The Beer Report by HUGHES DESIGN

Beer, the natural choice? 1

Contents Beer – the nutritional ‘superdrink’?

Deflating the weight issue

Essential minerals: the silicon story

Understanding units

Community spirit

The wholesomeness of brewing

Beer and The Great British Heritage

Beer – back on the menu

A healthy perspective

References

This report was authored by Isla Whitcroft, national health journalist.

24%

of people wrongly think that red wine, rather than beer, contains the most vitamins

90%

around of beer sold in the UK is produced in the UK

Everything you think about beer is about to be turned on its â&#x20AC;&#x153;head...â&#x20AC;? 3

Beer – the nutritional ‘superdrink’? Recent headlines would have us believe that red

In many parts of the world it is often safer to

wine drinkers enjoy good health, while those

drink beer, which is hostile to harmful bacteria,

who choose beer are at risk of exactly the opposite.

than water. In medieval times, in areas where the

However a closer look at the nutritional content

water supply was contaminated with diseases

of beer tells a very different story. Beer, when drunk

such as dysentery and typhoid, children drank

in moderation is one of the healthiest alcoholic

a specially brewed “small” beer which prevented

drinks around, known down the ages

illness and gave them much needed year round

as ‘liquid bread’.

nutrition.

“Beer is sometimes thought of as an unhealthy

Even today, drinks with a high alcohol content

drink,” explains Dr George Philliskirk, a biochemist

such as wine and spirits are not the best choice to

and founder member of the Beer Academy. But,

maintain hydration, as they increase the amount

as scientists learn more about the properties of

of water the body loses. However, because normal

beer, it is clear that hidden away in this seemingly

strength beers and ciders are much lower in

understated, thirst quenching drink is an

alcohol, drinking them helps maintain balanced

abundance of health giving properties.

hydration(1). Beer contains vitamins which can help you to maintain a well-balanced healthy diet, fibre to

10%

still wrongly think that beer contains fat. Beer contains zero fat and zero cholesterol

keep you regular, readily absorbed antioxidants(2) which may protect you against heart disease and some cancers; and minerals such as silicon(3) which may lower your risk of osteoporosis(4). It is low in sodium (salt) and high in potassium, a mineral that helps to control the balance of fluids in the body and possibly contribute to controlling blood pressure(4a). Like wine and spirits, beer also contains ethanol – alcohol – which when taken in small amounts is thought to be a protective factor for

34%

over of British men incorrectly believe that beer has more calories than other alcoholic drinks

a half pint of beer contains on average 7% of daily folate requirement for an adult and 9% of the required vitamin B2 intake. The hops, the plant which gives the beer its bitter taste, are brimming with healthy potential. And because beer is virtually the only nutritional source of hops, then it gets the exclusive on the benefits! “If malt is the soul of the beer then hops are the spice,” says Professor Charles Bamforth Professor of Brewing Sciences at the University of California.

a whole range of health issues. These include

“The hop is an ancient plant, said to aid digestion,

atherosclerosis(5), an inflammatory disease

ease constipation, overcome premature ejaculation

of the blood vessel walls, strokes, Type II

and soothe anxieties.”

Diabetes(6), gallstones(7), Parkinson’s Disease(8), and dementia(9). In addition it has been found

Now new research is uncovering the science

to raise the amount of ‘good’ HDL (High Density

behind these legends. It appears that the

Lipoprotein) cholesterol in the blood(10) which is

flavanoids in hops may help to reduce the risk of

associated with a lowering of the risk of coronary

cancer (12a & b), diabetes(13), obesity(14) and improve

heart disease.

levels of good cholesterol(15).”

Let’s examine the vitamins in beer. Beer is mostly

It is important to remember that in almost all

made from barley. When malted, barley is a

instances the research showed a correlation

very rich source of B group vitamins including

between benefits and a safe amount of alcohol.

nicacin, riboflavin(B2), pyridoxine (B6), folate(B9)

That is, if you drink within sensible drinking

and cobalamin (B12). It is these vitamins which,

guidelines, then you reap the rewards of all

research is suggesting, are providing the protection

that beer contains. But over that amount and

against cardiovascular disease, especially when

benefits start to decline and the risks increase.

compared to red wine and spirits(11).

And remember for some people the only safe option is to avoid alcohol altogether – for

That translates into an awful lot of goodness.

instance children, pregnant women and drivers.

According to the US Department of Agriculture,

Beer may just qualify as a superfood but only when enjoyed in moderation 5

If consumed in moderation and alongside a healthy lifestyle, beer will not cause you to get fat. Blaming the beer belly on the beer is actually nonsense

Deﬂating the weight issue

Of all the health myths surrounding beer, none is more enduring than that of the link between beer consumption and the

Only calories

beer belly. “I’ve lost count of the number of times that people have told me that beer makes you fat,“ says Dr George Philliskirk, biochemist and founder member of the Beer Academy. “And when I tell them it simply isn’t true they are usually amazed. “In fact, if you compare other alcoholic drinks by volume, beer has a relatively low calorific value (see table Calorie comparison). In addition, beer contains absolutely no fat or cholesterol, very few sugars and is low in carbohydrates.” A quick look at the ingredients and processes that go into beer will confirm the logic of the Doctor’s words. Beer is around 95% water. The major ingredients are barley and hops,

