also puts on plays and music and people meet in this community space,” Jon says. It pains him to think of ‘pub closures devastating the community where, for commercial reasons, developers want to smash them down and turn them into flats’. Although Jon says he could not believe

it when the Pineapple was finally saved, his view is that it is easier to challenge developers than many people think, provided people work together. Although Jon describes himself as a ‘semi-detached pub visitor’, he continues to be fully engaged with the fight for the Torriano despite moving out of the area to nearby Primrose Hill. In such an environment, he undoubtedly runs the risk of being mistaken for a member of the cast of EastEnders should he venture into any of the many local gastropubs, but thankfully this does not seem to have dimmed his high opinion of pubs and the crucial positive role they play in the lives of people living nearby. WINTER 2010 BEER 31

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regional report ¦ KENT

Beer garden of England Brewing is hard to ignore in Kent ‒ it s home to the UK s oldest working brewery and is one of our greatest hop-producing regions ‒ so, as Jeﬀ Evans reports, it s no surprise brewers keep it local when it comes to ingredients

responsibility for regularly reminding the rest of the world that this is one of Wandsworth in 2006, a long-running the great hop-producing regions. It even dispute was settled. It’s now official: Kent organises a blessing of the hop harvest at is home to the UK’s longest-established a local church each September. working brewery. The brewery that is The Garden of England is known for now home to Shepherd Neame came into many agricultural bounties, but none is being in 1698, although the company more famous than the hop. It was in Kent believes that brewing on the site may that, in 1875, Richard Fuggle perfected actually date back to the 16th century. It’s a heritage celebrated in the excellent the hop strain that brewers trust more than any other to produce a fine, rounded visitor centre at the Faversham brewery, bitterness in their beers. It is here, too, where the history of brewing in Kent that hop varieties such as Challenger, is explored and the public is offered Northdown and Target were developed informative, guided tours of the working in the research centre at Wye. brewhouse, followed by a And, of course, this is the meander through collections Hop heritage land of Goldings, a hop of intriguing breweriana, remains strong here. so closely tied to the including a display of county that brewers vintage vehicles. With Once, thousands of don’t just call the hop a taste of beers such hop pickers ﬂooded by its name on their as Master Brew Bitter south from London beer labels, but go as far (3.7 per cent ABV), to help with the as to declare its origins, Spitfire (4.2 per cent) listing the ingredients as and Bishop’s Finger (5 per annual harvest East Kent Goldings. cent) to round off a visit, it’s Hop heritage remains strong a couple of hours well spent. here. Once, thousands of hop pickers However, it’s not just the brewery’s flooded south from London to help with age that is important to Kent. As the the annual harvest. Their memory is county’s largest beer maker, Shep’s takes With the closure of Young s of

celebrated today, along with the history and techniques of production, at the Hop Farm, near Tonbridge, formerly owned by brewing giant Whitbread, but today a family leisure park. Alternatively, to find out about hops, you can simply sample the products of Kent’s breweries as Shep’s is not alone in placing the hop at the centre of its business and image. Hopdaemon brewery in Newnham, just

outside Faversham, may be a small matter of 303 years younger than its historic neighbour, but it rides the wave of hop culture in Kent even more buoyantly, even to the point where the brewery has been named after a mythical sprite that inhabits the hopgardens. Founder Tonie Prins is not a local man. He hails from New Zealand and that, in no small measure, has contributed to his success. He once told me he brews “traditional ales with a New World twist”. You can read into that what you will, but to me it suggests taking the best-received knowledge and practice and adding a splash of international colour. Taste his Skrimshander IPA (4.5 per cent) or Leviathan strong ale (6 per cent) to see

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PHOTOLIBRARY; ALAMY

what I mean. You’ll be impressed by the fruitiness he derives from the local hops. Another modern, but already substantial concern, that makes good use of the surrounding hop harvest is Westerham brewery. Brewer Robert Wicks turns back the clock in his point-of-sale imagery, which has a distinct 1940s appearance. It’s a look that has been prompted by the close association the town of Westerham shares with wartime premier Winston Churchill, whose Chartwell country seat stands but a few miles from Robert’s brewhouse. British Bulldog (4.3 per cent) is Westerham’s best-known beer, a nononsense, traditional British best bitter of the kind that Churchill would surely have enjoyed. The hops of Kent ensure Westerham’s beers are firmly bitter. As Robert once told me: “There’s no point in being a microbrewery in the Garden of England, among hop fields, if we’re only going to produce cups of cold tea.” With such a prized asset as the hopgardens, it’s hardly surprising that Kent is also home to some of the longestestablished microbreweries. It was back in 1983 that Phil and Debbie Goacher set up

ABOVE: It s all about the hops ‒ there s plenty of opportunity to learn about the history of the industry and enjoy its produce, with beers like those from Gadds

their own brewery in Maidstone. Today, their beers remain popular in the area, with Real Mild Ale (3.4 per cent), Best Dark Ale (4.1 per cent) and Fine Light Ale (3.7 per cent) the main sellers. Three years after Goachers began production, the Dockerty family took over a microbrewery in Tunbridge Wells and re-christened it Larkins, after the family hop farm, where the business was relocated in 1987. Beers such as the fruity bitter Chiddingstone (4 per cent), named after the farm’s location, keep Kent drinkers smiling 23 years on.

There s no point in being a microbrewery in the Garden of England, among hop ﬁelds, if we re only going to produce cups of cold tea However, if you’re looking for a newer concern, with a reputation for interesting ales, it’s worth making a trip to the coast. Gadds’ Ramsgate brewery started life in the seaside town, but now operates from Broadstairs. You’ll find a re-creation of the Firkin brewpub chain’s Dogbolter (5.6 per cent), although most beers are simply known by numbers. Gadds’ No. 5 (4.4 per cent), for instance, is described as a “traditional Kentish best bitter ale”. It will come as no surprise to learn that the hops, of course, are local.

Jeﬀ Evans is the author of CAMRA s Good Bottled Beer Guide, now in its seventh edition, and has written widely on beer and brewing

Read more of Jeﬀ s work at www.insidebeer.com

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PHOTOLIBRARY; ALAMY

ABOVE: It s all about the hops ‒ there s plenty of opportunity to learn about the history of the industry and enjoy its produce, with beers like those from Gadds

their own brewery in Maidstone. Today, their beers remain popular in the area, with Real Mild Ale (3.4 per cent), Best Dark Ale (4.1 per cent)and Fine Light Ale (3.7 per cent) the main sellers. Three years after Goachers began production, the Dockerty family took over a microbrewery in Tunbridge Wells and re-christened it Larkins, after the family hop farm, where the business was relocated in 1987. Beers such as the fruity bitter Chiddingstone (4 per cent), named after the farm’s location, keep Kent drinkers smiling 23 years on.

