£7.60 for a pint?

[johncrobinson]

20yrs ago i only earned a paltry 450 quids a week net. So i could just about afford to go out after work
with it costing about 1.20pt
at 7.60 a pint Do these pubs take American Express. ?????

 

[AnimatedGIF]

What on earth does craft ale mean?

I used to think it was quite a straightforward definition:
- Brew some nice beer
- Once you have a good beer, throw a few sacks of hops in so that you can't taste anything else
- Design a pump clip/can(330ml, of course) that uses every colour you can find in your children's 100 piece crayola set
- Charge the same for half a pint (or 330ml) as you would normally charge for a pint of non-craft beer.

I don't think that's so true now though. Its more a case of "choose at least five of the following to describe the beer":
Double
Triple
Caramel
Tropical
Juicy
Hazy
Milkshake
Collaboration
Imperial
Fruit
Mango
Peach
Machiato
Vanilla
Chocolate
Fruitcake
Salted caramel
Peanut butter

As you can probably tell, I like beer, not trends.
The above is a little tongue-in-cheek, despite being partially true.

 

[simon12]

I have had this conversation a good few times:
Customer "Do you have any craft beer?"
Me "How do you define craft beer?"
Customer "American hops"
I have no idea where this came from as I have never heard in except from customers.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

I used to think it was quite a straightforward definition:
- Brew some nice beer
- Once you have a good beer, throw a few sacks of hops in so that you can't taste anything else
- Design a pump clip/can(330ml, of course) that uses every colour you can find in your children's 100 piece crayola set
- Charge the same for half a pint (or 330ml) as you would normally charge for a pint of non-craft beer.

I don't think that's so true now though. Its more a case of "choose at least five of the following to describe the beer":
Double
Triple
Caramel
Tropical
Juicy
Hazy
Milkshake
Collaboration
Imperial
Fruit
Mango
Peach
Machiato
Vanilla
Chocolate
Fruitcake
Salted caramel
Peanut butter

As you can probably tell, I like beer, not trends.
The above is a little tongue-in-cheek, despite being partially true.

Superb response - thank you

Likewise I like beer

 

[johncrobinson]

On the head animated gif

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

I have had this conversation a good few times:
Customer "Do you have any craft beer?"
Me "How do you define craft beer?"
Customer "American hops"
I have no idea where this came from as I have never heard in except from customers.

I would suggest it came from the people whose job is to market and sell beer

 

[simon12]

Back to the original beer in questions I looked on eebria to see how much it would cost me to see what my price would be but they only have it in cans but a beer thats 80p cheaper for 12 cans they also do in keg called plan b Belgian pale would be £5.60 based on my pricing but eebria are expensive which is why I never buy from them.

 

[micklupulo]

In 1967 as a schoolboy on a walk one night at the weekend I ventured into a pub in a part of town we would now call "deprived". Half a pint of Joules bitter cost me 10d (about 4.2p) and was clear as a bell. Everybody was too busy gassing joking or flirting to notice a green kid but those who made way for me as I found a corner were welcoming and full of smiles. If I were able to go back to only either the prices or the atmosphere I know which it would be!

 

[micklupulo]

I remember getting a pint of mild in a pub near St Denys railway station, Southampton (can't remember the name) FOR 9p. This would have been in 1972 (possibly '71). I recall thinking that was exceptionally good value, even then as I used to pay 12p for a pint of (****) bitter closer to home.

In 1971 I was in my last year at Southampton University and only then discovered the Junction Inn at St Denys which seems to be still going strong so it just might have been there you are thinking of.

 

[Cwrw666]

When I go into my local, I don't expect to pay £7.60 for a pint of kolsch.

Whereas when I go into my local you would never see something called `kolsch' as it would be unsellable as nobody would know what the hell it was.

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

Beer sales are mainly about marketing

What on earth does craft ale mean?

Rant over - £5.67 is just too much for alcohol fermented from cereal crop

Something I found astonishing is that in the UK, "craft beer" has no legal definition, while in the USA, big brewers may not own more than a certain percentage of a craft brewery.

So Beavertown, Camden Town, Sharp's etc would no longer be able to call their beer 'craft' if they were based in the USA (not that I'm suggesting the still do).

What I do think is a little shameful is when big brewers such as Greene King market a beer as 'craft' and when you read the label on the back of the bottle you see those terrible words "Greene King, Bury St Edmunds". On more than one occasion a beer has stayed on the shelf.

I agree with you you about beer being mostly marketing, but unfortunately, it's a consumer product. Often I roll my eyes at 'Old Golden Hen' and 'Spitfire Gold', but like the newcomer to the forum who wants a recipe for Fosters or Ruddles 'IPA', I don't think we should scoff too much. There's a perception among many people that just as all homebrew is very alcoholic, tastes awful or will blind you, dark beers are strong and very bitter or not refreshing.