GI (Glycaemic Index) & GL (Glycaemic Loa

ding)

The Glycaemic In dex (GI) and Glyc aemic Load (GL) rank foods acco rding to how m uc h they raise blood sugar levels after consumption. Lo w GI and GL levels are thought to be beneficial in term s of encouraging weight loss and staying healthy wh er ea s high GI and GL values tend to be associated wi th ob es ity and the accompanying health problem s. GI compares fo on the basis of eq ods ual amounts of carbohydrates whereas GL take s into account th e quantity of food taken at each se rving – a much be tter indicator of dietary impact. Although beer in an alytical terms has a relatively hig h GI, given the re lat ive serving volume of the be er, it has a low Gl yc ae mic Load (about 6) compa red with, say, sta nd ar d servings of regular cola at 17 , apple juice at 11 .6 or an energy drink at about 40(6) .

Calorie comparison(1 & 2) 1/2 pint of 3.8% bitter

85 calories

1/2 pint of 4% lager

94 calories

Medium sized glass of red wine (175ml)

119 calories

Half pint of orange juice

128 calories

Medium sized glass of white wine (175ml)

131 calories

34.5g packet of ready salted crisps

183 calories

275ml bottle of 5% ‘alcopop’

179 calories

100g bar of milk chocolate

525 calories

100g salted peanuts

601 calories

Typical Carbonation Levels in Drinks

4.5 – 5.0

Carbonated Soft Drinks

3.5-4.0

Lager

2.0 – 2.7

Ale

1.2-1.8

both plant materials, which contain virtually

stands to reason that it will be relatively low

no fat at all.

in calories.

During the beer-making process, the natural

In fact when you take a good look at the

sugar from the barley is converted almost

nutritional facts, it is hard to work out just why

entirely into alcohol with very little free sugar

beer is linked with excessive weight gain. The

left in the end product. Likewise, much of the

research shows that the beer belly has nothing

plant carbohydrate that cannot be broken down

to do with beer drinkers’ choice of drink – and

by the yeast comes from the barley cell wall

everything to do with their lifestyle!

and ends up forming a wholesome dietary fibre content in beer.

Numerous studies have shown time and again that it is not the beer that causes the weight gain,

A half pint glass of beer will contain about

it is the lifestyle associated with beer drinkers.

5.7g of total carbohydrates. Of those, just 2.5g

One very large study, for example, carried out

will be free sugar and the rest dietary fibre. A

in 2003 and reported in the European Journal of

standard (175ml) glass of wine contains 5.9g of

Clinical Nutrition(4) set out to determine whether

carbohydrate but 5.6g of that will be free sugars

beer intake was associated with increased BMI

and wine has no dietary fibre at all . In common

(Body Mass Index) or waist hip ratio (WHR). The

with other drinks, the calorie content in beer

study concluded that this was unlikely and even

mainly comes from the ethanol – the pure alcohol

pointed to the evidence that showed moderate

in the drink. As beer is relatively low in alcohol

beer consumption in women to be linked to

compared to other alcoholic drinks it therefore

lower BMI than those who drank no beer.

(3)

None of us enjoys the feeling of a full and bloated stomach, especially not on a night out when we could be wearing our tightest fitting clothes. Indeed, one of the most common complaints about beer drinking, especially from women, is that it can make you feel and look bloated after just a few glasses. As always with beer, there is a scientific explanation for this phenomena and an equally scientific solution. “The bloat factor is directly related to the volume that you drink and the amount of CO2, the carbonation level in the drink” explains Dr Philliskirk.

Volumes of CO2

Champagne

Beating The Bloat

“Carbonation makes drinks more refreshing but can cause you to feel bloated. The nature of CO 2 also means that when it is served cold and then suddenly warmed up, it reacts with the heat to release the gas. This is exactly what happens when a very cold drink hits a warm stomach, which is why you feel bloated.” “The carbonation in beer is quite low compared to Champagne or fizzy soft drinks (Table: Typical Carbonation Levels in Drinks) which will typically have about twice the CO2 of a beer. It’s probably not the level of fizz that’s the problem for beer but the volume drunk.” Try drinking from smaller glasses. Many leading restaurants are now serving their beers in champagne flutes, wine glasses or even brandy balloons. Not only stylish, but a great way to avoid feeling too full to eat. “Also there are some beers that are lower in carbonation. Traditional cask beers are naturally low in CO2. And recently some lagers have been deliberately brewed with less carbonation to allow you to drink the beer with food without feeling full.”

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Researchers in Spain reported that the bones of women who drink beer regularly were stronger, making them less likely to suffer from osteoporosis

Only of people realise that beer contains a valuable source of silicon

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“We found that half a pint of beer contained

a small amount of beer, under the Government

around 8mg of silicon. Considering that the

recommended safe alcohol guidelines, had a

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significantly higher bone density than those who never drank beer(4).

around a third of that amount.”

Recently Professor Powell has shown that some of ?