Jeﬀ Evans is the author of CAMRA s Good Bottled Beer Guide, now in its seventh edition, and has written widely on beer and brewing

Read more of Jeﬀ s work at www.insidebeer.com

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SHEFFIELD ¦ pub tour

Arriving just after midday in much need of food and 1 and liquid libation after our rail journey from Shropshire, we board the Supertram into the city centre. Alighting at Castle Square, and in brilliantly warm sunshine, we are treated to the two-floored grandeur of the BANKERS DRAFT. A Lloyds No. 1-branded Wetherspoon pub, we walk into the hustle and bustle of one of the chain’s beer festivals. At a quaffable 3.7 per cent ABV, Acorn’s Yorkshire Pride, though perhaps on the cool side, delivers a refreshing tang with a zesty aftertaste. Our batteries recharged, we reboard the Supertram and take the short ride down to Kelham Island. We get off at the Shalesmoor stop and, enjoying the rugged industrial landscape, we walk past one factory boldly displaying its wares of bolts, screws, nuts and washers. This is not some new form of adult entertainment, but Sheffield’s steel pedigree. Unfortunately, the building is apparently due for demolition. Within 10 minutes we are sitting in the Kelham Island brewery tap, the FAT CAT, sipping pints of the house Best Bitter. A 3.8 per cent balance of malt and hops, the gentle subtle flavour of this session ale provides the perfect accompaniment to the pub’s splendid DAY

Kelham Island Tavern

PHOTOGRAPHS: GLENN ASHLEY

The Steel City ‒ Sheﬃeld ‒ is set to host CAMRA s AGM in April 2011, so CAMRA men Dave Hughes and Mike White made sure they got there nearly a year early to search out the ﬁne ales and blaze a trail for the rest of us to enjoy during Members Weekend

Bankers Draft

Fat Cat WINTER 2010 BEER 35

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central bar, complete with its fine display of its numerous pub and brewery awards. We round the afternoon off with a walk round the corner to CAMRA National Pub of the Year, the KELHAM ISLAND TAVERN. Bathed in dappled sunshine, here we plump for a spot in the walled beer garden, and a couple of pints of the milds on tap. Thwaites Nutty Black (3.3 per cent) and AllGates Mild at Heart, (3.8 per cent), match the mood of our lazy afternoon. We return to the city centre in the evening of our first day, so take the Supertram to West Street, and happen across the BATH HOTEL. However, a couple of below-average pints temper our initial enthusiasm for this 1930s refurbished bar. While Milestone Classic Dark Mild (4 per cent) is indeed dark, its flavour leaves something to be desired. Things soon pick up as we discover some fine liver, bacon and onions, and Hook Norton Jackpot at the Wetherspoon SWIM INN. This 3.8 per cent, solid, balanced, crystal-clear beer has been specially brewed for the festival and, in our view, is served at the correct temperature – is JDW listening? A meander across town and, with directions from the owner of the chippy, we find ourselves on quiz night at the DEVONSHIRE CAT. We glide past the hordes of jolly students and across the polished, wooden floor to the impressive bar. With 12 hand-pulled ales available, it’s a veritable nirvana,

and, with the aid of the tasting notes, we make our selections. At 4 per cent, the Durham Black Velvet is smooth, dark and warming on a chilling evening. The pub’s Devonshire Cat from Kelham Island, delivers crisp and clean refreshment at 3.8 per cent. For our nightcap, and because it’s just a short walk from our hotel, we return to the Bankers Draft. Adnams Gunhill, at 4 per cent, proves to be a satisfying end to a pleasurable day.

Day two begins aboard the again to Kelham 2 Supertram Island. No doubt, the home of beery hikers everywhere, the area offers yet another oasis worth a visit. Braving the fiendish traffic light system, we walk 15 or so minutes from the Shalesmoor stop to the HARLEQUIN. At 3.3 per cent, a pint of Vale Notley exceeds expectations – a true testament to the skill of the brewer and the bar staff. The pub’s welcoming atmosphere, and great-value, quality food, encourage us to stay, and we order another. Durham Brewery’s White Gem (3.9 per cent) has a light, hoppy and refreshing zing.

To conclude our lunchtime session, and on our way back to the Supertram, we return to the Fat Cat for the 3.6 per cent, amber, gentle ale, with distinctive malt flavours, otherwise known as Gale’s Seafarers. Our second evening in Sheffield, we resume our mission to sample a handpicked selection of the 45 real ale pubs in this city of steel. The THREE TUNS is easy to miss and even harder to find, but its wedge shape makes it a must for anyone interested in grand design. Inside, the pub combines snugs, cosies, wood-panelled walls, and lowlevel lighting to create the look and feel of a 1920s cruise liner, frequented by Hercule Poirot. The beer range available is perhaps disappointing, and after sampling Timothy Taylor Landlord (4.3 per cent) and Stones Golden Ale (4.3 per cent), we depart. (Stones is now contract-brewed by Coors. The closed brewery building still stands near the Gardeners Rest.) This wooden-floored split-level tapas bar, is fronted by a 1960s cube-shaped entrance, with access at the rear via an Edwardian-style doorway. The malted flavour of Millstone England Expects (3.8 per cent) is our tipple of choice. FAGANS brings us back to the fineries of a traditional boozer with the added attraction of live folk music. Abbeydale’s 4.3 per cent Moonshine is a refreshing pale ale with a citrus aroma, and it provides adequate sustenance.

Bath Hotel

Swim Inn

Devonshire Cat

Things pick up as we discover ﬁne liver, bacon and onions, and Hook Norton Jackpot at the Wetherspoon Swim Inn. This balanced beer has been specially brewed for the festival and is served at the correct temperature ‒ is JDW listening? DAY

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SHEFFIELD ¦ pub tour

Fortified by a full English, third morning of our tour 3 the provides another opportunity to survey the splendour of the city centre. It is soon time, though, to mount the Supertram and pay our final homage to Kelham Island. Midday or thereabouts again finds us lunching at the Harlequin and reacquainting ourselves with Vale brewery’s Notley. We conclude that the pub, with its range of ales, friendly atmosphere and attractive décor (including a fine display of naughty postcards), is a worthy challenger to the other award-winning Kelham Island hostelries. Our last visit to the Fat Cat underlines its timeless status as a classic, and this is aided by the clock permanently displaying five past six. Brewed next door, Kelham Island’s Pale Rider (5.2 per cent) demands respect and delivers a zesty, citrus hop flavour. The treat of the afternoon is one last visit to the Kelham Island Tavern. With friendly encouragement from the landlord, we dip into the complexities of the local Bradfield Ye Olde English Ale (4.6 per cent). Served in a ‘Farmers Ale, No Bull’ glass, we soak up the warmth of the malt and the afternoon sunshine filtering through the walled beer garden. All too soon it’s time to head home and we reluctantly bid the landlord farewell with a “Hope to see you soon?”. “I’ll be here,” he reassuringly replies. Somehow, we think we’ll be back.

Mike and Dave are likely to be back in Sheﬃeld in April 2011 for the AGM and Members Weekend ‒ make sure you are as well by looking out for information in What s Brewing and BEER and pre-registering for the annual event

DAY

Three Tuns

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE PART? BEER s Pub Tour is written by you! If you ve been on a memorable real ale trail, tell us about it. We re also after My Local submissions ‒ celebrate your local pub by telling us what makes it so special. For both Pub Tour and My Local features, we ll need 1,000 words and a selection of high-resolution digital pictures, sent to tom.stainer@camra.org.uk

Harlequin

Fagan s

Pub crawls usually take place several months before publication and things do change! Always check pubs are open and beers are on tap before taking a tram ride. WINTER 2010 BEER 37

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food ¦ TRADITIONAL BRITISH

TASTE TEST CHOP HOUSE

CHOP SUET

For a taste of a bygone age, take a trip to Cambridge with Susan Nowak for hearty English fare Chop houses were the

gastropubs of Charles Dickens’ day. The city of London was awash with them serving thick chops and steaks, hearty British food and porter pots of ale. In The Pickwick Papers our hero took refuge from his landlady in ‘a very good old-fashioned quarters, to wit, the George and Vulture’ in Leadenhall Market in what is now the City, where you’ll still find on a brass plaque ‘Thomas’s Chop House’ – the name Dickens would have known it by. No doubt he also supped an ale or two there while penning A Christmas Carol, setting Ebenezer Scrooge’s counting house amid the market’s maze of alleyways. But there is nothing Scrooge-like about St John’s Chop House in Cambridge, a 21st-century re-enactment of this splendid institution. As you cross the threshold, four firkins on stillage await your pleasure, as cool in their black plastic jackets as Marlon Brando in his leather one.