If someone tries a golden version of the beers we talked about, they might be tempted to try the original version and open a whole new world of beer to themselves.

However, I'm not convinced by your argument that £5.67 is too much to pay for a pint of beer. How have you come to that conclusion? I've paid more than than on several occasions and thought it not overly priced. I've paid less than £2 for a pint in a Wetherspons and definitely thought it not worth the money (mind you, I've also had some fantastic pints in a Wetherspoons).

 

[terrym]

Lets be clear. Just because someone has set up a microbrewery knocking out a few barrels of beer a week, does not mean the beer is guaranteed to be any good whether badged with the term 'craft' or anything else, and sold at whatever price the market will stand. I sampled quite a few beers at the GBBF a few years back and found that out.
So the same applies the microbreweries just as it does for the major brewers, with the difference there being between say TT Landlord (or substitute your own favourite beer) and John Smiths.

 

[obscure]

Lets be clear. Just because someone has set up a microbrewery knocking out a few barrels of beer a week, does not mean the beer is guaranteed to be any good whether badged with the term 'craft' or anything else, and sold at whatever price the market will stand. I sampled quite a few beers at the GBBF a few years back and found that out.
So the same applies the microbreweries just as it does for the major brewers, with the difference there being between say TT Landlord (or substitute your own favourite beer) and John Smiths.

The really small breweries I often find lack consistency I often find the best beers (or at least fairly decent) often seem to come from the mid sized often regional breweries. If I see St Austell, Bath, Titanic, Wye Valley or a number of other mid sized breweries I know I might not get the best beer ever but chances are I will get something fairly decent.

With small unknowns however I sometimes get something exceptional but often something pretty dire. It’s why I find a sign of a decent pub is they are willing to let you try a sample before you order.

 

[samale]

I used to think it was quite a straightforward definition:
- Brew some nice beer
- Once you have a good beer, throw a few sacks of hops in so that you can't taste anything else
- Design a pump clip/can(330ml, of course) that uses every colour you can find in your children's 100 piece crayola set
- Charge the same for half a pint (or 330ml) as you would normally charge for a pint of non-craft beer.

I don't think that's so true now though. Its more a case of "choose at least five of the following to describe the beer":
Double
Triple
Caramel
Tropical
Juicy
Hazy
Milkshake
Collaboration
Imperial
Fruit
Mango
Peach
Machiato
Vanilla
Chocolate
Fruitcake
Salted caramel
Peanut butter

As you can probably tell, I like beer, not trends.
The above is a little tongue-in-cheek, despite being partially true.

Out of interest what beer do you enjoy drinking.

 

[Sadfield]

Let's be clear. There are plenty of small independent breweries 'craft' or not that push the industry forward by brewing exceptionally good beers.

Going out for a beer is more than just the liquid in the glass.

Not particularly well kept pint of bland, mass produced beer contrived with a focus on maximumising profit, John Smiths, GK et al. Served in a tatty pub by surly, minimum wage barstaff that have no enthusiasm for the product offered . £3.40

Well brewed, interesting Kolsch, from a small, local brewery passionate about their product. Served in a nice bar, that shares that passion for beer and takes the effort to source the best for their customers. Bars that often pay living wage to staff who also share a passion for good beer. £7.60

In know which has the highest price, but also has the highest value.

I find it remarkable how negative this thread is given the range of products and information available to homebrewers now as result of both the US and UK craft beer revolution.

 

[obscure]

Let's be clear. There are plenty of small independent breweries 'craft' or not that push the industry forward by brewing exceptionally good beers.

Going out for a beer is more than just the liquid in the glass.

Not particularly well kept pint of bland, mass produced with a focus on maximum profit, John Smiths, GK in a tatty pub served by surly barstaff that have no enthusiasm for the product served. £3.40

Well brewed, interesting Kolsch, from a small, local brewery passionate about their product. Served in a nice bar, that shares that passion for beer and tahrs the effort to source the best for their customers. £7.60

In know which has the highest price, but also has the highest value.

I find it remarkable how negative this thread is given the range of products and information available to homebrewers now as result of both the US and UK craft beer revolution.

The problem is that their are a lot of ”upmarket” bars that will call something craft and charge you £7.60 for the privilege. I don’t mind paying £7.60 or more for a pint but I do mind paying £7.60 for a mediocre pint. If you want to charge a premium price you need to actually offer a premium product.

That said in certain circumstances I will tolerate paying a premium for average beer if the pub itself is particularly pleasant and the company is good (if you go to a pub in the city centre or many rural pubs you just have to accept that you will pay a premium) but too many breweries and venues use the “craft” label as an excuse to mark up beers which aren’t mealy average but down right awful.

 

[Nidger]

Is it just me that thinks Clint's profile photo looks like Winston from Still Game?

Brilliant comedy series.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Out of interest what beer do you enjoy drinking.