Professor Powell’s initial studies

the effect of moderate beer consumption on bone

measured the density of bones in the

mineral density is attributed to the silicon content

hip and spine of more than 1,200 men and

of beer(5).

1,500 women and analysed this in relation to the amount of silicon that they consumed. His results

“Scientists have pinpointed that silicon is active

showed that the higher their silicon intake, the

in the regeneration of connective tissue,”

denser their bones .

says Professor Powell. “It is early days but we

(3)

are moving towards the theory that silicon is More recently, researchers in Spain reported that

important in all the areas that people worry

the bones of women who drink beer regularly

about most – their joints, skin, blood vessels and

were stronger, making them less likely to suffer

therefore their heart. As we all age these areas of

from osteoporosis, a disease which affects around

health will become even more of an issue.”

three million Britons and causes an increased risk of bone fractures. Around 1,700 healthy women underwent ultrasound scans of their hands, chosen because hands are the first to show signs of the disease. Those who drank even

Understanding units ? Average Strength(1) Beer

4.2%

Alcopops

Cider

Wine

12.6%

Spirit

37.5 – 40%

Over the last few years millions of pounds and several times as many words have been spent making everyone aware of units and urging us all to drink within the Government’s daily guidelines. But what do units actually mean?

Units in typical servings of alcoholic drinks(3)

Some people may know that one unit of alcohol is exactly 10ml of pure alcohol (equivalent to 8

Half pint

Pint

1.1

2.3

1.4

2.9

two to three units per day if you are a woman(2).

Wine

12%

14%

But do people know how many units there are

Small 125ml

1.5

1.8

Medium 175ml

2.1

2.5

3.5

gms by weight). Many more know that the UK Government’s sensible drinking guidelines say that we should not regularly drink more than

Beer

three or four units per day if you are a man – and

in a typical serving of their favourite drinks? The evidence suggests many still do not.

Large 250ml Units are not always easy to understand in everyday life. Many wines now have an alcohol

Spirits (40%)

content of 13 or 14% (by volume), and glass sizes

Single small pub measure (25ml)

range from 125ml to 250ml making it complicated to keep track of your drinking. So a single glass of

35ml measure

wine can easily contain 3.5 units of alcohol.

Double

With spirits, which like wine are predominately

Typical home poured measures(4)

consumed at home, self-pouring can lead to a higher number of units being consumed than realised. Whilst a single measure (25ml) of a

57ml

1 1.4 2

2.3

40% spirit equates to around 1 unit of alcohol,

alcohol. As a rule of thumb, a pint in a pub will

a recent BBC study found that most people

normally contain between 2-3 units of alcohol.

considerably over-estimated what a single measure was when asked to pour

Jonathan Neame, Chief Executive of Kent Brewer

this themselves.

Shepherd Neame says “The average strength of beer is just under 4.2% making beer the UK’s

For beer it is generally easier. Beer is primarily

lowest alcohol drinks category. Beer is one of the

sold in single-serve containers and over 90%

few alcoholic drinks where you can reduce the

of the beer sold in cans and bottles is now

alcohol content and still produce an enjoyable

labelled to show the exact number of units in the

drink with good flavours and complexity. In

container. Even in the pub, tracking units is not

recent years, brewers both large and small, have

much more difficult because the strength and

been creating lower alcohol beers to satisfy the

serving size for beer are more consistent. Beer

growing consumer demand for beer’s flavour and

is primarily sold in pint or half pint glasses and

refreshment without wanting to consume large

has alcohol content in the range 3.5% to 5.5%

amounts of alcohol.”

Beer is one of the few alcoholic drinks were you can reduce the alcohol content and still produce an enjoyable drink with good flavours and complexity 11

Community spirit From the earliest recorded use of alcohol by Neolithic man right up to the present day, across every culture and continent, there has been one constant behavioural rule in place. In every society and in every era, beer (or its cultural equivalent) has been always drunk as part of a community activity with solitary drinking seen as taboo (1). “Our societal attitudes to drinking is one of the few things that have not changed over time,” says Dr Peter March, a chartered psychologist and director of Social Issues Research Centre based in Oxford, who has edited a report on the cultural aspects of alcohol use. “Even back in Egyptian times there were rules and regulations designating when and where people drank alcohol. “Sometimes the drinking was ceremonial, sometimes celebratory or even quasi-religious. But it was always done in a group and therefore subject to group imposed restraints.”

There is evidence that even ancient societies had a specific designated place for communal drinking – a place that today we would call the pub.

A good pub is a place where you can go in as a stranger and come out knowing something or someone local

“The pub is not about just drinking alcohol although of course that is generally what we do when we go to the pub,“ says Dr Marsh. “A good pub is a place where you can go in as a stranger and come out knowing something or someone local. A pub is about networking, finding out who is the best plumber and on the most basic level providing human company for the lonely. “All the research points to the conclusion that drinking as part of a group is far better for your emotional wellbeing than drinking alone. It also adds to the welfare of the community as a whole. Alcohol is the facilitator of all these things but drinking as part of a group provides a far greater function than just the imbibing of beer.”