And as this is a restaurant, not a pub, no superfluous keg lager, beer or stout fonts mar the bar. So we truly felt we had stepped back in time as we dined on dishes Dickens would relish – stuffed venison heart and Barnsley chop, washed down by local ales. Creators of this noble establishment, opened in 2009, and the original Cambridge Chop House, two years before, are Oliver Thain, once an area manager for Scottish and Newcastle, and chef Richard Bradley.

Nine years ago, they took over the Cock at Hemingford Grey (a current Good Beer Guide entry), then ‘a smoky little pub but in a great location’. They saved it as a locals’ real ale pub while introducing decent dining. In 2005, they opened the Boathouse restaurant in Ely serving bottled local beers. All four venues are operated by Cambcuisine run by Oliver and Richard, with third partner Max Freeman. To Oliver, a modern chop house is “a no-nonsense

There is nothing Scroogelike about St John s Chop House, a 21st-century re-enactment of this splendid institution. As you cross the threshold, four ﬁrkins on stillage, as cool in their black plastic jackets as Marlon Brando in his leather one LEFT: Where there s

a Wil ‒ chef Findlay serves up a real slab of a Barnsley chop

approach to serving traditional British food – the sort your mother might have made but served with a bit of panache. I like to think we’re definitely not style over substance”. Beer is a chop house essential.

Oliver reckons their two restaurants are the only ones in Cambridge emphasising beer with food. Serving staff talk knowledgeably about the beers on offer, and can match them expertly to dishes. All have toured Milton brewery, less than a mile away on the city’s outskirts, which supplies both chop houses with four alternating cask beers from its range. Once a month, two of them are replaced by guests from Tydd Steam brewery at Tydd St Giles – Barn Ale (3.9 per cent ABV) and Neanderthal (4.5 per cent), during our visit. “We tend to have Milton’s Dionysus and Pegasus, really good drinking beers at 3.6 and 4.1 per cent, and really good with food,” says Oliver. “We charge £2.80 to £3 a pint,

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Meat cleaver; beer is essential for Oliver Thain; appropriately named St John s Chop House is leased from eponymous college; the only kind of pig not eaten...; the building was once clergy almshouses

FRAN NOWAK

For me, their food pretty much deﬁnes chop house. A couple of days earlier we could have had squirrel and hazelnut pudding. You get two squirrels to a pudding, it s a lot of preparation, but fantastic which, for the centre of Cambridg,e is very good value. For me, cask ale is by far the best product in a pint. I had my first half of mild when I was underage and I just can’t drink lager. I’m always trying to get lager drinkers to try beer.” At Cambridge Chop House they, “race through five to six firkins a week – pretty good for a restaurant – and here it’s about half that”, he adds. For me, their food pretty much defines chop house. A couple of days earlier we could have had squirrel and hazelnut pudding. “You get two squirrels to a pudding, it’s a lot of preparation, but fantastic.” Still, our Kate and Sydney was right on the money (£13) –

tender steak, plenty of kidney, rich gravy and melting suet crust. That venison heart did not beat in vain. Packed with strong, meaty flavours and stuffing, slow-cooked to pretty much pâté consistency, it’s a big eat at £15. Milton’s straw-coloured Icarus (4.2 per cent) with a touch of malt, was big enough to accompany. Chef Wil Findlay presented the slab of lamb that is their Barnsley chop – crisp, yellow fat, pink in the middle, perfectly seasoned (£13); a similarly sizable pork chop from Grasmere Farm with apple mash is £11. Other chop house fare might

be lamb sweetbreads, smoked venison loin, braised rabbit, seared wood pigeon and, of course, a daily roast – though I refuse to believe Dickens would order the citrus lentils should he visit Cambridge.

Coming into winter, more game flies in – partridge, pheasant, grouse... brilliant bangers ’n’ mash at £10.50 are always on the board. “Richard makes our sausages. He’s probably got 100 in his armoury,” says Oliver. That day’s skinful was pork with peppercorns and Stilton. The 17th-century, brick building is leased from St John’s College. You can drink – and eat – in the bar area off tables made from chopping blocks. Wood-burning stoves heat both floors while eating and drinking areas progress from spartan, cream décor with oak floors to a snug, upstairs dining room with burgundy walls and beams that’s pure Pickwick. ● St John s Chop House,

Northampton Street 01223 353110; Cambridge Chop House, Kings Parade 01223 359506; visit www.chophouses.co.uk

Susan Nowak writes CAMRA s Good Pub Food and has made many TV and radio appearances talking about cooking and eating with beer

St John’s Chop House Venison Hearts Ingredients (serves 4) 4 venison hearts 450g pork mince 2 rashers smoked, streaky bacon, chopped 100g large breadcrumbs 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, grated 2 juniper berries, ground 1 tbsp dried sage 1 tbsp ground mace Salt and pepper Caul (pig s stomach membrane) to wrap hearts Large chunks carrot, onion, swede and celery for trivet 500ml good stock For serving: Buttery mash and roast beetroot Method › Slice tops off hearts, remove fat and strings from inside. Remove chamber walls, chop, and set aside. › Place stuffing ingredients in bowl with diced heart walls, and mix. Check seasoning and add more breadcrumbs if too loose. › Stuff the hearts, wrap in caul, then in kitchen film. › Place vegetable chunks in heavy casserole. Put hearts on top, pour over stock, cover and cook in centre of a pre-heated oven (170ºC, 325ºF, gas mark 3) for at least two hours. Check meat is tender with thin skewer. If not, return to the oven for 20-30 minutes, until cooked. › Serve on buttery mashed potato and roast beetroot, with gravy made from the stock and a drop of dark ale. ● If you can t get venison

hearts you could use ox, which has a stronger ﬂavour and need longer cooking, or lamb, which requires less stuﬃng and cooking time.

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TASTE TEST UK BEERS

BATTLE OF THE BRITISH ALES The battleground was set ‒ a taste test at this year s Great British Beer Festival in London s Earls Court. Eight contenders ‒ from Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales ‒ stood against each other in a bid to be crowned the best. Two beers were handpicked from each area by British Guild of Beer Writers chairman Tim Hampson (England), CAMRA national chairman Colin Valentine (Scotland), Cardiﬀ branch chairman Ian Hill and Welsh Beer Festival treasurer Rick Zaple (Wales), and Northern Ireland branch chairman Trevor Burton (Northern Ireland), to hold their own in this stiﬀ competition ‒ among them, many champion beers and well-respected favourites. Who will win out and take the title? Let battle commence!

