tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post8737492279663549352..comments2024-03-28T17:11:52.333+00:00Comments on The Pub Curmudgeon: The weak and the strongCurmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-14749541851525155122011-06-28T19:26:31.164+01:002011-06-28T19:26:31.164+01:00Something that occurred to me is that the clusteri...Something that occurred to me is that the clustering of beer strengths in pubs may have something to do with the breakdown of the tied house system. If you're competing with other brewers on the bar, you don't want to have your beer ruled out because it's too strong or too weak. On the other hand, in tied houses, you could afford to present a wider strength range to punters because they only had a choice of strengths, not of brewery. Hence in the 1980s Eldridge Pope would offer you the 1033 Dorchester Bitter, the 1041 Thomas Hardy IPA and the 1050 Royal Oak.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-6476649708208345042011-06-28T19:19:43.214+01:002011-06-28T19:19:43.214+01:00I went for the 4.5% to 5% option, but really I lik...I went for the 4.5% to 5% option, but really I like beers of all strengths as long as they're good. What I don't like is a pub where the beers are all very similar to in each other, both in ABV and in content.<br /><br />The other point I'd like to make is that bottled beers from supermarkets aren't generally all that strong either. Even in supermarkets with relatively good beer choices the bottled ales rarely go over 5.3% (apart from some of the English strong ales), and finding strong craft-brewed IPAs and foreign/imperial stouts is often difficult. So you're limited to the usual middle-of-the-road milds, bitters, golden ales, the odd Belgian and the more gentle stouts and porters.Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-15788389658083040372011-06-28T18:24:50.155+01:002011-06-28T18:24:50.155+01:00I always take the view with polls that it's be...I always take the view with polls that it's best not to give people a cop-out. If you genuinely don't know (or indeed if you never drink beer, which some readers don't) then simply don't answer.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-5592364199392581052011-06-28T16:35:12.215+01:002011-06-28T16:35:12.215+01:00There needs to be a "no preference" opti...There needs to be a "no preference" option on the poll. It very much depends on the drinking occasion as to what ABV I'd go for but I do try to drink up the range rather than starting strong.beersiveknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13293913182389157112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-55939634261628636382011-06-28T09:42:40.486+01:002011-06-28T09:42:40.486+01:00Ahh ok, I see your point.
Totally agree with you...Ahh ok, I see your point. <br /><br />Totally agree with you about the beers from those breweries, particularly abbott ale. Which is a lovely beer but very rich and not something you can drink a great deal of.<br /><br />ESB is surprisingly drinkable but at 5.9 i sometimes wish it wasnt!Neil, Eating isn't Cheatinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675093938811871515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-35119310147383572532011-06-28T09:31:46.192+01:002011-06-28T09:31:46.192+01:00"Many" isn't "all", of cou..."Many" isn't "all", of course. Yes, there are "dangerously drinkable" 5%+ beers, especially some of the new-generation paler ones, but many of those produced by the more established breweries are, well, a bit chewy. Abbot Ale, Fullers ESB, Batemans XXXB, Old Speckled Hen (when it was 5.2%) - none are exactly "pour it down your neck" beers.<br /><br />Going back a number of years, in a free house in the South of England you could easily find Ruddles County, Eldridge Pope Royal Oak, King & Barnes Festive and Gales HSB on the bar - a feast of heavy, sweet, malty beers.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-20716010172388116702011-06-28T09:07:11.705+01:002011-06-28T09:07:11.705+01:00"It is also the case that many 5% real ales, ..."It is also the case that many 5% real ales, while very good beers, are hard work to drink in quantity. "<br /><br />What about Jaipur? There are loads of ales at that abv or higher which are very drinkable. In fact Summer wine breweries 7c's IPA is 7% and far too damn drinkable!Neil, Eating isn't Cheatinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675093938811871515noreply@blogger.com