Beer makes up over 60% of drinks sales in Britain’s community pubs(1)

SAFER TO DRINK IN A GROUP THAN ALONE

Today scientific research is indicating

that there may be a very good evolutionary reason for these restrain ts. That is, it is safer to drink in a group than alone. Psychologist Professor Dominic Abr am

s and his colleague Dr Tim Hopthro w ng behaviour of around 250 student s half of whom had drunk enough alco hol to take them just to the drink driv ing limit, half of whom were given a plac ebo drink. Some were placed in gro ups, others were left on their own and all were offered a monetary risk (2). of Kent University studied the risk taki

“We found that those who were drin

king as part of a group were protect ed , “ explains Dr Hopthrow. “They wer e less likely to indulge in high risk behavio ur than the solitary drinkers and actu ally took the same level of risk as when they were sober. from the negative effects of alcohol

“On the other hand solitary drinker

s took more risk than they did whe n they were sober and higher risks than the group drinkers. “The group drinkers talked to each

other, recognised the high risk take rs and discarded their opinions and overall seemed to follow the sensible com mon denominator.” However it is not all good news. “It is important to point out that this had drunk moderately, “ says Dr Hop

effect was only evident when the gro

throw. “We believe that as alcohol

consumption increases then this pro

tective mechanism breaks down and group behaviour deteriorates into com petitiveness or even aggression.”

Even back in Egyptian times there were rules and regulations designating when and where people drank alcohol 13

The wholesomeness of bre Crafted and brewed using natural, healthy ingredients; maintaining time-honoured British traditions; famed throughout the world for its unique quality and diversity; and environmentally friendly to boot! Not many drinks can claim to be as all-round wholesome as beer.

Brewing, a complex and time consuming process, does not tolerate shoddy workmanship. Beer is made principally from seasonal, natural ingredients and any mistakes will show up immediately in the taste and the aroma. Consistent and careful craftsmanship are critical. Today’s brewing industry is a byword for stringent quality with the big players setting the

Indeed there is little in beer that

standard.

cannot be described as healthy

“Beer is seen as a simple, unsophisticated drink especially when compared to wine,” says Charles Bamforth, Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at the University of California, and the author of several books on beer and brewing. “Wine is made from one basic ingredient, grapes, and the finished product can vary from year to year in its flavour and quality.

“In a good year they call it vintage. A bad year is simply passed off to the customer as ‘one of those things’. Compare that with beer which is made from a variety of ‘live’ and temperamental ingredients and yet still, day to day, year by year, it achieves consistency of flavour and quality.

The Micro Brewer

rs Sue Hayward and her husband John Martin are the founde rt and owners of The Waen Brewery near Newpo in mid Wales, which they set up in late 2008 using second hand equipment and a grant from the local council. Just

over a year later business is booming and John has long given up his job as a purchasing manager to act as the business manager, whilst Sue is head brewer with children and Hermia, 10, and Oscar, 8, helping out at weekends. Sue n vocatio a as John see their brewery as a business but also which carries with it a certain spirit. “One of the most important things for us was that our brewery was local, “ says Sue, 43. “That is we sold our beer locally and we used, as much as possible, local ingredients

was the drink known for so long as ‘liquid bread.’ And to add to the miracle that is beer, nothing from the brewing process goes to waste; leftover yeast is converted to marmite, the used grain fed to farm animals and the spent hops converted to high nutrient fertiliser.

All brewing starts with barley, a

in our beer.”

plant bursting with goodness,

the To that end the hops come from Herefordshire, just over local, is water border, and the barley from Warminster. The The coming from the River Severn and is perfect for brewing. and s flavour end result is a drink packed with wholesome even ingredients that are sold in casks to pubs all over the UK

containing not only natural

in the House of Commons bar. says Many of the beers are low in alcohol content, which Sue is She s. drinker of band g growin a to has a special appeal particularly proud that all her beers are suitable for vegans that and vegetarians. And there is another consumer group aging. encour of point a Sue has made rs,“ “Women are discovering cask ale in ever increasing numbe of First Our and says Sue. “We run beer tasting for women the Summer Waen is light in colour and fizz, not too hoppy and full of flavour. It happens to have a pink label on it and women can’t get enough of it. That encourages them to a come and taste our other ales and suddenly you’ve got regular new customer.”

and wholesome. Not for nothing

starch but protein and fibre too. During malting, the barley is allowed to sprout or ‘germinate’ and this releases the natural enzymes that unlock goodness from the grain. During the final stage of malting, the green malt is roasted or ‘kilned’. Kilning is needed to stop the germination process – otherwise you would produce new barley plants rather than beer! Malt is at the heart of the colour and flavour

ewing 13% of people believe

incorrectly that beer is made from “chemicals” rather than from malted barley and hops.

of the beer, so it is down to the method of malting

provide the bitter flavour and aroma synonymous

used to determine the final flavour of the beer.

with beer and the mixture is boiled in a vessel

Different methods of malting are used to produce

called a ‘copper’.

the different malts used to brew lager, ale, mild and stout. High temperature kilning produces malt

“Brewing water must always be of the highest

that is dark with flavours such as toffee, chocolate

quality,“ explains Professor Bamforth. “Soft water,

or coffee. A more gentle heat produces paler malts

such as that found in the Czech town of Pilsen, is

used to brew lighter beers like lagers and pale ales.

needed for brewing lager. Hard water is generally considered the best for brewing ales. Rain that falls

Next up is the brewing of the beer. The malt is

on the Peak District picks up salt as it seeps through

crushed and mixed with hot water. Then the thick

the rocks into the deep wells around Burton on Trent

porridge, ‘the mash’, is left in a special container

where it is used to brew the town’s famous India

called a mash tun while the sugars are released by

Pale Ales.

the malt’s enzymes. Now the hops are added to “Hops give beer both bitterness and aroma.