HOOK NORTON OLD HOOKY

PURPLE MOOSE SNOWDONIA

(4.6%) England

(3.6%) Wales

This award-winning best bitter is auburn/light amber in colour, with soft fruit on the nose and a malty, fresh taste. COMMENTS

› Easy to drink, slight burnt oak taste, quite nice › Easy, palatable. Nice aroma and taste › Easy beer to drink › Bitter/sweet aftertaste › Not bad ‒ tastes nicer than it looks › Nutty aftertaste › Clear colour, hazelnut/raisin aroma, treacle taste

APPEARANCE 7/10 AROMA 7/10 TASTE 14/20 TOTAL 28/40 ANOTHER? 7/8 SAID YES

A former Champion Beer of Wales, this 3.6 per cent, premium chestnut bitter holds scents of toffee and treacle and delivers light, roasted bitterness on the tongue. COMMENTS

› Doesn t smell of much ‒ citrus aftertaste › Pleasant ale, not much aftertaste › Watery › Hoppy, light bitter › Clings to your mouth

APPEARANCE 7/10 AROMA 5/10 TASTE 8/20 TOTAL 20/40 ANOTHER? NO ONE WANTED ANOTHER

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TASTING ¦ beer

WHITEWATER ORKNEY CROWN & GLORY RAVEN ALE

WHITEWATER SOLSTICE PALE

BULLMASTIFF BRINDLE

(3.8%) Northern Ireland

(4%) Northern Ireland

(5%) Wales

This earthy 3.8 per cent session beer is a wonderful straw colour with coriander in the finish. COMMENTS

› Nice colour, flowery, fruity taste, not my cup of tea › Quite sharp, fruity, clear ale › Tastes watery, yet floral, good summer ale › Fruity and flowery › Bitter and floral › Citrus grapefruit/ lemon ‒ very nice › Citrus fruit aroma, but fairly bland taste. Hops/bad aftertaste › Fruity (peachy), hoppy taste

APPEARANCE 7/10 AROMA 6/10 TASTE 12/20 TOTAL 25/40 ANOTHER? 4/8 SAID YES

(3.8%) Scotland

A quaffable bitter – citrus and hedgerow fruits come through in this 3.8 per cent beer and winner of the 2009 Champion Beer of Scotland. COMMENTS

› Fruity smell, bit of a sharp aftertaste › Nice appearance, pleasant, drinkable session beer › Middle of the road. Nothing great, but not distasteful › Bitter and sharp › Hoppy, good body and aftertaste › Tastes better than it smells › Slight sweetness, sour taste

APPEARANCE 7/10 AROMA 4/10 TASTE 10/20 TOTAL 21/40 ANOTHER? 3/8 SAID YES

A 4 per cent classic pale ale shares hops in the aroma and taste, with grapefruit hints in the mouth. COMMENTS

› Slightly bitter taste ‒ goes down easy › Very fruity taste from ﬁrst sip › Smells ﬂowery. Tastes like it smells, but a bit watery › Hoppy light session beer › Hoppy › Very bitter ‒ a taste I don t personally like › Slight vanilla taste

APPEARANCE 7/10 AROMA 7/10 TASTE 12/20 TOTAL 26/40 ANOTHER? 5/8 SAID YES, ONE SAID MAYBE

A pale ale coming in at 5 per cent – full-bodied and flavoursome. COMMENTS

› Bitter fruit taste, not a nice aftertaste › A little ﬂat taste ‒ not much ﬂavour › Bland › Good body and balance › Rubber with a hint of banana › Unpleasant aftertaste › Chewy taste

APPEARANCE 7/10 AROMA 6/10 TASTE 12/20 TOTAL 25/40 ANOTHER? 2/8 SAID YES WINTER 2010 BEER 41

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TASTING ¦ beer

THE PANEL Alex Ray › customer service assistant from Watford, 5th time at GBBF; Brian Evans › telephone account manager from Watford, 6th time at GBBF; Dean Harris › self-employed from Waltham Abbey, Essex, 3rd time at GBBF; Kian Shore › web designer from Twickenham, 1st time at GBBF; Jeremy Sample › retired marine engineer from St Albans, 4th time at GBBF; Nina Rutter › implementation consultant for IT software company, Twickenham, 6th time at GBBF; Donna Weyman › teacher, 3rd time at GBBF; Simone Rutter › event manager for a wine company, 6th time at GBBF.

THORNBRIDGE JAIPUR

HIGHLAND ORKNEY BLAST

(5.9%) England

(6%) Scotland

COMMENTS

This India Pale Ale weighs in at a mighty 5.9 per cent. A mellow, yellow-coloured ale, it gives honey and lemongrass on the nose and is backed by a quaffable lemon-zest flavour. › Fruity smell ‒ bitter aftertaste › Clear, fruity aroma › Flowery. Not my favourite, but OK › Bitter citrus › Spicy and ﬂoral › Horrible aftertaste ‒ mouldy citrus › Citrus aroma, but taste is a major let-down › Citrus orange peel smell, bitter orange taste

APPEARANCE 7/10 AROMA 7/10 TASTE 10/20 TOTAL 24/40 ANOTHER? 2/8 SAID YES

This strong bitter/barley wine (6 per cent) with a woody/ mushroom aroma gives a wellbalanced hit of malt and hop in the mouth – the current Champion Beer of Scotland. › Strong taste ‒ would only have one ‒ fruity smell › Drinkable, fruit crisp taste, very palatable › Easy-drinking beer, good all-rounder › Flowery, sharpish › Sweet, good body, session beer › Witchhazel › Strong ‒ one pint, then something else

APPEARANCE 7/10 AROMA 7/10 TASTE 14/20 TOTAL 28/40 ANOTHER? 6/8 SAID YES, ONE SAID MAYBE

THE WINNERS Old and new share the spoils in this international clash with English family brewer Hook Norton and Scottish relative newcomer Highland both scoring 28, followed closely by Northern Ireland s Solstice Pale. Joint fourth sees the second Northern Irish ale, Crown & Glory, matching the Welsh Brindle with English Jaipur in sixth. Scotland and Wales share the wooden spoon with Raven Ale and Snowdonia. Tastings in BEER are intended as informative entertainment only. They are not intended to be an official judging process representative of the Campaign for Real Ale as a whole and results of tastings in BEER should not be considered to be equivalent to a CAMRA award. Tastings are carried out by a small panel of selected volunteers, or invited participants. The beers tasted are chosen by the BEER editorial team using a range of criteria which includes availability and suitability for a particular tasting.

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YOUR OPINION ¦ letters

YOUR The mystery of the missing tankards is solved by one reader who spent the summer of 76 visiting as many Ind Coope pubs as she could. BEER s tastings dismay one cider and perry fan and there s a Stingo in the tail of our Cornish tour In BEER (autumn, 2010), there was a seasonal ‘Taste Test – Cider and Perry’ article. This feature is accompanied by caveats to the effect that the tastings listed are for entertainment only and from non-expert festival-goers. All personal judgements are indeed highly subjective. None more so than with ciders, and especially perries, described by Roger Protz in the same edition as ‘a highly complex drink’. From the ratings given in the test, I question whether the panel chosen enjoyed cider and, particularly, perry at all. The damning verdict on the Three Counties perry especially dismayed me.