Good question. For ales, I am partial to the more malt-forward types - mild, bitter etc. If the mood is right, I am often found with a lager of some descripion.
I'm lucky in that within a reasonable distance of where I am, there are three decent breweries that cater well for the former (Binghams, Loddon and Rebellion).
What I do try to do is to at least try the beers that I was eluding to in my last post. I just tend not to like them that much.

Let's be clear. There are plenty of small independent breweries 'craft' or not that push the industry forward by brewing exceptionally good beers.

Going out for a beer is more than just the liquid in the glass.

Not particularly well kept pint of bland, mass produced beer contrived with a focus on maximumising profit, John Smiths, GK et al. Served in a tatty pub by surly, minimum wage barstaff that have no enthusiasm for the product offered . £3.40

Well brewed, interesting Kolsch, from a small, local brewery passionate about their product. Served in a nice bar, that shares that passion for beer and takes the effort to source the best for their customers. Bars that often pay living wage to staff who also share a passion for good beer. £7.60

In know which has the highest price, but also has the highest value.

I find it remarkable how negative this thread is given the range of products and information available to homebrewers now as result of both the US and UK craft beer revolution.

I think in terms of venues, it's not so binary as that. Some of the best kept beer where I am can be found in the "tatty" pub with the threadbare carpets, rickety furniture, carpet smelling of stale beer, where you can find the toilets using yor nose alone. At a good price too. I appreciate that they are more likely to be catering for the market I am interested in (see above). I'm sure the products and information are of great use if you're brewing those styles. I'll confess, I am new to AG (and homebrewing really), but using the equipment I have, the knowledge has, from what I can see, been around for hundreds of years, save for the understanding of yeast, which appears to be a relatively recent (c.20th century). Perhaps you could provide some examples of the sorts of things you mean?
The negative thread to me is simply a reflection of the opinions and preferences of those who have responded. I'll be honest, two of my posts in this thread are rather ranty in contrast to the mild-mannered tone that most of my forum contributions are(or at least, I think I am usually mild-mannered), but that's most indicative of my strong opinion on the subject in discussion.

 

[Sadfield]

Good question. For ales, I am partial to the more malt-forward types - mild, bitter etc. If the mood is right, I am often found with a lager of some descripion.
I'm lucky in that within a reasonable distance of where I am, there are three decent breweries that cater well for the former (Binghams, Loddon and Rebellion).
What I do try to do is to at least try the beers that I was eluding to in my last post. I just tend not to like them that much.


I think in terms of venues, it's not so binary as that. Some of the best kept beer where I am can be found in the "tatty" pub with the thredbare carpets, rickety furniture, carpet smelling of stale beer, where you can find the toilets using yor nose alone. At a good price too. I appreciate that they are more likely to be catering for the market I am interested in (see above). I'm sure the products and information are of great use if you're brewing those styles. I'll confess, I am new to AG (and homebrewing really), but using the equipment I have, the knowledge has, from what I can see, been around for hundreds of years, save for the understanding of yeast, which appears to be a relatively recent (c.20th century). Perhaps you could provide some examples of the sorts of things you mean?
The negative thread to me is simply a reflection of the opinions and preferences of those who have responded. I'll be honest, two of my posts in this thread are rather ranty in contrast to the mild-mannered tone that most of my forum contributions are(or at least, I think I am usually mild-mannered), but that's most indicative of my strong opinion on the subject in discussion.

The sort of things I mean are places like this, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, books. The majority of resources that get referenced on here, where most of us learn new (and many old) techniques, share experiences of all the new ingredients that are being made available to homebrewers. Take the Kveik thread as an example, a brewing tradition that went unnoticed for hundreds of years, but now has brewers sharing yeast, recipes and ideas, globally. A development in brewing driven my craft breweries and craft beer drinkers.

 

[DavidDetroit]

"I won't overpay for beer" is a relative statement for me. A beer made at home versus grocery store versus beer store versus restaurant all have different price ceilings. For example, I know that the price of a beer I buy at a restaurant is going to hurt because I'll only get something in the higher ABV range (RIS, Quad, Tripel) and so I'll only have a couple, relax because it's a night out and not grumble that I can make something similar for $1.15. I do the same thing with a burger joint or a steak house.

Side note: I wasn't aware, until I read this thread, that you all have the "hipster" thing going on like in the US (could have started in the UK, I don't know). I haven't had a NEIPA or anything similar. I haven't run across any hipsters and have no personal opinion of a hipster. The main knock, from what I gather, is that this group, allegedly, is willing to overpay for the newest beer no matter the quality and that this group influences the craft beer market/microbreweries. Maybe so, maybe not. If the product I like dwindles from the alleged catering to a subgroup, it just means making more beer at home.

Crazy cans: At the specialty beer store, there are so many options and, probably, half with these insanely busy labels that I just pass over because they're like street graffiti that I can't read immediately. I just assume they are targeted to a different group.