The Regional Brewer

The beauty of the brewing industry is that it is not just the small guys that have the monopoly on environmentally frien dly product sourcing and productio n meth ods. Wells & Young’s, Britain largest inde pendently owned brewery, produces arou nd seven thousand gallons a day of ales and yet still manages to use 100% Britis h ingredients, provide employment for hundreds of British workers and keep its carbon footprint low. “Our barley comes from East Anglia, less than forty miles away from our Bedford site and our hops come from Worcester shire or Kent, “ explains Johnny Kirkh am, marketing manager for Wells & Youn g’s. “Where possible we try to have a direc t relationship with our suppliers, for example the farmers who supply the barle y for Young’s bitter – incidentally the first ale to be awarded the Red Tractor symb ol – are regular visitors to our brewery.” Wells & Young’s water is still supplied by the on-site aquifer well that was dropped by the Wells founder Charles Wells in 1902. The water is extracted from the porous limestone layer that runs about 100 foot under the North Bedford. Geol ogica l studies have shown that it can take up to 200 years for the water to filter throu gh the limestone before it is pumped from the brewery wells. Nothing is allowed to go to waste. All the spent grain after the malted barley has been used for brewing is sold for anim al feed, and leftover yeast is sent off to make Marmite. “Breweries such as ours, provide a perfect example of how an industry can be successful, yet at the same time both environmentally and socially respo nsible, “ says Johnny . “We employ around 600 people here in Bedford and use 100% British ingredients whic h travel a short distance to get to us. We recyc le virtually all our waste product and finally around 90% of our beers are sold here in the UK, whic h keeps our carbon footprint relatively low. Britis h brewing is an industry we should all be very prou d of.”

The more hops that are added to a beer the more bitter it will be. There are so many varieties of the hop plant and each has its own distinctive flavour, from the Bramling Cross, which provides a spicy curranty aroma to the mild herbal flavour of the Millennium.”

Finally the resulting liquid – the wort – is filtered, cooled and run into tanks, where the yeast is added and the fermentation takes place. Yeast is one of nature’s miracles, a fungus which feeds on sugar to produce alcohol, carbon dioxide and the host of flavours that make beer taste like beer. In just a few days most of the fermentation is complete and the ‘green’ beer left for the yeast to do the last of its work. Finally the beer – made with just these natural ingredients – is ready to be packaged and sent to the pub, the shop or the supermarket. A naturally wholesome and healthy drink ready for you to enjoy.

Not many drinks can claim to be as all round wholesome as beer 15

Beer and The Great British At the heart of every community in Britain is the

the symbol of a group of people or a community

pub. The place where we go to meet friends, drink,

coming together.

sometimes to eat, to play games and listen to live music, to enjoy a roaring log fire in the winter and

As long as humans have been around we have been

a sunny garden in the summer, to gossip and

brewing using the cereal that is closest to us to make

network, to commiserate and to cheer.

alcohol. It appears that drinking alcohol has been part of human society for thousands

From the early alehouses of medieval

of years.

times, through to the great coaching inns of the 18th and 19th century

Although the original big brewing

and onto today’s wide variety of

nations were Iraq and Egypt, there

smart city, friendly town and ancient

is evidence that brewing was taking

village pubs, public houses have

place in Ireland as far back as 3,000

been central to the British way of life

years ago. The Romans talked about

for nearly a thousand years. Quite

the British natives drinking a ‘wine

simply, we could not imagine life in Britain without them.

made of barley’ and when the Saxons and Angles from Germany colonised our islands in the fourth and fifth century they

The figures speak for themselves. More than a quarter of all adults visit a pub every week,

brought with them the technique of using grain to make beer.

and each year tourists and visitors to Britain enjoy 13.2 million trips to the pub. As a result the pub and

Today beer as a drink is absolutely ingrained in our

brewing industry employs 540,000 people directly

national psyche, and brewing a British industry we

and 380,000 in associated trades which contribute

can be truly proud of.

around £28 billion to the UK economy. And at the heart of every pub is the beer, mostly British, often brewed locally, created with the craftsmanship and consistent quality that has made our national drink an icon around the world. “There is something inherently convivial and sociable about beer, more so than any other drink,” says Pete Brown, the award-winning author of several books on British beer and pubs. “Whisky is nosed and contemplated in solitude, wine drunk sedately with a meal. But every single ritual surrounding beer – regulars at the local, clinking of glasses, saying cheers, all reinforce the drink as