The damning verdict on the Three Counties perry especially dismayed me... I think it must be very hurtful to a hard-working producer to see such an illinformed judgement on his work under the CAMRA banner I was lucky enough to have a guided tour round Newton Court by its owner, Paul Stephens. He rightfully takes great pride in the care and attention to detail he gives to producing a fabulous traditional product. But it’s not for everyone, like many of the finer things in life. I think it must be very hard and hurtful to a hard-working, small producer to see such an ill-informed and harsh judgement on his life’s work in print under the CAMRA banner. Will Urwin, Crewe, Cheshire

Why is it so rare in the UK to get my favourite drinks served in a quality glass? Is it the fault of the publican? Is it the fault of the brewer? All I know is that after a recent visit to Antwerp there was not one occasion where the beer I ordered was not served in its own dedicated glass, and, guess what? A lot more women were supping quality beers. Is there a lesson to be learnt? After all, champagne is not served in a wine glass, nor wine in a tumbler. Time for a change – present the product as well as it is produced and it will sell! Martin Oates, Colchester, Essex

With reference to Doug Bercham’s letter (BEER, summer 2010) about visiting pubs in a 1970s competition, it was nothing to do with CAMRA. It was a promotion run by Ind Coope in 1976. Participants got a 17th-century map with just over 50 pubs marked on it in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and, I think, Berkshire. On the reverse was a list of the pubs, with space for the licensee to stamp your visit to their pub. If you visited 20 and returned your map to the brewery, you received a new copy of the map plus a book of all the pubs. If you visited 50 pubs you got a map, book

and tankard. The tankard was a replica of a pot-belly, 17th-century tankard, glazed inside with your initials. The summer of 1976 was a real barbecue summer and many people entered this promotion and were recognised by each other during the 10 weeks it ran. My family and I entered into the spirit of the occasion and we managed to visit 51 pubs. We were each sent a book and map but, such was the popularity, we did not get the tankards until after Easter 1977. I’m sure among the trips we made that we must have met Doug and his friends. We still have the maps, books and tankards. Janet Day, Banbury, Oxon

I’ve been drinking real ale in Cornwall for some 50 years, so I was somewhat puzzled by the reference in Tom ‘Sprainer’s’ article (BEER, summer 2010) to Stingo. Where does one find this brewery and its products I’m sure most of the other regulars of the Blue Anchor in Helston would be similarly interested. Nigel Coward, Helston, Cornwall Ed replies: Apologies for the mix-up between Spingo (a beer produced by the Blue Anchor brewery) and Stingo (a strong beer style)!

write now

Write to BEER, CAMRA HQ, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 4LW or email tom.stainer@camra.org.uk or continue the debate at forum.camra.org WINTER 2010 BEER 47

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ROGER PROTZ | column

Belgian monks may have created the tripel beer style, but one British brewer is enjoying cult status for its version

IllustratIon: paul wootton

thrice as nice

The brewery always brewed a dark It’s one of the oldest clichés in the book: brown beer, and added a stronger pale “An ideal beer to sip in front of a blazing one in the 1950s. The monks think log fire.” Fortunately, I have an open fire the names Dubbel and Tripel were in my house, so the cliché comes true introduced to distinguish the Westmalle every winter – and it beats drinking a luscious, strong beer in front of a radiator. beers from weaker ales, called Single, launched by other Trappist breweries. Winter means it’s time for a Triple. In Westmalle Tripel is made with the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium pale Pilsner malt and white candy they spell it Tripel, and the term sugar and is hopped with Czech has been made famous by one of the Saaz, German Tettnager and Styrian country’s Trappist breweries, Westmalle. Goldings varieties. Following Earlier this year I went to the Abbey of primary fermentation, it’s Our Beloved Lady of the conditioned in the brewery Sacred Heart at Malle, close ‘The name cellars for five weeks before to Antwerp where, after a stems from the fact that Triple bottling with a fresh dosage frugal supper and a night in is hopped three of yeast. It has a hazy orange a monk’s cell – on my own, I times – twice in colour and a hint of banana hasten to add – I was shown the copper and, on the aroma that fades round the adjoining brewery. finally, in the with age. The palate Monks have been brewing fermenter’ is intensely fruity, but at Westmalle since 1836, balanced, by spicy hops, while the long but the current brewhouse was installed finish has warming alcohol, tart fruit and in the 1930s. The brewing vessels are increasing hop bitterness. traditional, with copper mash tun and If Westmalle Tripel is a world classic, kettles. Its two regular commercial beers a newer arrival on the British beer scene are Dubbel and Tripel. Dubbel is 7 per has quickly established cult status. cent ABV, a dark beer and the brewery’s Brakspear Triple (7.2 per cent) was first main brand, though sales of Tripel are brewed in 2005 to celebrate the return catching up fast. Tripel weighs in at of the brewery to Oxfordshire, following 9.5 per cent, so this really is a beer to be the closure of the original historic site in sipped and savoured with due reverence.

roger protz is one of the world’s leading beer writers, travelling the globe searching out new brews, and edits CaMra’s bestselling Good Beer Guide

Read more of Roger’s writing at www.beer-pages.com

Henley. The brewery is now based in Witney and shares the same premises as Wychwood. But Brakspear has retained its own brewing vessels, including the double drop fermenters that give character to the beers. The vessels are on two storeys. Fermentation starts in the top and after a few days the liquid is literally dropped to the vessels below, leaving behind dead yeast cells and unwanted proteins. The result is a clean, fresh fermentation on the ground floor. Brakspear is at pains to stress that

its Triple is not an attempt to brew a Belgian-style beer. The name stems from the fact that it’s hopped three times – twice in the copper and, finally, in the fermenter – and enjoys three fermentations: in the fermenting hall, conditioning tanks and, finally, bottle. Triple is brewed with Maris Otter pale malt, plus crystal and black. The hops are English Northdown and American Cascade. Cascade is also added during fermentation, while the beer is given a fresh dosage of yeast when it’s bottled. The beer that emerges is pale copper and has a complex bouquet of pear drops, oak, liquorice, butterscotch, nutty malt and hop resins. Hop resins and bitterness build in the mouth and finish, balanced by toasted grain and ripe fruit. Whether you choose a Tripel or a Triple, draw the curtains, throw another log on the cliché… and enjoy. wIntEr 2010 BEER 49

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head-to-head ¦ BOYCOTTS To be eﬀective,

a campaign directed against an organisation’s strategy must either have a direct impact on their profitability such that NO any business case for the decision becomes unsound, or generate sufficient negative publicity for the organisation that its reputation, and future business growth, is put at risk. A boycott, while providing publicity for the campaigners and giving participants the warm feeling that they are doing something worthwhile, is unlikely to achieve either of these. Worse, it might also be perceived as negative campaigning whereby participants heroically, but misguidedly, deprive themselves to fight a foregone conclusion.

Recently, a proposal was made to boycott a brewery’s beers to campaign against a pub closure and enforced change of use. It is most unlikely that sufficient participation can be secured from the membership to have any financial impact on the organisation concerned. The brewery in question is geographically localised, and the number of CAMRA members affected and who care enough to change their drinking habits is likely to be relatively small. As regards negative publicity, history suggests large organisations have thrived through far higher-profile campaigns and gone on to achieve commercial success – look at the Greene King takeovers and closures which appear to have done it no harm. So what can we do? There are the practical things such as using statutory processes to object to specific planning

We can each do our own bit to ensure the viability of every pub, such that closure or change of use is in nobody s interest applications affecting pubs. We can also campaign to tighten the law in this area by lobbying MPs. Ultimately, however, the market will take care of itself, and there is nothing to prevent competition and choice growing when genuine consumer demand is there. Organisations such as CAMRA can play

an important role in increasing awareness and encouraging consumers to make choices that support the campaign.

