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| From Brew Wales |
Bass was once the most popular real ale in Britain with over 2 million barrels a year being brewed but today it is rumoured that only around 100,000 barrels are produced a year, probably a lot less. It is owned by the worldwide brewer InBev, makers of Stella and Budweiser but brewed by Marston's in Burton-upon-Trent. Recently Brew Wales had the opportunity to question an Inbev Executive and on asking how much the marketing budget was for Bass, was told zero. That's correct, the marketing budget for Bass is zero, zilch, nothing. So Inbev own the name of one of the most iconic beers in the world, yet have no interest in marketing the product what so ever. Hardly surprising as we live in a world of where the mega-breweries are controlled by accountants and not brewers and Bass is a beer that benefits from good cellar work, not something a keyboard-puncher at a mega-brewer is interested in. A stable brewery-conditioned product is all that these people are interested in. The Bass Red Triangle was the first trade mark ever registered in the UK in 1876 and by 1882 bottles with the red triangle on them were immortalised in Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergère. The pale ale from Burton had achieved world-wide fame.
Bass used to have legendary status, not least for the Vesuvial effects of drinking copious quantities of the said beer that has been brewed with the gypsum-rich waters of Burton-Upon-Trent. The effect of calcium sulphate on the digestive system of the human body cannot be understated but the production of hydrogen sulphide gas as a result of the digestion of Bass has been known to make the staff toilets of many an office unusable by fellow workers until the sulphurous volcanic aromas have dissipated.
Bass is still a good beer but one that benefits from good cellar work. Bass even tastes better served gravity than on a handpump – go to the Star in Bath or Bessie's (Dyffryn Arms) at Pontfaen if you don't believe me. So what is the future of Bass, as the owner Inbev does not have an interest in promoting it as a brand? Well if they were to sell the brand, which has to be brewed in Burton, would it not be better to see this beer being owned by Marston's and perhaps even being brewed in the union system again as it was before the 1970s? A better future than slowly dying out through lack of promotion by a multi-national mega-brewery.
An occasional series devoted to what Brew Wales considers the worst in the world of brewing and drinking
Watney's Starlight - this beer was so weak in strength that a 1971 Sunday Mirror investigation discovered that it could have been legally sold in the United States during Prohibition.
Tuesday 4 August 2009, 7.15pm and 9pm
Wednesday 5 August 2009, 1pm and 2.30pm
Wednesday 5 August 2009, 7.15pm and 9pm
Thursday 6 August 2009, 1pm and 2.30pm
Thursday 6 August 2009, 7.15pm and 9pm
Friday 7th August 2009, 1pm and 2.30pm
Friday 7th August 2009, 7.15pm and 9pm
Saturday 8th August 2009, throughout the afternoon
The Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court, Britain's biggest beer festival, brings together a wide range of real ales, ciders, perries and international beers.At least 450 beers available throughout, including golden ales, fruit beers, stouts, bitters and some international real lagers. As well as beer there is also cider and perry, all available in pint, half pint and third pint measures.
There's plenty to occupy you at the festival, you can play on some traditional pub games, enjoy live music, sample some food, including good traditional pub snacks, and also attend tutored beer tastings. The tutored tastings usually sell out in advance so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Tue 4th
5.00pm to 10.30pm
Wed 5th to Fri 7th
12noon to 10.30pm
Sat 8th
11.00am to 7.00pm
12 favourite pubs in South Wales
After drinking my first bottles of Artisan Beer at Gwdihw the other week, Brew Wales is looking forward to this little beer festival in Cardiff.MicroBEER Festival 2009
27th & 28th June
Artisan Brewing Co.in conjunction with the Kings Road Art Studios is pleased to announce the very first MicroBEER Festival
Starting 10am Saturday (12noon Sun)
Market Stalls, Open Studios, Live Music, BBQ and specialty beers on tap.
Sunday is a little more relaxed with beer flowing music all day and the hot food from the BBQ.