The National Br e

wer

If you think that large industry pr actise is fundam social conseque entally incompa nces, brewing tible with posit is one industry ive environmen that could mak tal and e you change yo ur mind. “Of the four ingr edients contain ed in beer, thre Supply Chain Di e of them are so rector for Molso urced here in th n Coors in the UK e UK, “ says Mar second largest , the makers of tin Thomas, brewing compa 100% British Ba ny in the UK. “Our ba rley Carling and Lincolnshire, Sh rley comes from the ropshire and Yo farmers in Derb rkshire and beca yshire, Hampshi this means that use our maltings re, none of our ba is centrally locate rley travels mor d in Burton upon e than a few ho Trent urs to get to us . “Our yeast is grow n on site and ou r wa ter comes from come from over bore holes close seas and this is to or in our brew mainly because eries. Only our hops in large en plant disease an hops ough quantities d the British clim to ate make it diffi su pport the brew hops from UK gr cult to grow ing industry he owers and have re. However we made a commitm currently buy 15 ent to increase % of our that figure to 25 % over the next Martin reckons few years. ” that Molson Co ors sources barle with all or part y from around of their income. 600 – 700 British To support the suppliers, prov comprising barle fa rmers the compa iding them y farmers who ny has set up a se ll to Carling growin Molson Coors. discuss supply, g group, The group mee quality and envir ts twice a year wi onmental issue th “If we are in clo th e s. co “W m pany to e have a really go se contact with od two way dialo our farmers, then gu be assured of th e, ” th ad ey ds know that we ar Martin. e provenance an e supporting th d quality of the em, and we can ingredients that also go into our beer .” Like many indu stries, brewing relies heavily on water. “We pump our own water supp ly direct from un infinite,” says M derground aqui artin. “When yo fers, but we kn u compare our wa ow that the reso good story to te ter use to other urce is not ll.” industries, brew ers already have a very “But we are not complacent. W e currently use are committed around four pint to reducing that s of water to m to three to one. ake one pint of system and cle Any waste wate beer but we aned up, and th r has to be retu at co rned to the main sts us money. It makes conserve the qu supply good economic, antity and quali ty of water with as well as socia l, sense to in the brewing process.” Finally, Molson Coors, in comm on with most Br domestic marke itish brewers, se t. ll their beer alm ost exclusively to the “Only around 2% of our beer goes overseas, which we work hard wi saves on environ th our distribut mental costs, ” or s to ensure that we he says. “In addi example we alw keep our carbon tion, ays send out a fu footprint as low ll lo rry an d carefully co-o as possible. Fo taken around ha r rdinate routes. lf a million beer Over the last fe miles out of ou w years we have r road use – a hu ge saving on en ergy and carbon emission.”

Heritage There is much to celebrate. We have more breweries than at any time since the Second World War, producing innovative beers of great variety and a consistently high standard. And they are environmentally friendly, by and large using locally grown produce and selling in the UK. Yet still we persist in the myth that somehow beer is an inferior drink to foreign imports such as wine. From government receptions, through to weddings and business conferences, wine is served rather than beer. “It hasn’t helped that the British have traditionally served beer in plain pint or half pint glasses,” explains Pete. “It is hard to look elegant when you are holding one of those.” But British brewers are getting the message and now many of them are producing beautiful drinking glasses – goblets, flutes

and slender rummers, which rival those of their

“It’s a no-brainer that all of us, the public and the

Belgium and Dutch counterparts – and selling them

Government should support the great British

in wonderfully designed bottles you can easily give

icon that is beer,“ says Pete Brown. “For too many

as a gift or take to a dinner party. Now beer can

years it has been fashionable to look down on our

look, as well as taste, sophisticated.

own national drink in favour of other more exotic overseas imports.

But it is not all good news. Pubs are closing at a rate of thirty-nine per week and beer sales in them are

“But to do that is to turn our backs on our great

down by 17 million pints a day compared to their

British success story and our own heritage, and miss

peak in 1979. In the last year alone beer sales were

out on the myriad varieties of wonderful tastes and

down 5%.

complexities that beer can offer.”

68%

of people believe that beer is Britain’s national drink

Beer – back on the menu With over 2,500 amazing British lagers, ales

Beer is no longer seen as a mundane workaday

time about the complexities that make

and bitters to choose from and enjoy, it’s no

alternative to wine. Instead, for the truly

up the flavours and aromas of the average

wonder that the cognoscenti are turning their

discerning drinker is it the height of chic to

British pint.

sophisticated taste buds towards beer.

‘know your beers’. Hardly surprising then, that Michelin-rated chefs Raymond Blanc and

Indeed appreciating the beer you are drinking,

Year on year, the sales of cask ale are growing

Michel Roux have been quick to introduce

understanding what makes a good quality

at a rate of around 7% . And women too,

beer lists in their restaurants, complete with

drink and how to differentiate between a huge

who have traditionally eschewed beer on the

beer sommeliers. And numerous other

range of flavours is every bit as complicated

grounds that it may be too bitter, confusing or

boutique hotels and restaurants are following

and skilled as wine tasting.

generally unappealing, are now discovering

their lead.

