Beer

[machin05]

I am with Langers on this. Why spend £5 for a half a pint of beer? It does not make sense to me.

Urgh, did you even read the posts posturing the contrary side of the debate over the past 12 hours??

I can see why people get annoyed with you on the politics threads!! :icon_wink:

Anyway we won't agree on this. I had a bottle of Titanic Iceberg on Friday evening. It cost me £2.65, and it was excellent.

So, was it nice because it was £2.65, or was it nice considering it only cost £2.65, or it was so nice I can't believe it was only £2.65???

I can get a bottle of Buxton Axe Edge for £2.55, Can of Northern Monk Eternal for £2.20, Howling Hops Running Beer for £2.40 - all "expensive craft", all a lot nicer than Titanic Iceberg (which I think is a very decent drink).

 

[Johnny75]

I am with Langers on this. Why spend £5 for a half a pint of beer? It does not make sense to me.

Anyway we won't agree on this. I had a bottle of Titanic Iceberg on Friday evening. It cost me £2.65, and it was excellent.

You know that bottle isn't a pint?

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Urgh, did you even read the posts posturing the contrary side of the debate over the past 12 hours??

I can see why people get annoyed with you on the politics threads!! :icon_wink:




So, was it nice because it was £2.65, or was it nice considering it only cost £2.65, or it was so nice I can't believe it was only £2.65???

I can get a bottle of Buxton Axe Edge for £2.55, Can of Northern Monk Eternal for £2.20, Howling Hops Running Beer for £2.40 - all "expensive craft", all a lot nicer than Titanic Iceberg (which I think is a very decent drink).

It was enjoyable, and I found it very pleasant.

And people get annoyed with me on every thread on here bar one. I have a view and if I wish to express it then I think I am entitled to.

 

[machin05]

And people get annoyed with me on every thread on here bar one. I have a view and if I wish to express it then I think I am entitled to.

Of course you are, but I think you could do the common courtesy of reading, considering, dicussing and countering the opposing opinions of others in your replies.

Oh, and I'd strongly suggest trying out those three "cheaper" beers I posted. You might like them

 

[Langers]

See, I used to think that, but I'd take a Buxton, Cloudwater, Magic Rock, Northern Monk, Weird Beard, Beavertown over most of them, most days of the week!

And to me, £3.50 for a pint of Bathams vs £3.50 for 2/3rds of Axe Edge.... The latter is the bargain of the century

That's, of course, if we're persisting with the binary choice that we seem to be perveying here. Ideally I'd start the night with a Dark Star APA, onto a Town Crier, and then opt for a Magic Rock Salty Kiss, Beavertown Gamma Ray, Cloudwater DIPA and then end with a Coffee Porter from Buxton....

All down to taste I guess. I'd be annoyed paying £3.50 for a Bathams though, it's £2.65 in their pubs....

You know that bottle isn't a pint?

You sure? Depends on which bottled beer you get. Holdens from the bottle is a pint.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Of course you are, but I think you could do the common courtesy of reading, considering, dicussing and countering the opposing opinions of others in your replies.

Oh, and I'd strongly suggest trying out those three "cheaper" beers I posted. You might like them

I do.

And I will indeed try those other beers. I know that you and Boozad have far more knowledge than I have where beer is concerned, and maybe sometimes I do not word things as well as I could, so maybe this is another thread I should keep away from, and leave it to the experts.

 

[machin05]

Titanic Iceberg is 500ml bottle, so 68ml short of a pint.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

It's an interesting debate, and I think the same price/quality/misc. argument comes into pretty much every product imaginable, the final decision is always going to come down to the consumer in the end depending on what they're looking to get from it.

Producers can attempt to justify their pricing all manner of ways, inflated production costs for niche products or market demands on some more popular items, but it depends on the end user what represents value.