Join us... entry is free
The annual Champion Bottled Beer of Britain Competition, held at the Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court, will this year be sponsored by Travelodge. The Festival will be held between 4th and 8th of August and is the biggest beer festival in Britain.Paul Harvey, Managing Director of Travelodge, said, "I am delighted that we will be selling the Champion Bottled Beer of Britain in our hotels. Our customers have told us that they want a real ale offer and what could be better than CAMRA’s winning drink?"
As part of their sponsorship, Travelodge will also be offering 2 lucky customers the chance to sit on the Champion Bottled Beer of Britain competition judging panel alongside some of the best palettes in the industry.Louise Ashworth, CAMRA Head of Marketing, said, "It’s fantastic that Travelodge are backing this competition at the Great British Beer Festival in August, as well as actively promoting bottle-conditioned beer by agreeing to stock the winner in their many outlets. Recent market trends show the increasing consumer demand for real ale continues, therefore we’ve no doubt Travelodge customers will enjoy the best bottle-conditioned beer in Britain according to CAMRA!’
FESTIVAL OPENING TIMES
Tue 4th August: 5.00pm to 10.30pm
Wed 5th, Thu 6th and Fri 7th: 12noon to 10.30pm
Sat 8th: 11.00am to 7.00pm
FESTIVAL ADMISSION PRICES
Tickets can be purchased from the See Tickets hotline (0844 412 4640) or from the GBBF website at gbbf.camra.org.uk/tickets
Advance Day Tickets, £6 (CAMRA members) / £8 (Non-CAMRA members)
Advance Season Tickets, £20 (CAMRA members) / £23 (Non-CAMRA members)
Tutored Tastings, £11 (CAMRA members) / £12 (Non-CAMRA members)
Day Tickets (on the door), £8 (CAMRA members) / £10 (Non-CAMRA members)
An occasional series devoted to what Brew Wales considers the worst in the world of brewing and drinking
Part 1
Ushers Welsh Pale Ale _ marketed as 'Cwrw Cymreig' or 'Welsh Ale' in the 1990's this con-trick of real ale was actually brewed by Ushers of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, for their extensive estate of pubs in Wales. Weighing in at 3.2% ABV, this real ale was short-lived, unpopular and bland. Complaints to Trading Standards went unheeded as there was no Protective Geographical Status (PGI, PGO etc) for Welsh beer, allowing any brewer in the world to brew and market a beer as 'Welsh'. It turned out to be unpopular with real ale drinkers due to being bland, tasteless and low in alcohol and so was soon dropped from Usher's pubs.
Would any ex-Ushers employee who reads this blog like to claim responsibility for trying to con Welsh drinkers?
Pictured Above, Left to Right: Ian Hill (Cardiff CAMRA), Jeff Cuthbert AM (Caerphilly), Nick Bourne AM (Mid and West Wales), Justin Grant (AWIB and Breconshire Brewery), Arfur (Brew Wales)Members of the Welsh Assembly have come together in their love of real ale and pubs to form a cross-party group. The Welsh Assembly Beer and Pub Group is jointly chaired by Jeff Cuthbert AM (Caerphilly) and Nick Bourne AM (Mid and West
The Group has been established in order to: "To promote the wholesomeness and enjoyment of beer and the unique role of the pub in Welsh society; to increase understanding of the social, cultural and historic role of brewing and pubs in Wales, and their value to tourism; to broaden recognition of the contribution of brewing and pubs to employment and to Wales’ economy; to promote understanding of the social responsibility exercised by the brewing and pub industries; to support Wales’ brewing industry worldwide, and to promote a positive future for beer and the pub.
The first meeting was held in the Assembly building last week and was well attended by brewers, CAMRA members and of course by Assembly Members. Real ales from Breconshire, Otley and Purple Moose were enjoyed by all present before a decamp to the Terra Nova (though some headed to the Eli Jenkins) to support real ales from SA Brain. Other Assembly members present were Alun Cairns AM, Nick Ramsey AM, Mick Bates AM, Andrew RT Davies AM and Mark Isherwood AM.