BOTHER TO BOYCOTT? The ﬁrst boycott was

a new and, therefore, rather shocking idea and worked well for that reason, and, furthermore, there was considerable solidarity YES among workers and others. But that was then and now is now. They no longer have the shock value they had back in the eponymous Captain Boycott’s days and the simple announcement of one will rarely make the media. And in the case of a boycott organised by CAMRA, the numbers would be small in absolute terms since its members probably account for fewer than one-in-200 UK drinkers. But I support the idea of boycotts. Remember, back in the early 1970s when CAMRA was founded, just four men

were involved and, logically, they stood no chance of stopping the tsunami of fizz that was drowning our island, as it had already drowned so many others. The Red Revolution was under way and Double Diamond was working wonders. No sane or sensible person would have given the embryonic CAMRA a chance. But look at the situation today. More breweries have opened since CAMRA was started than in the century prior to that and good beer is available

When CAMRA was founded, just four men were involved and, logically, they stood no chance of stopping the tsunami of ﬁzz

everywhere in the UK. Lessons can be learnt from CAMRA’s successes. Boycotts, if properly organised, could be an effective weapon, but to make them so, several things must happen. Members must support the boycott in large numbers and it must receive extensive national publicity (remember, this is the main way in which CAMRA became such a force in such a short space of time). Clever and striking PR that gets picked up by the national media is essential for a boycott’s success. The boycott must also reach the ears

of the decision-makers of the boycotted organisation rapidly and unequivocally. Directed publicity should reinforce the effects of the boycott; the threat will probably be more effective than the reality, since much of a brewery’s sales

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This can work effectively through campaigns such as LocAle, National Pubs Week and other initiatives. The most important choice we can make right now is to continue to drink real ale in pubs rather than staying at home, and encourage others to do the same. We can talk to licensees and encourage them to improve their range to generate greater demand. We can each do our own bit to ensure the viability of every decent pub, such that closure or change of use is in nobody’s interest. I strongly advocate this type of positive campaigning, remembering that we each have power as consumers, both directly and by influencing others. The market will follow the demand, so let’s make sure the demand is there and prevent the boycott question from arising in the first place. Jon Benger

Are boycotts of breweries still a powerful weapon for CAMRA? will be little affected. Social media must also be used so that as many drinkers as possible get to know what is going on. Finally, any boycott must attract as many supporters as possible by stressing the benefits of backing the campaign and explaining why it is necessary. For example, while it’s fine to suggest a boycott of a brewer’s bottled beers because they are not bottle-conditioned, this will only apply to those to whom the complex flavour is important. Such a boycott could appeal to other drinkers by pointing out, say, that the non-bottle-conditioned beer is more expensive; has a shorter shelf-life; has a greater carbon footprint; and drives out the competing products of local producers. I believe that boycotts, run properly, are still an effective weapon in CAMRA’s armoury. Richard English

Both Jon and Richard are active member of the CAMRA forums ‒ visit www.camra. org.uk and click on the Forums option in the left-hand menu to join many other ongoing debates on CAMRA policy, saving pubs or just what makes a good beer

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KELLY RYAN ¦ science

KNOCK ON WOOD

Thornbridge brewer Kelly Ryan explains what happens when beer goes with the grain For centuries beer has been stored in wooden vessels, but it

is only recently that the new wave of craft brewing has chosen to use the storage material for the potential character it can add to their brews’ flavour. While traditional Belgian brewers have continued to use wooden barrels and vats for the maturation of beers such as lambic, gueuze or the Flanders red brews, it is something that has mostly faded from British brewing practice. If we hark back to the times of oak barrels, it is of interest to note that flavours from the wood were not wanted at all. Oak would be selected from regions where the wood was known to impart less flavour and often the vessels were lined with pitch to minimise contact of the brew with the material. Not to mention the potential problems with hygiene and sanitation, as the tiny pores present in the oak and the gaps that often appeared between the staves provide comfortable homes for all manner of wild yeasts and bacteria. It seemed a simple solution to make the change to the durable, easy-to-maintain steel container. That hasn’t stopped brewers throughout the years from working hard to showcase the wood characters and take a leaf from the books of winemakers, whisky distillers and port and sherry producers, however. The original Thomas Hardy’s Ale, JW Lees Harvest Ale, Fuller’s Brewer’s Reserve, Innis and Gunn and our own Saint Petersburg and Alliance beers have all had their time in oak and the results are never far from fascinating.

It is this oxidation that is also a major player in the barrelageing of beers. Factors such as humidity, temperature and pressure all work together to allow gas to transfer in and out of the barrels. With oxidation, the beer flavours begin to change, picking up distinctive, fruity, port- and sherry-like characteristics, allowing even more interaction with the wood as the liquid is drawn in and out of the tiny pores and gaps in the oak. The degree of toasting of the oak adds almond, caramel

and even smoky phenolic notes to the brew. Also, the possible presence of micro-organisms such as Brettanomyces, the British fungus that can give spicy, horse-blanket and even a Band-Aid character to the beer, must not be forgotten. Part science and part mystery, the oak-ageing of brews provides us with beers of a more complex and diverse character. Long may it continue!

PHOTOLIBRARY

Oak itself is a source of compounds known as lactones that

impart that classic chardonnay wine oakiness, hints of coconut, herbaceous characters, spice, vanilla, even hints of violet. These are dependent on several factors, such as the type of oak species, where it is grown, and whether or not the wood has been seasoned (air-dried) naturally or artificially. Oak is also a source of tannins, those astringent compounds that we encounter in a glass of young cabernet sauvignon, with their dry, mouth-coating characteristics. Along with astringency, however, oxidation makes tannins a source of both colour and flavour.

The original Thomas Hardy s Ale, JW Lees Harvest Ale, Fuller s Brewer s Reserve, Innis and Gunn and our own Saint Petersburg and Alliance beers have all had their time in oak and the results are never far from fascinating WINTER 2010 BEER 53

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STEVE PEREIRA ¦ home brew

brown sugar Make yours a mild with these brews for The ﬁrst of the modern brown ales was

Manns Brown Ale in 1902 – a sweet, low-strength beer. After World War I there was more of a demand for sweet, low-ABV brews, and by the 1930s most brewers had a brown ale in their range, sometimes simply a bottled version of a mild ale. The sweetness of these beers was due to low attenuation (a fermentation where the yeast does not convert all the sugars into alcohol); low hops (so less bitterness, thus accentuating the sweet malt); or adding sugar to the finished beer. A stronger, drier style of brown ale brewed in the north of England survives and is also used in the US as the basis for the American brown ale – a strong, hoppy beer using local hops. A traditional, early 20th-century mild or bottled brown can be made with a mild ale malt (roasted slightly darker than a pale malt), or a pale version in combination with darker variations such as crystal. For colour and flavour a dark malt can also be added to a mild ale version. You can use a dark or medium dried malt extract (DME). Keep hop quantities low, unless making an American brown. Mash temperatures are within a few degrees of 69˚C (156˚F); try putting your mash pan in a fan oven set at 100˚C (212˚F) – check and adjust as needed. Sugar is optional. The recipes here are for five litres. When bottling at more than 1.010OG, use less priming sugar than usual and store at a cool temperature.

beer lovers with a sweet tooth

National Mild

Mash 200g mild ale malt in a litre of water for 90 mins. Sparge with 1.5 litres at 75˚C (167˚F). Remove grain bag. Steep 35g black malt for 30 mins at 65˚C (149˚F). Remove grain bag. Add a litre of water, 42g sugar, 265g dark DME and 5g Challenger hops. Boil for 60 mins. Add about two litres of cold water to 1.040OG. Ferment to 1.012OG (about four to five days), then bottle with half a teaspoon of sugar per 500ml. White sugar can produce a cidery home brew flavour, so either use brown sugar (or treacle) or leave for a month, when it will mellow into a traditional 3.7 per cent mild with some roasty chocolate notes.