Looking at something like clothes/shoes for an example, me and my girlfriend probably pay a similar amount over the course of 6-12 months but she'll end up buying a hell of a lot more quantity than me, she's happier buying from the lower end of the market because she generally loses her shit and throws everything away every couple of months before replacing it all anyway, if she gets 3-5 wears out of a sub £10 top she's happy. She'd never contemplate spending what I do on some everyday items like t shirts or trainers, not that they're extortionate amounts, but I've got items of clothing that I've had longer than I've had her! They might have been a lot pricier to begin with but I've more than had my money's worth over the years and the extra quality that money bought me has meant they've stood the test of time too.

I'm not really one for carelessly throwing money around but I'm not adverse to spending extra if I think I'm getting something better or at least different to justify it. I go to these streetfood events from time to time and you're often looking at £7 or so for a burger there, now that's not something I'd be willing to pay all the time but every now and again for something different it's worthwhile, they're using better quality ingredients and their margins must be pretty low considering they're all 2 man band operators, often doing it in their spare time.

 

[machin05]

All down to taste I guess. I'd be annoyed paying £3.50 for a Bathams though, it's £2.65 in their pubs....

I was just using the upper limit of what you like to pay as an example. For balance, 2/3rd of Axe Edge is only £3.30 in their tap room

 

[machin05]

It's an interesting debate, and I think the same price/quality/misc. argument comes into pretty much every product imaginable, the final decision is always going to come down to the consumer in the end depending on what they're looking to get from it.

Producers can attempt to justify their pricing all manner of ways, inflated production costs for niche products or market demands on some more popular items, but it depends on the end user what represents value.

Looking at something like clothes/shoes for an example, me and my girlfriend probably pay a similar amount over the course of 6-12 months but she'll end up buying a hell of a lot more quantity than me, she's happier buying from the lower end of the market because she generally loses her shit and throws everything away every couple of months before replacing it all anyway, if she gets 3-5 wears out of a sub £10 top she's happy. She'd never contemplate spending what I do on some everyday items like t shirts or trainers, not that they're extortionate amounts, but I've got items of clothing that I've had longer than I've had her! They might have been a lot pricier to begin with but I've more than had my money's worth over the years and the extra quality that money bought me has meant they've stood the test of time too.

I'm not really one for carelessly throwing money around but I'm not adverse to spending extra if I think I'm getting something better or at least different to justify it. I go to these streetfood events from time to time and you're often looking at £7 or so for a burger there, now that's not something I'd be willing to pay all the time but every now and again for something different it's worthwhile, they're using better quality ingredients and their margins must be pretty low considering they're all 2 man band operators, often doing it in their spare time.

Yeah, I think the street food comparison is a really good one. Similar culture, audience etc. People who appreciate the quality of gormet burgers don't then moan that a Big Mac is half the price!

 

[Johnny75]

You sure? Depends on which bottled beer you get. Holdens from the bottle is a pint.

500ml as far as I know. It is a fine drop though. Titanic do some lovely beers.

I just for price comparison an Innis and Gunn original (6.6% beer with flavours of malt, toffee and vanilla) was less than £2 for 660ml in B&M.

And I paid £2.33 a bottle for some Weal ales which were also very good and they were 500ml. There are some great bargains out there.

Some of the Joules and Lymestone beers we have around here are spot on too and at anywhere between £2.50 and £4.50 a pint you always get good value.

I think Machin has the right idea with 'serving' sizes, in that we should look at how we serve our drinks rather than accepting a 'pint of' as the accepted measure. They do this well on the continent. We don't.

 

[machin05]

I do.

And I will indeed try those other beers. I know that you and Boozad have far more knowledge than I have where beer is concerned, and maybe sometimes I do not word things as well as I could, so maybe this is another thread I should keep away from, and leave it to the experts.

It's not about being an expert. I'm not one. I just like trying lots of different beer and understand that price isn't the main factor when considering what makes it good or not.