It was Mark Isherwood AM who asked a question in the Senedd a few years ago as to the lack of Welsh breweries in the members bar of at the Assembly, only to be told by the Minister responsible that the Assembly does not have a bar, it is a tea room that serves alcohol! The situation is now different and the “Tea Room” now serves Welsh produce. The Westminster Parliament has around 17 bars and restaurants with names such as Annies, Strangers, Press, Churchill etc and operate without a license (it is a royal palace after all). Is it not about time to rename the Assembly Tea Room after a prominent Welsh person, perhaps the Lloyd George bar after the teetotal former Prime Minister? Or in the least how about "Rhodri's"?
The Chair of AWIB, the Association of Welsh Independent Brewers, Justin Grant set a challenge to AMs present to encourage them to order beer from their own constituencies at official functions. Well we wait with interest to see what happens with that one.
Assembly Members were also present at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival last week, where they were invited to pour a beer from their constituency and Nick Bourne AM, Jeff Cuthbert AM and Andrew RT Davies AM all pulled pints from breweries in their constituencies.
Above: Jeff Cuthbert AM supports his local brewery, Celt Experience with a pint
Above: Andrew RT Davies AM pulls some award-winning Otley O1
Photo courtesy of Dom, Welsh Icons
Pictured Above: Purple Moose brewer Laurence Washington celebrates winning the SIBA West award last year
Brains Dark, 3.5% ABV, Mild
Brains Bitter, 3.7% ABV, Bitter
Brains SA, 4.2% ABV, Best Bitter
Brains Reverend James. 4.5%ABV, Best Bitter
Brains SA Gold, 4.6% ABV, Golden Ale
Brains seasonal, 4.6% ABV, Best Bitter
Breconshire GVX, 6.00% Strong Bitter
Breconshire Welsh Pale Ale, 3.40% ABV, Mild
Breconshire Mountain Rescue Brew 4.4%
Breconshire Golden Valley, 4.2%ABV, Golden Ale
Breconshire Ramblers Ruin, 5% ABV, Strong Bitter
Breconshire Cribyn, 4.5% ABV, Best Bitter
Breconshire Spirit of the Dragon, 6.50% ABV, Barley Wine
Breconshire County, 3.70% ABV, Bitter
Bragdy'r Nant Special, 4.50% ABV, Best Bitter
Bryncelyn Holly Hop, 3.9% ABV, Bitter
Bryncelyn Buddy Marvellous, 4% ABV, Mild
Bryncelyn Oh Boy, 4.5% ABV, Best Bitter
Bullmastiff Welsh Gold, 3.8% ABV, Golden Ale
Bullmastiff Son of a Bitch, 6% ABV, Strong Bitter
Bullmastiff Welsh Black, 4.60% ABV, Speciality Ale
Celt Experience Native Storm, 4.4 ABV, Best Bitter
Celt Experience Golden, 4.2%ABV, Golden Ale
Newman's Red Castle Cream , 4.7%ABV, Speciality Ale
Coles Dewi Sant, 4.40%ABV, Best Bitter
Conwy Mulberry Mild, 3.80%ABV, Mild
Conwy Telford Porter, 4.50% ABV, Porter/Stout
Cwmbran Crow Valley Stout, 4.20% ABV, Porter/Stout
Cwmbran Pink Panther, 4.50% ABV . Speciality Ale
Cwmbran Double Hop, 4.00% ABV, Best Bitter
Dare Summer beer, 4.10% ABV, Golden Ale
Dare Falcon Flyer, 5.20% ABV Strong Bitter
Evan Evans Cwrw, 4.20% ABV, Best Bitter
Evan Evans, Best Bitter, 4.20% ABV, Best Bitter
Evan Evans Golden Hop, 4.20% ABV, Golden Ale
Facers Daves Hoppy Beer, 4.3% ABV, Best Bitter
Facers Flintshire Bitter, 3.80%ABV, Bitter
Facers Sunny Bitter, 4.20%ABV, Golden Ale
Ffos Y Ffin, 3 Arches , 4.80%ABV, Strong Bitter
Felinfoel Double Dragon, 4.2%ABV, Best Bitter
Great Orme Celtic Dragon, 4.40% ABV, Best Bitter
Great Orme Welsh Black, 4.50% ABV. Strong Mild
Jacobi Red Squirrel, 4.00% ABV, Bitter