(1)

the delights of a really good beer. According

“Beers are easily as interesting as wine, both

to a survey carried out in 2009, around 30%

But you don’t have to go upmarket to find out

in terms of their flavours, tastes, and textures,

of women drinkers have now tried cask ale

about beer. The phenomenal increase in the

but also in terms of their provenance, history

compared to just 16% in 2008 .

number of beer festivals and tasting events

and, in these environmentally friendly times,

up and down the country are all adding to the

their carbon footprints too,“ says Rupert

numbers of ale and lager drinkers – many of

Ponsonby, beer connoisseur.

(2)

them women – who are learning for the first

Matching beer to food

“As a rule of thum b, the lighter th e meat the light colour of the dr er the ink,” explains Ru pe rt. “Typically, swee foods need stron ter ger beer. But ev en a strong beer only typically ha is sti ll lf the alcohol of an average serv wine.” ing of “Therefore a de licate meat dese rves a lemony pa and many of th le ale, e lighter colour ed American-style go especially we lagers ll with fish. “The heavier wh ite meats such as chicken and suit the flowery pork flavours of sum mer beers, wh many lagers pe ils t rfectly complem ent the delicate flavours of Thai and Chinese cu isine. “British bitter ale s really come in to their own with red meats such as roast be ef , or a stew casserole. A he arty pale ale wo rk s well with most red meats especially beef an d if you are following up wi th an old-fashio ne d pudding such as spotted dick then look fo r a beer with a slightly higher alcohol level an d big rich flavours such as chocolate or to ffee. “Stilton goes we ll with higher alc ohol plumflavoured beer s or a hoppy br own ale while stout complem ents game dish es. Speciality co beers or stronge ntinental r British ales wo rk perfectly as a or with a variety digestive, of cheeses.”

A healthy perspective Back in the middle of the twentieth century, when diets were poor and nutritional levels often low, beers such as stouts were frequently prescribed by doctors as a quick and cheap way of giving patients access to deficient vitamins and minerals, “ explains Dr Jack Edmonds, a private GP in central London. “There are many healthy reasons to drink a pint of beer. This report shows that beer, as well as promoting ‘good’ cholesterol, contains B vitamins , various minerals and antioxidants including high levels of silicon which is good for bones, skin and hair . There is some evidence that beer is beneficial in preventing dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, Type II diabetes and atherosclerosis. “This report also debunks the myth that beer makes you fat. Beer is around 95% water, contains very few free sugars to convert into fat – which gives it a low glycaemic load – and has a relatively low level of alcohol (ethanol) per volume. This all means that it is less fattening than spirits or wine. It is not beer that makes you fat but the lifestyle and eating habits which may go along with beer drinking. “If you are going to accept that people want to drink alcohol then, on balance, beer is one of the healthier ways to do so. “However this doesn’t mean we can all rush out and drink huge amounts of beer. This report clearly shows that all the benefits of beer – health, social and psychological – are only enjoyed when beer is drunk in moderation and preferably with a low alcohol content.

If you are going to accept that people want to drink alcohol then, on balance, beer is one of the healthier ways to do so

References Beer – the nutritional ‘superdrink’?

Deflating the weight issue

(1) Healthy hydration guide. British Nutrition Foundation 2010.

Calorie comparison Table

(2) N ardini M, Narella F, Saccini C and Ghiselli A, (2006). “Phenolic acids from beer are absorbed and extensively metabolised in humans”. J.Nutritional Biochemistry, 17:14-22.

(1) Source – http://www.nutracheck.co.uk

(3) Sripanyakorn S, Jugdaohsigh R, Elliot H,Walker C, Mehta P,Shoukru S Thompson RPH and Powell JJ (2004). “The silicon content of beer and its bioavailability in healthy volunteers”. British Journal of Nutrition, 91(3):1-8. (4) Sripanyakorn S, Jugdaohsigh R, Thompson RPH and Powell JJ (2005). “Dietary silicon and bone health”. British Nutritional bulletin, 30 222-230. (4a) Eat well, be well. Food Standards Agency www.eatwell.gov.uk. (5) Imhof A, Woodward M, Doering A et al. (2004). “Overall alcohol intake, beer wine and systemic markers of inflammation in Western Euopre:results from the three MONICA samples (Augsburg, Glasgow, Lille)”. European Heart Journal, 25:2092-2100. (6) Koppes LL, Bouter LM, Deckker, Heine RJ and JM Hendriks HF (2005). “Moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of Type II Diabetes: a meta-analysis of prospective observational studies”. Diabetes Care, 28:719-725. (7) Leitzmann MF, Giovannucci EL, Stampfer MJ et al. (1999). “Prospective study of alcohol consumption patterns in relation to symptomatic gallstone disease in men”. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23(5):835-841. (8) Hernan M, Chen H, Schwarzchild MA et al. (2003). “Alcohol consumption and incidence of Parkinson’s Disease”. Annals of Neurology, 54:170-175.