Strong Modern Mild Steep 150g crystal and 50g black malt in two litres of water at 65˚C (149˚F) for 15 mins. Add 750g dark DME, 10g Goldings and 1.5 litres of water and boil for one hour. Add 1.5 litres of cold water or enough to bring to 1.050OG. Ferment to 1.012 (seven to 10 days). Bottle with half a teaspoon of sugar per 500ml and leave for at least three weeks. This produces a 4.9 per cent dark brown beer with liquorice, sarsaparilla and chocolate notes, with a pleasant sweetness balanced by a soft finishing bitterness.

American Brown Ale This is a stunning beer – like malty black bread soaked in beer. It has liquorice and

caramel notes, and a balancing bitterness from the hops; though full flavoured, it has a refreshing lightness of body. This is best made with American hops (Cascade is well suited, the sweet citric notes complementing the dark chocolatey malts), although British hops, like Fuggles, work well enough. Steep 57g crystal and 57g black/chocolate malt in 2.5 litres of water at 70˚C (158˚F) for 30 mins. Add 830g medium DME and 7g Cascade hops and boil for 50 mins. Add 14g Cascade and boil for 10 mins. Add about three litres of water to 1.046OG and then ferment to 1.012OG (about seven days), bottling with half a teaspoon of sugar per 500ml. Two economy-brand kits for mild turned out to be quite drinkable, even when made with sugar – though would benefit from substituting sugar with enhancer or DME:

Young’s Harvest Mild This is a popular brew, usually costing around £8, plus £1 for the sugar. Made as instructed, this produces an uncomplicated, refreshing beer costing around 25p a pint.

Geordie Mild This costs around £8.75, plus £1 for the sugar. It is herby with some Jaffa Cake fruitiness and bready notes. It has slightly more flavour than the Young’s Mild, so some might consider it worth paying extra.

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10 OF THE

BEST

To mark the re-launch of its Heritage Pubs website, CAMRA has picked out a top 10 of exceptional examples of Britain s historic pub interiors. Andy Shaw describes what the new site has to oﬀer, and its role in saving iconic pubs

It is seven years since the last edition of

the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors was published, and in that time CAMRA has continued to improve descriptions of these gems, sought to protect them as listed buildings, and capture their wonder in photographs. With the new website, it shares the results of these efforts, and provides updated details and photos of Britain’s Real Heritage Pubs, currently totalling 294, whose interiors have either remained intact for a long time or contain outstanding features. The top 10 is an attempt to demonstrate the astonishing variety, but are just an appetiser. If you are one of the thousands of CAMRA members who appreciate the regular heritage

pub features in BEER, then you can enjoy all 294 with photographs on the re-launched website. This provides features on the types of heritage pubs, advice on preserving and getting them listed, plus a section on those that face an uncertain future. As well as updates to the pub list, the revised site gives access to the regional guides. Five have now been published – London, Scotland, Wales, North East England and East Anglia – plus the web-only Northern Ireland version. Regional Inventories of Historic Pub Interiors detail those that, while not in the absolute top drawer, are still rare survivors. Researching these guides is a crucially important part of CAMRA’s campaigning work as, in the past few

The site provides features on the types of heritage pubs, advice on preserving and getting them listed, plus a section on those that face an uncertain future years, most of the new pubs of national importance have been found during surveying. The revamped website allows surveyors to share updates to pub details and coordinate visits. There are still a number of regional guides being prepared, and the site provides CAMRA members with the opportunity to see work in progress. By logging into the members’ only area of the website, you can review

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TOP 10 ¦ heritage

Sun LEINTWARDINE, HEREFORDSHIRE Possibly the last parlour pub in the country where you can still drink in the landlady s sitting room ‒ there is no bar counter.

the draft regional guides. The East and West Midlands are the guides currently being surveyed, and we hope members will join in and provide feedback and updates to the pubs listed, and suggest others for experts to visit. You can also sign up for a monthly email bulletin detailing changes to pubs in the National Inventory. The pub is one of the great British traditions yet there has been so much change within them in recent decades that precious little still retain truly historic interiors – and the few that are left are indeed precious and deserving of being looked after. We hope the new website will encourage people to seek out and visit them. Enjoy! ● www.heritagepubs.org.uk

Philharmonic LIVERPOOL Our top Victorian interior. Behind the art nouveau gates, you will find a mosaic bar and floor, ornate plasterwork, copper panels and the finest gents toilets in any pub.

Circus Tavern MANCHESTER Tiny, time warp, multi-roomed pub ‒ despite its tiny internal dimensions, there are two rooms and a lobby bar so small there is only room for one member of staﬀ.

Black Friar LONDON Uniquely decorated interior, friars appear in sculptures, mosaics and metal reliefs throughout the pub, including the stunning rear room lined with marble and alabaster.

King s Head LAXFIELD, SUFFOLK Splendid country inn with a remarkable public bar, created by three high-backed settles ‒ this is one of only a dozen remaining pubs in the UK without a counter at all.

Bleeding Wolf SCHOLAR GREEN, CHESHIRE Magnificent inter-war roadhouse, it retains its original floor plan of five rooms, a fully panelled Oak Room and an impressive inglenook fireplace.

Golden Cross CARDIFF Most spectacular pub interior in Wales ‒ the public bar walls are covered with decorative tiles and the colourful ceramic bar counter is one of only nine in the UK.

Horseshoe Bar GLASGOW Ornate late-Victorian interior with the country s longest bar ‒ many of Scotland s pubs are now open plan and this horseshoe counter is one of the ﬁnest remaining.

Bridge TOPSHAM, DEVON One of the least-altered pubs in the country ‒ family-owned for more than 100 years, it has a small bar called the Inner Sanctum that can be visited only by invitation.

Cittie of Yorke LONDON Tudor-revival splendour in a huge baronial-style hall, re-built in 1923-4, the high-ceilinged rear room is unlike any other in a British pub with a formidable array of ornamental casks. WINTER 2010 BEER 59

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ROUNDUP ¦ news

newsround New arrival for a new arrival... JD s ale website... What s Brewing catch-up... a feast of festivals...

GO ONLINE FOR WETHERSPOON LATEST Drinkers will be able to get more information on the many real ales served in the Wetherspoon chain thanks to a new website dedicated to cask beer, launched by the pub company. The new site at www.jdrealale.co.uk will feature regular blogs from the brewers who supply Wetherspoon pubs as well as details on the beers and breweries themselves. It will also highlight the guest ales available in the

chain s pubs, with full tasting notes and provide a Bluffer s Guide to real ale. The website builds on the pub company s long-standing support of real ale, which includes its regular beer festivals throughout the year. Wetherspoon commercial director Rebecca Payton said: We want to make real ale even more accessible and believe the website will enable us to achieve this.