Jacobi Light Ale, 3.80% ABV,
Kingstone Gatehouse, 5.10% ABV, Strong Bitter
Kingstone 3 castles, 3.80% ABV, Bitter
Kingstone Kinsons Gold, 4.00% ABV, Best Bitter
Miws Piws Snowdonia, 3.60% ABV, Golden Ale
Miws Piws Dark Side of the Moose 4.60% ABV, Old Ale
Miws Piws Cwrw Glaslyn 4.2% ABV, Best Bitter
Heart of Wales Aur Cymraeg , 4.10%ABV, Best Bitter
Heart of Wales, Welsh Black, Porter/Stout
Heart of Wales High as a Kite, 9.00% ABV, Barley Wine
Monteys Sunshine, 4.20%ABV, Golden Ale
Otley O1, 4.10% ABV, Golden Ale
Otley O Garden, 4.60% ABV, Speciality Ale
Otley Dark O, 4.10% ABV, Porter/Stout
Otley Porter, 6.00% ABV, Porter/Stout
Otley OG, 5.40% ABV, Strong Bitter
Otley O8, 8% ABV, Barley Wine
Otley New Brew to be confirmed
Plassey Welsh Border , 3.5% ABV, Mild
Plassey Bitter, 4% ABV, Best Bitter
Rhymney Dark, 3.9% ABV, Mild
Rhymney Export, 5% ABV, Strong Bitter
Rhymney Bitter, 4.5% ABV, Best Bitter
Rhymney Hobby Horse, 3.8% ABV, Bitter
Rhymney Lager, 5% ABV, Speciality Ale
Sandstone Postman Prat, 4.2% ABV, Best Bitter
Swansea Deep Slade Dark, 4% ABV, Mild
Swansea 3 Cliffs Gold, 4.7% ABV, Golden Ale
Tomos Watkin Chwarae Teg, 4.2% ABV, Best Bitter
Tomos Watkin Seasonal to be confirmed
Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf, 4.20% ABV, Golden Ale
Vale of Glamorgan Grog y Vog, 4.3% ABV, Best Bitter
Vale of Glamorgan Wheat's Occurring, 5% ABV, Speciality Ale
Vale of Glamorgan Best Bitter, 4.3% ABV, Best Bitter
Warcop to be confirmedGreat Welsh Beer & Cider Festival,
Open: Thursday 11th June 11-11, Friday 12th & Saturday 13th June 11-11
Entrance £5 (£4 for Under 26s and CAMRA members), includes souvenir glass and festival programme. For more information log onto: www.gwbcf.org.uk, tel:07807 609712
The Welsh National Mountain Centre at Plas Y Brenin has launched its own ale, named 'Bootliquor'. The beer will only be available at the bar of the centre and is brewed exclusively for the Mountain Centre by the Nant Brewery of Llanrwst. More information on the beer is available on the pdf here.
The designated charity for the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival this year is the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team and to celebrate 40 years of mountain rescue, the Breconshire Brewery will be launching a special ale at the festival next week, with a donation going to the charity for every pint sold.
One of the first incidents the team were called to, was for a Vulcan Bomber on a low flying sortie which hit the top of Fan Llia and crashed onto the mountain on the other side of the valley. This was an extensive search area conducted in poor conditions, which involved RAF Teams from England and Wales, volunteers from Brecon and our team. The remains of the Aircraft were located with the aid of a helicopter and the Team members had to assist in the recovery of the bodies.
The Aberfan Disaster struck in 1966 and members of the team who were part of the Civil Defence Corp were involved in this major operation, all played an important part with Jack as the Site Rescue Officer.
In 1968 the members of the Police Civil Defence team became the Morlais Mountain rescue team.
The team is a founder member of the South Wales Search and Rescue Association (SWSARA) and is an affiliated to the Mountain Rescue Council for England and Wales. By 1996 the team changed its name from Morlais to become the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team.