I think beer might be the only consumer sector where it's not presumed that higher cost = better quality :-/

 

[Jolemai]

A tipple I had on the weekend:

~ Bragdy Twt Lol - Cwrw'r Afr Serchog (translates as Horny Goat Ale)

Horny Goat Ale is a golden malty ale brewed with United States and New Zealand hops.

We've used a hint of Horny Goat Weed in this brew, a herb used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine. In East Asian legend, shepherds observed higher numbers of offspring when goats grazed on the Horny Goat Weed

4.2% and remarkably pleasant. Very hoppy taste but "thin" (if you get my meaning there). This one is their flagship beer but they do others with are more specialised: Pewin Ynfytyn (Crazy Peacock) is another golden ale, 4.8% and Glog is 4% session bitter. The latter two come with sediment in the bottle, is that bottle conditioned or am I getting my terms mixed up?

Anyway, would certainly recommend the Horny Goat Ale and the brewery.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

It isn't higher cost not equalling higher quality. It is whether you can convince the customer it is better value.

I remain completely unconvinced at that sort of price point. I probably always will. However, no reason why there shouldn't be a place in the market for craft beer to be successful for those that want it.

 

[machin05]

A tipple I had on the weekend:

~ Bragdy Twt Lol - Cwrw'r Afr Serchog (translates as Horny Goat Ale)



4.2% and remarkably pleasant. Very hoppy taste but "thin" (if you get my meaning there). This one is their flagship beer but they do others with are more specialised: Pewin Ynfytyn (Crazy Peacock) is another golden ale, 4.8% and Glog is 4% session bitter. The latter two come with sediment in the bottle, is that bottle conditioned or am I getting my terms mixed up?

Anyway, would certainly recommend the Horny Goat Ale and the brewery.

Yep, that's bottle coditioning. The yeast is still present (ie not filtered out) and it's eating through the remaining sugars whilst it's in the bottle. The by-product of which is CO2 which give the beer it's bubbles.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

It doesn't have to be an either or though does it, there's a time and a place for different prices/qualities.

As much as I enjoy these more unique burgers at streetfood events and such, I wouldn't be having one everyday at ~£7 even if it was pitched up in the carpark at work, there's still times when I just want a cheap and easy way to get some food in me and so I'll pop down to McDonald's knowing full well that it's pretty shit in the grand scheme of things but it does a job.

 

[machin05]

It doesn't have to be an either or though does it, there's a time and a place for different prices/qualities.

As much as I enjoy these more unique burgers at streetfood events and such, I wouldn't be having one everyday at ~£7 even if it was pitched up in the carpark at work, there's still times when I just want a cheap and easy way to get some food in me and so I'll pop down to McDonald's knowing full well that it's pretty shit in the grand scheme of things but it does a job.

Exactly, but CAMRA, and many traditional ale drinkers, can't really accept this scenario of mutual respect and co-existence on the taps behind the bar.

A lot of crafties are equally anti-CAMRA and anti Tradition Real Ale, which certainly doesn't help. But in places like London there is enough market demand for craft beer pubs to thrive without having to offer anything else. In the rest of the UK I'd love for a couple of craft keg lines to be the accepted norm and common-place in pubs of all shapes and sizes.

 

[PPB]

Tried some Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale yesterday by Yards. A lovely smooth beer that goes down far too quickly, and at 8% leaves ya buzzing after a few

 

[Johnny75]

Exactly, but CAMRA, and many traditional ale drinkers, can't really accept this scenario of mutual respect and co-existence on the taps behind the bar.

A lot of crafties are equally anti-CAMRA and anti Tradition Real Ale, which certainly doesn't help. But in places like London there is enough market demand for craft beer pubs to thrive without having to offer anything else. In the rest of the UK I'd love for a couple of craft keg lines to be the accepted norm and common-place in pubs of all shapes and sizes.

Unfortunately populated but utter cocksporrans

 

[machin05]

Which is why getting craft as a mainstay in trad pubs can only be a good thing!