Beer

[Tredman]

Went there last valentine's day. Absolutely shite service. Would never go back frankly

That was the kinda the point of my post, it's under new ownership, black country ales, and has been renovated - it's much better now. It was an absolute shit hole before.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

That was under the new ownership (just). It was absolutely ghastly.

 

[Tredman]

It only opened on 18th December with the new owners.

It closed down on and off before hand, think it was brewery owned with various different dodgy landlords.

Edit: http://www.blackcountryales.co.uk/our-newest-pub/

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Ah. It advertised new ownership just before we went as well. Literally the first week of it. Obviously changes hands a lot.

 

[Tredman]

Ah. It advertised new ownership just before we went as well. Literally the first week of it. Obviously changes hands a lot.

Yeah it did, but this time they've actually put money in.

It used to have a rather 'interesting' reputation, especially considering it is next door to the police station.

 

[machin05]

Some more "future/cost of cask" stuff following Cloudwater's decision to cease packaging in cask - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1PwbuhWIAAlgyV.jpg:large

Plus this piece from another brewery in Manchester, BeerNouveau - http://beernouveau.co.uk/costs-quality-again-and-that-elusive-profit/ - just look at the prices Wetherspoons offer to buy casks for. Scumbags!

Don't let it be said that keg is rip-off - they're often making up for losses on cask that appease the CAMRA crowd's demand for "£3 a pint".

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

You mean demand for a realistic price that isn't like buying liquid gold?

 

[machin05]

???

 

[Doctor Doog]

Some more "future/cost of cask" stuff following Cloudwater's decision to cease packaging in cask - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1PwbuhWIAAlgyV.jpg:large

Plus this piece from another brewery in Manchester, BeerNouveau - http://beernouveau.co.uk/costs-quality-again-and-that-elusive-profit/ - just look at the prices Wetherspoons offer to buy casks for. Scumbags!

Don't let it be said that keg is rip-off - they're often making up for losses on cask that appease the CAMRA crowd's demand for "£3 a pint".

Those are all well written articles, but you might want to read them without your tinted specs on. The truth is that although there are a lot of good beers being produced by small brewers, the market isn't big enough for them all to survive. I wouldn't be seen dead in a Wetherspoons pub, but I'm in a minority. Market forces always prevail, and they aren't driven by CAMRA whatever you think.

 

[Boozad]

Cloudwater - IPA 6.6%
Moor - Guardian of Peace - IPA 7%
Siren - Ten Dollar Shake - IPA 6.6%
Siren - V.I.P.A. - Belgian IPA 8.5%
Verdant - Bloom - IPA 6.5%
Two Beers - Wonderland Trail - IPA 7.1%
Stone Berlin - Ruination 2.0 - DIPA 8.5%
Mondo - Mango Flashback - Berliner Weisse 3.5%
Beavertown - Applelation - Saison 8.7%
Wild Beer Co - Millionaire - Milk Stout 4.7%
Wild Beer Co - Epic Saison 5%
Wild Beer Co – Modus Operandi - Wild Ale 7%
Two Beers - Evo IPA Can 6.2%
Birrificio Del Ducato - Machete - DIPA 7.6%

 

[Lycan]

You had the Modus Operandi before Booz? I loved it.

 

[Nando]

It's fantastic.

Had a bottle of Brett Brett over Christmas. Magnificent. Possibly the most complex tasting beer I've had.

 

[machin05]

Those are all well written articles, but you might want to read them without your tinted specs on. The truth is that although there are a lot of good beers being produced by small brewers, the market isn't big enough for them all to survive. I wouldn't be seen dead in a Wetherspoons pub, but I'm in a minority. Market forces always prevail, and they aren't driven by CAMRA whatever you think.

Well, I didn't mean specifically, and exclusively, CAMRA - I was referring more to the 'real ale crowd' that baulk at paying more than Wetherspoons/BCA prices.

The small breweries can't survive if they are forced to sell cask at a relative loss. The market needs to wake up to this and perhaps think that actually paying ~£5 for a pink of cask Cloudwater/Buxton/Brewdog/Magic Rock would represent a fair price and good value considering what goes into making the beer - it could also see the disparity in keg pricing shrink as breweries won't need to make extra on that product to cover the shortfall in cask sales.

I think it's fairly significant, in principal if not raw numbers, that some of the brightest and best modern breweries are turning their back on cask (a unique, treasured and special dispense method, IMO) as they can't ask for a fair price in return. We're in danger of going full circle, leaving just big breweries with pubco tie-ins like Morland, Greene King and Marstons to occupy the cask lines whilst all the innovative and amazing breweries shun this packaging/dispensing method.

 

[machin05]

It's fantastic.

Had a bottle of Brett Brett over Christmas. Magnificent. Possibly the most complex tasting beer I've had.

I had Brett Brett in Brewdog last year. Amazing stuff.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You're not going to get people in Wolverhampton (or pick any number of sizeable towns/cities north of Oxford) paying £5 a pint as a matter of course. Not until inflation catches up that far in 30 years time anyway.

It's a niche activity which is fine and all that, all power to those who enjoy it, but it just won't become the norm, no chance.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

You mean demand for a realistic price that isn't like buying liquid gold?

Spot on Paddy.

 

[Langers]

You're not going to get people in Wolverhampton (or pick any number of sizeable towns/cities north of Oxford) paying £5 a pint as a matter of course. Not until inflation catches up that far in 30 years time anyway.

It's a niche activity which is fine and all that, all power to those who enjoy it, but it just won't become the norm, no chance.

Spot on.

 

[Boozad]

You had the Modus Operandi before Booz? I loved it.

Nope, looking forward to it though. It's about time I started drinking some more Wild Beer to be honest. I've got a bottle of Smoke n' Barrels outside that I meant to drink the weekend but completely forgot about it.

 

[machin05]

You're not going to get people in Wolverhampton (or pick any number of sizeable towns/cities north of Oxford) paying £5 a pint as a matter of course. Not until inflation catches up that far in 30 years time anyway.

It's a niche activity which is fine and all that, all power to those who enjoy it, but it just won't become the norm, no chance.

I guess the point is the magic of cask is going to be left behind by more and more of the best UK breweries until pubs are brave enough to charge fair prices for their beer on cask.

You can keep your ~£3 offerings from the big boys, pub estates, tied brands and your traditional cask ales that are cheaper to produce; but it just seems crazy that, for example The Lych Gate would never dream of offering a pint of Buxton Axe Edge or Magic Rock Common Grounds on cask for £5 ish when Slaters can sell in on keg right next door for the same price.

It doesn't need to become the norm, but there are plenty of people willing to pay a fair price for a premium product. I'm not suggesting everyone needs to do it - the Old Speckled Hen crowd will always be well catered for and looked after - but it's a crime that so much "craft cask" (for want of a better phrase) won't be given the chance to thrive (for the reasons covered in the links I previously posted).

 

[Lycan]

Nope, looking forward to it though. It's about time I started drinking some more Wild Beer to be honest. I've got a bottle of Smoke n' Barrels outside that I meant to drink the weekend but completely forgot about it.

Which version of Smoke n Barrels?