Above: Some of the team pictured outside the Cardiff International Arena Last Year
"A special reserve cider that has been hand crafted exclusively from cider apples grown by traditional methods in ageing orchards.
The juice pressed from these apples is fermented and matured in oak barrels to produce a cider rich in colour, body and flavour with a fresh fruity aroma.
This cider is available at various outlets throughout South Wales on draught and also a bottled version is available in Tesco and other leading supermarkets.
Gwynt Y Ddraig ciders and perries will be available next week at the Great Welsh Beer and Cider Festival, Cardiff International Arena.
ABV Beer Price 9 Gallons
3.7% O'Hanlons Firefly £40.23
3.7% Caledonian Deuchars IPA £47.10
4.0% ABV Butcombe Bitter £43.50
4.4% Sharps Own £44.12
4.5% Brains Rev James £44.79
4.7% Exe Valley Devon Gold £47.50
4.8% Harviestoun Schiehallion £58.03
5.0% Stonehenge Danish Dynamite £50.00
There are a lot more on the price list but this gives you the idea of the amount a pub co such JD Wetherspoon pays brewers for their beers. Now JDW have around 700 pubs, pub companies such as Punch have around 9000 pubs and Enterprise have around 7000 so just imagine the discounts the pub companies are able to achieve from brewers with such large bulk buying power. A few months ago when JD Wetherspoon were selling Greene King IPA at 99p a pint, one Enterprise tenant told Brew Wales that that he could not even buy the beer in at that price so how was he supposed to compete with Wetherspoons? Which is the big problem. The only way for the pubs owned by the pub companies to compete with and even to survive against the alcohol warehouses filled with Chavs that dominate our city centres would be for a relaxation of the beer tie for pubs owned by the pub cos, which would allow these tied pubs to compete more fairly with other establishments. After all it is in the best interests of everyone to see pubs flourish, at the moment in Newport City Centre the company that puts metal gratings onto pub windows seems to be doing a very good trade! An empty, derelict building is doing nothing for the City, yet if that pub were allowed to compete in a fair and open market then it is highly unlikely it would have closed in the first place.
The Business and Enterprise Committee have recommended the Pub Co model be investigated by the Competition Commission and the Chief Executive of Punch Taverns, Giles Thorley, has written to Members of Parliament arguing that an investigation into the beer tie would be “a waste of time and resources”.
Well he would say that, wouldn't he.
The Publican have a few comments on the statement made by Giles Thorley here.
CAMRA have announced that they will be launching a 'super complaint' on the beer tie with the Office of Fair Trading by the end of June.
Ambitious family-owned brewers, Rhymney Brewery, have opened their second pub, after the huge success of their first pub venture, the Winchester in Merthyr Tydfil. The Patriot, at 25 Taff Street, Pontypridd, offers up to 6 real ales and is a welcome boost for that end of town. Pontypridd already has the award-winning Bunch of Grapes and the Llanover Arms as good pubs so a third decent boozer won't go amiss, especially one so close to the bus station!
The Axe the Tax Campaign – launched by the British Beer & Pub Association and the Campaign for Real Ale at the end of last year – is calling on the Government to reduce tax on beer, with six pubs closing every day. More than 70,000 people have joined or supported the campaign, including over 200 MPs.
Alcohol duty was increased by 2 per cent above inflation in the Budget last month following a massive 18 per cent increase in 2008. This year’s Budget increase is being debated in Parliament as part of the Finance Bill.
Commenting on the figures, David Long, the BBPA’s Chief Executive said
“These figures show that British beer drinkers are being taxed at rates far in excess of most of their European counterparts.
“The result is that pub closures are now running at six a day, with thousands of jobs being lost in the British beer and pub industry. A great British institution is under serious threat and yet the Government appears to be determined to ignore concerns expressed by consumers, the industry and politicians of all parties.”
“With elections to the European Parliament taking place next week, beer lovers will note the extent to which they are being taxed above and beyond other consumers in the rest of the EU.
“We hope that those MEPs elected as a result of these elections will stand up for British beer lovers and the great British pub.