(2) “The wise drinkers guide” produced by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust in partnership with Alcohol in Moderation. (3) US Department of Agricultural Nutrients Data Laboratory (4) Bobak M, Skodova Z and Marmot M. (2003). “Beer and Obesity: a cross-sectional study”. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57:1250-1253. (5) Balkau et al. (1998) “High blood glucose concentration is a risk factor for mortality in middle-aged nondiabetic men. 20-year follow-up in the Whitehall Study, the Paris Prospective Study, and the Helsinki Policemen Study.” Diabetes Care 1998 Mar;21(3):360-7 (6) Pawlak et al. (2004). “Effects of dietary glycaemic index on adiposity, glucose homoeostasis, and plasma lipids in animals.” Lancet;28364(9436):778-85

Essential minerals: the silicon story (1) Sripanyakorn S, Jugdaohsingh R, Elliott H, et al. The silicon content of beer and its bioavailability in healthy volunteers. Br J Nutr 2004;91: 403–9. (2) Jugdaohsingh R, Anderson SH, Tucker KL, et al. Dietary silicon intake and absorption. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;75:887–93.

(9) Ganguli M, vander bilt J, Saxton JA et al.(2005). “Alcohol consumption and cognitive function in late life. A longitudinal community study.” Neurology, 65:1210-1748.

(3) MacDonald H, Hardcastle A, Jugdaohsingh R, Reid D, Powell J. Dietary silicon intake is associated with bone mineral density in premenopausal women and postmenopausal women taking HRT. J Bone Miner Res 2005;20:S393 (abstr).

(10 ) M cConnell MV, Vavouranakis I, Wu LL et al. (1997). “Effects of a single daily alcoholic beverage on lipid and haemostatic markers of cardiovascular risk.” American Journal of Cardiology, 80(9):1226-1228.

(4) Pedrera-Zamorano JD, Lavado-Garcia JM, Roncero-Martin R, Calderon-Gardcia JF, Rodriquez-Dominquez T, Canal-Macias ML. Effect of beer drinking on ultrasound bone mass in women. Nutrition. 2009;25:1057-63.

(11) Van der Gaag Ms, Ubbink JB, Sillanaukee P, Nikkari S and Hendriks FS (2000). “Effects of consumption of red wine, spirits and beer on serum homocysteine”. Lancet, 355:1522.

(5) Tucker KL, Jugdaohsingh R, Powell JJ, Qiao N, Hannan MT, Spripanyakorn S, Cupples LA and Kiel DP. Effects of beer, wine and liquor intakes on bone mineral density in older men and women. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:1188-96.

(12a) Gerhauser c< Alt A, Heiss E et al. (2002). “Cancer chempopreventative activity of xanthohumol, a natural product drevised from hop”. Molecular Cancer therapeutics, 1:959-969.

Understanding units

(12b) D ell’Eva R, Ambrosini C, Vannini N et al (2007). “AKT/NF-kB Inhibitor Xanthohumol targets cell growth and angiogenesis in hematologic malignancies.” Cancer, 110(9):2007-2011. (13) Yajima H, Ikeshima E, Shiraki m (2004). “Isohumulones, bitter acids derived from hops, activate both peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and gamma and reduce insulin resistence”. J. Biol Chem, 279 (32): 334546-33462.

(1) BBPA Statistical Handbook 2009. (2) Alcohol advice (2009) Department of Health www.doh.org. (3) Calculator of units of alcohol (UK only) www.cleavebooks.co.uk (4) Home drinkers ‘over-pour spirits’: BBC News Online, 31 December 2009

(14) Yang JY, Della-Fera MA, Rayalam S and Baile CA (2007). “Effect of xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol on 3T3-L1 cell apoptosis and adipogenisis”. Apoptosis, 12:19531963. (15) M iura Y, Hosono M, Oyamada C, et al. (2005). “Dietary isohumulones, the bitter components of beer, raise plasma HDL-cholesterol s and reduce liver cholesterol and triaclyglycerol contents similar to PPAR-alpha activations in CL57BL/6 mice”. British Journal of Nutrition 93:559-567.

References continued

Community spirit (1) Social and Cultural Aspects of Drinking An eight-part report to the Amsterdam Group by the Social Issues Research Centre — presented to the European Commission 29/11/2000. (2) Abrams, D., Hopthrow, T., Hulbert, L., & Frings, D. (2006). “Groupdrink”? The Effect of Alcohol on Risk Attraction Among Groups Versus Individuals. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 67, 628-636. (3) BBPA Estimate.

Beer back on the menu (1) CAMRA reveals results of real ale premier league – 10/09/2009 (2) Women drinkers turn to real ale, says new CAMRA research 03/08/2009

NOP survery results for the report – March 2010 – 68% of people think that beer is Britain’s national drink Over a third of British men (34%) incorrectly believe that beer has more calories than other alcoholic drinks Despite recent statistical evidence on the rise of ‘alcoholic drinking at home’, almost a third (31%) of people still say that they normally drink when out with friends in a pub or bar One in ten people surveyed don’t realise that beer contains vitamins and minerals A quarter of people (24%) surveyed wrongly think that it is red wine, rather than beer, that contains the most vitamins Only 2% of people realise that beer contains a valuable source of silicon Just over ten per cent (13%) of people believe incorrectly that beer is made from “chemicals” rather than from malted barley and hops One in ten people (10%) still wrongly think that beer contains fat. Beer contains zero fat and zero cholesterol

Report Design: hughes-design.co.uk

ICM interviewed a random sample of 2,004 adults aged 18+ via online between 26th -28th Feb 2010