A PUB CRAWL THROUGH HISTORY by Mike Pentelow and Peter Arkell, Janus, £16.99 My local is the King William IV. Why? His sailor king nickname suggests he didn t devote much time to kingly duties. Pentelow and Arkell are equally unimpressed by the number of pubs named after monarchs and aristocrats. They have unearthed, as a result of a mammoth pub crawl, pubs named in honour of common people ‒ ie uncommon people ‒ who have made massive contributions to society and the welfare of their fellow citizens. The cover shows a pub devoted to Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants Revolt in the 14th century. The Scots and the Welsh are not ignored, with taverns named after William Wallace and Owain

Glyndwr. Surprisingly, there are only two pubs in the country named after Oliver Cromwell. This is a period of English history we seem anxious to forget, even though it ushered in democracy and the final end of feudalism. This is far from a worthy and dull book. Author Pentelow (Arkell took the photos) has a ribald sense of humour. I was in hysterics after reading the entry for the children s writer Richmal Crompton. There s a quote from one of her Just William books, written in a less politically correct time, that I can t quote here, but it s worth the price of the book. Roger Protz

WAIT FOR IT, HARRY Congratulations to the Evan Evans brewing dynasty, which is celebrating its eighth generation with a beer. HBA, or Harry Buckley Ale, is being launched by the Llandeilo-based brewery to celebrate the arrival of Harry John Buckley. The 5 per cent ABV strong ale has been made available throughout Wales. Simon Buckley said: HBA has been brewed to celebrate the birth of my grandson, Harry, the eighth generation of the Buckley brewing family ‒ and hopefully the next to brew beer! It will be some 17 years before Harry will be legally able to taste his grandfather s handiwork though!

WHAT’S BREWING CATCH-UP It s oﬃcial ‒ beer is good for you, coalition scraps pub rescue plans, LocAle boosts tourism as budgets slashed, Peter Arkell dies, real ale bucks slump and cider champions revealed AUGUST › In a report titled Beer ‒ the natural choice, the Beer Academy releases findings that confirm what we already suspected and hoped ‒ beer is good for you. › MP for Selby and Ainsty Nigel Adams gets the chance to introduce new measures to protect pubs in his Private Members Bill.

› Thornbridge s Stefano Cossi is crowned All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group brewer of the year. SEPTEMBER › Coalition government pulls the plug on a vital pub scheme. The £4 million programme, announced by the previous Labour government, was set to provide grants to turn pubs into cooperatives.

› Former MP John Grogan chairs the first review meeting of CAMRA s Strategy Review Group. › CAMRA s LocAle provides a boost for tourism in Cumbria, as local tourist board money is halved.

OCTOBER › New research shows in a time of declining beer sales, cask ale is top dog. The Cask Report reveals ale outperformed the beer market. › What s Brewing sadly reports the death of Arkell s Peter Arkell.

› Two leading cider outlets scoop the top honours in the National Cider & Perry Pub of the Year competition. The Prince of Wales, Foxfield, Cumbria, and the Hop & Vine, Hull, East Yorkshire, shared the title to beat 118 other nominees.

If you re not a CAMRA member, you won t be getting all the latest real ale, pub and brewing news delivered to your door every month. Join now using the form in this issue and get What s Brewing and BEER delivered free, plus a host of membership beneﬁts. WINTER 2010 BEER 61

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ROUNDUP ¦ news

AMBER GOLD & BLACK by Martyn Cornell, The History Press, £12.99

This is a fascinating history of Britain s beer styles, which has obviously been researched in much depth. Each beer style is given its own chapter, there being 16 chapters in all, starting with bitter and ending in lager, with obvious styles such as mild, porter and stout, and not so obvious ones such as Burton ales and honey beer all included in between. For each style, Cornell explains how they were developed and brewed as well as how they gained and lost popularity over the years. He also reveals how some of the style names have come to mean something different over the course of time as fashions have changed. All of this is backed up by references and contemporary quotations. Finally, he lists examples of each style as brewed today. As an enthusiast of some of our less common beer styles, I found this a difficult book to put down once I had started, and will regard it as an invaluable reference on the subject. I would also recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more on how our tastes for different styles of beer have developed over the last few centuries. John Norman

CODE OF THE BREWSTERS Having broken the code of the human genome, scientists are moving on to another, more beery, challenge. Italian scientists are looking to map the full beer proteome ‒ the set of proteins that make beer what it is. The team from the University of Milan hopes by deciphering the proteins, they ll give brewers new information on how to change the aroma and flavour of beer. While proteins in beer play a vital part in the formation and

stability of the head, previously only a dozen have been identified. The team believes they have identified 20 barley proteins, 40 yeast and two from corn. These findings may help brewers in devising fermentation processes in which the release of yeast proteins could be minimised, if such components could alter the flavour of beer, or be maximised in the case of species, improving beer aroma, the team says.

PICK OF THE FESTIVALS In every issue of BEER we ll pick out a few festivals you might want to call into, and show you what you missed by not regularly reading our What s Brewing Festivals page...

COMING UP 4-6 Nov SWIG-DON BEER FEST This is the 24th year of the Swindon Beer Festival and this time it is celebrating 175 years of the Great Western Railway. There will be plenty to sample at this festival, with ciders, perries and 100 beers! www.swindoncamra. org.uk

18-20 Nov ALSTER ALE Take in the Northern Irish charm with more than 100 ales served up with live, traditional music at the Belfast Beer Festival. As the nights grow longer, the selection of ciders and perries also on sale, will keep you warm.

Check out the line-ups (beer and music) online. www.camrani.org.uk

23-27 Nov WAINWRIGHT RELOCATED Now in its 31st year, the Rochford Beer & Cider Fest is packing more than 210 real ales with 70 firkins on a dedicated Thwaites Wainwright bar, 70 from Essex and Suffolk, and the same number from the rest of the UK. Not one to miss ‒ enquiries to Steve Dunham. 07963 884860

30 Nov to 4 Dec ALE-MEN You are invited to partake in the communion beer at the Chapel of Blessed Barley & Holy Hop aka the Pig s

Ear Beer & Cider Festival this winter. Its central London location means you shouldn t have any problems travelling to seek out the 100-plus beers ‒ including unique festival brews ‒ and the renowned cider, bottled beer and foreign bars. www.pigsear.org.uk

1-4 Dec WINTER BRRRR-EWS With an emphasis on dark and seasonal brews, the 9th Harwich & Dovercourt Bay Winter Ale Festival should keep you warm on the

cold December nights. Racking up a tempting 50-plus beers, the festival will also be showcasing cider and bottled beers. www.tendringcamra. org.uk

27-29 Jan 2011 NEW BEERS RESOLUTION Start the New Year the right way with a trip to the 22nd Bent and Bongs Beer Bash in Atherton, Manchester. Warm up with 70 real ales and cider ‒ and if that isn t enough to tempt you, all proceeds go to charity. www.bentnbongs.com

ONE YOU MISSED 29 Sept to 2 Oct SAINT ALE-BANS This corker of a festival was right in the heart of CAMRA s home city, St Albans. With six bars toting 350 ales, no one went thirsty. Festival-goers were also treated to ciders and perries, and an extensive range of foreign beers. Once thirsts were quenched, the masses were entertained with breweriana auctions, a quiz and live music.

If you ve been to a recent CAMRA beer festival, let us know your thoughts ‒ send words and pictures (if available) to the usual email or postal address. Check out the Festivals page in What s Brewing for your monthly round-up, so that you don t miss out on some great events. If you re not a member, join up now to make sure you get What s Brewing and BEER delivered free to your door. WINTER 2010 BEER 63

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