Pence per pint, April 09 | |
|
Finland | 61.74 |
| Ireland | 51.99 |
| UK | 45.89 |
| Sweden | 43.15 |
| Denmark | 19.42 |
| Slovenia | 17.95 |
| Netherlands | 17.08 |
| Italy | 14.76 |
| Estonia | 12.88 |
| Austria | 12.56 |
| Cyprus | 12.51 |
| Hungary | 11.12 |
| Belgium | 10.74 |
| Slovakia | 10.36 |
| Poland | 9.46 |
| Portugal | 9.05 |
| Greece | 8.54 |
| France | 6.91 |
| Lithuania | 6.44 |
| Spain | 5.71 |
| Czech | 5.55 |
| Latvia | 5.35 |
| Luxembourg | 4.98 |
| Germany | 4.94 |
| Bulgaria | 4.82 |
| Malta | 4.71 |
| Romania | 4.15 |
Labour Party takes the piss to follow the “Save the Pub” bandwagon.
Above: The unique urinals of the Vulcan
Euro Election leaflets are dropping through the letter boxes of voters throughout the UK at the moment, but voters in Cardiff may be a bit surprised to see the spring edition of the Cardiff Mail, the local Labour Party rag, with a “Please support OUR campaign”caption, to Save the Vulcan. Hang on a bit, Brew Wales regularly drinks in the Vulcan and attended a public meeting to try and save the pub and this is the first time he has heard of widespread support for the Campaign from the Labour Party. Now the Save the Vulcan campaign is non-political, attracting a broad spectrum of political views, though the Chair of the Campaign to Save the Vulcan does work for the Liberal Democrats. Nothing wrong with that, Brew Wales has often been known to have the odd jar of ale with Lord Dholakia or the Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire. What is annoying though is that when the original plans for the demolition of the Vulcan were passed by the Cardiff Council, it was being run by the Labour Party and not a word of disquiet was heard from those Labour Councillors on the Planning Committee. Suddenly, the Labour activists can see a popular Campaign to save a successful pub is winning public support and decide they are going to attempt to claim the Save the Vulcan Campaign as their own.
Now on another site, Guido has written about the “Curse of Jonah Brown”, where the Prime Mentalist has often come out supporting some cause or sports team which then go on to fail. Last week as issues of the Liebour-published Cardiff Mail were dropping onto the carpeted hallways of Cardiff voters, it was announced in the South Wales Echo that the Vulcan would be closing on the 25th June. So the Curse of Jonah Brown has now been extended to any cause to which his failing party attempts to support.
Meanwhile, the Culture Minister of the Welsh Assembly, Alun Ffred (so good they gave him 2 Fs) Jones, seems unable to come to a decision on whether to save the pub or not. No Doubt he is too busy window-licking at the view of Cardiff Bay and Penarth from his office, rather than trying to save an important part of Welsh cultural life.
Even failed UK politician and professional Euro gravy-train milker Lord Kinnock of Bedwetting has come out in support of the Vulcan. Mind you he once said that his favourite pub was the Fountain in Troedrhiwgwair, South of Tredegar, a pub which made the toilets facilities in the Vulcan seem the height of modernity.
Brew Wales does not often do politics any longer, despite, in a previous life, once working for a London MP, however the cynical, bandwagon-following attitude of the Cardiff Labour Party is something that deserves to be treated with contempt and hopefully on June 4th the voters will know where to put their X on the ballot paper.
Brew Wales will not be voting for the party that has a teetotal Scottish Presbyterian, pub-hatting, nail chewing, cyclopean, snot-gobbling, unelected, trouser-pissing, bisexual (References: Lords Mandelson and Levy), incompetent, bunker-dwelling troglodyte from the tundra beyond Hadrian's wall as a leader. Indeed any other party, with the exception of the BNP, who could not even make a Hornby train set run on time, would be worth voting for other than the disastrous Labour Party and their Son of the Manse.
With 6 pub closures a day now occurring, it's time for change, so let's all give Gordon the message on Thursday and don't vote Labour.