£2.00 for 330ml what the Funk!

[An Ankoù]

Funny story there....

You see, here in the UK we have quite a long home brewing history, and well this chappy sort of introduced this to the US (where there beer was pretty awful...). Only, when it got over there it REALLY took off (the commercial beer been so bad), and those home brewers were suddenly able to scale up to commercial (or "craft") brewers. The idea spread back over here, and home brewers here started scaling up and going into business too, and weee, we had craft brewers too... Thing is, like anything, when something becomes popular the big boys get hunger in their eyes, and came a-calling... They either started producing their own "craft" beer (which was just their own pish, with craft written on the label), or they bought up the smaller operations and took them into the big time (Campden and Meantime come to mind). Then you get the guys who just kept growing and growing (Brewdog), and as often happens, as the scale of their operations grew, the quality of the product well that didn't quite do so well...

We do actually still have plenty of good quality micro-breweries over here too, many who don't even use the label "craft" on their products, and yet produce fantastic beer, sometimes they don't even charge a fortune for their beer (incidentally Brewdog stuff isn't even all that expensive). One of the worst beers I've ever tasted was actually from one of the supposedly "genuine" craft beer producers and was a DIPA, it tasted like a Youngs kit beer.... So I guess when those particular "home brewers" scaled up, they just scaled up how many kits they were making at one time.....

I know, and, yes, you're right. I know lots of excellent microbreweries; Downton and Hopback being two of my favourites. It's the "Craft allows you to stick another £ on a bottle" that sticks in my throat.
There's a microbrewery revolution over here, too. By and large it focuses on image and marketing, with product coming in a late third. I can only speak for my locality, not for the whole country, of course.

 

[Sadfield]

This thread appears to be based on preconceptions, misconceptions and the mistaken belief that quality and personal taste are related.

 

[Clint]

My mate likes Boddingtons...he says it's nice,it's his personal taste
He is a tasteless fool.

 

[An Ankoù]

About a year ago, I popped over to Poole to find that that real ale pub, specialising in micro-breweries' beers had closed down and been replaced by a "craft" beer pub. Rather than selling beer on the pump from a cask as per CAMRA beer SS regulations, there was one pump of "real ale" and everything else was dispensed under pressure from cooled/chilled kegs. I tried one, it was ok, but I feared for my wallet and went to get a proper pint over the road. It was still eye-wateringly dear. Over £5 a pint seems to be the norm darn sarf.

 

[An Ankoù]

This thread appears to be based on preconceptions, misconceptions and the mistaken belief that quality and personal taste are related.

Indeed. Personally, I have a taste for quality!

 

[strange-steve]

Another thread on a brewing forum complaining about the price of beer
How much does a world class whisky or wine cost? Yet a bunch of people who should know better, begrudge paying more than a few quid for world class beers. Madness.

 

[Sadfield]

Another thread on a brewing forum complaining about the price of beer
How much does a world class whisky or wine cost? Yet a bunch of people who should know better, begrudge paying more than a few quid for world class beers. Madness.

Yep. Both Roger Protz (CAMRA Good beer guide editor) and author Pete Brown were saying this yesterday.
https://twitter.com/RogerProtzBeer/status/1099233261774098432

 

[Chippy_Tea]

How much is a can of fosters in a supermarket btw?

Tesco.

Fosters Lager Beer 18 Pack 440Ml

£ 13.00

£1.65/litre

72p per can.

 

[simon12]

So without VAT 60p a can so a microbrewery would have 10p worth of beer (minus duty) in each to not even make a profit (based on my previous post saying it costs them 50p for the canning).

 

[strange-steve]

Yep. Both Roger Protz (CAMRA Good beer guide editor) and author Pete Brown were saying this yesterday.
https://twitter.com/RogerProtzBeer/status/1099233261774098432

A nice quote from Pete Brown there, I'll paste it below:

I find it amazing every time someone who claims to love beer asserts that beer can never be worth more than what you pay for the average pint. I've never heard a wine lover declare that Chateau Lafite, for example, should cost the same as Blossom Hill.

 

[Gunge]

Yep. Both Roger Protz (CAMRA Good beer guide editor) and author Pete Brown were saying this yesterday.
https://twitter.com/RogerProtzBeer/status/1099233261774098432

And what the hell would they know? Seriously. Have they got bionic senses and are privy to stuff that the rest of us aren't? Maybe we could buy the stuff and just imagine we can physically experience the cack they drivel. Critics - of anything - make me puke! I'm off to ASDA right now for a case of John Smiths in protest, an' when I've necked it I'm gonna wax lyrical about what you're all missing.

 

[Sadfield]

And what the hell would they know? Seriously. Have they got bionic senses and are privy to stuff that the rest of us aren't? Maybe we could buy the stuff and just imagine we can physically experience the cack they drivel. Critics - of anything - make me puke! I'm off to ASDA right now for a case of John Smiths in protest, an' when I've necked it I'm gonna wax lyrical about what you're all missing.

He says, critically.

 

[Ajhutch]

And what the hell would they know? Seriously. Have they got bionic senses and are privy to stuff that the rest of us aren't? Maybe we could buy the stuff and just imagine we can physically experience the cack they drivel. Critics - of anything - make me puke! I'm off to ASDA right now for a case of John Smiths in protest, an' when I've necked it I'm gonna wax lyrical about what you're all missing.

You described, accurately, all supermarket beer as swill less than a week ago. Look in a mirror mate

 

[Oneflewover]

Been following this thread with interest. I reckon that the debate hints at why people home-brew. Some people are looking to brew (drink) reasonable beer as cheaply as possible. Others appreciate beer in a different way, and are looking for a gastronomic experience and to be creative.

There are of course those in between, myself included. Then there are some who brew the best beer in the world and eschew all others as swill aunsure....

 

[Stephenj]

This thread appears to be based on preconceptions, misconceptions and the mistaken belief that quality and personal taste are related.

And......

 

[Clint]

I can like it to curry/spicy stuff...you start on a "medium curry with mushrooms"and end up on stuff that gives you hallucinations,the sweats,cravings and a dire-rear....

 

[Ajhutch]

I recognise that Clint. In my uni days I always had to be Billy Big Balls who ordered the hottest curry or used the most chillies. Now I’m a better cook I know how to get the maximum flavour experience without necessarily needing to blow people’s heads off.

 

[Clint]

I agree...the craving for heat never goes though...just the tolerance of dread the next day....
I still get the flavour but what I consider medium is dreadful to some. I'm not like I used to be though...

 

[DavieC]

Is this the IPA thread, just had 3 pints of handpulled Greene king IPA (£1.97 a pint) at my local and fish n chips on way home and have got change from £10...gotta love Stoke on Trent.Ahmen

 

[Clint]

Was that IPA any good? I've tried it all ways...it was terrible.