What is Cask Conditioned Beer?

Cask-conditioned beer is the choice of the drinker who likes their beer ‘real’, but what is it exactly and how does it differ from conventionally conditioned beer. The New Beer Standard Whereas for centuries cask-conditioned beer was the norm, it is now a speciality type. This traditional method of keeping …

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Why India is Renowned for its Pale Ale?

One of Britain’s most popular beer styles, India Pale Ale’s name harks back to a time when it was produced to quench the thirsts of Brits abroad in the Indian subcontinent. The Popular Story Although better known today as IPA, its full title of India Pale Ale is an evocative …

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The Fate of English Mild Beer

Once the most popular beer in the British Isles, the English mild fell dramatically out of favour in the 1960s, but its fortunes are on the rise again. Conflicting Emotions As recent as the 1960s “a pint of mild” would have been one of the most popular requests at bars …

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How Bottle Colour Affects Beer

The colour of the glass can make all the difference between whether beer poured from the bottle is fresh tasting or ‘skunky’ – and also whether it sells in big numbers. Beer and Light Beer does not respond well to light and exposure to its invasive rays can lead to …

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Why Brits Traditionally Enjoy Warm Beer

Like most nationalities Brits like their beer served cool, so why are they known for preferring it warm and how does temperature actually affect the quality of the drinking experience? Warm Beer Myth Making Americans and ex-Prime Minister John Major (“Fifty years on from now, Britain will still be the …

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Is Guinness Really a ‘Meal in a Glass’?

Popularly referred to as a “meal in a glass”, does Guinness really offer sufficient nourishment required to keep a body ticking over? The Guinness Diet It is a heinous culinary faux pas committed by ignorant diners across the land – that of accompanying a meal with a pint of Guinness. …

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Is Guinness Better in the ‘Old Country’?

There are those that claim you’ve never tasted the best Guinness unless you’ve supped one in Ireland, but is this romantic myth-making or are the Irish really blessed with the best black stuff? The Same Guinness However hard you try to serve your pub clientele the perfect pint of Guinness …

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Introduction to Altbier

Harking back to a time before pale lagers swamped the German brewing industry, Altbier is one of only a handful of traditional Germanic ales that remain. The Lager Threat The arrival of the new pale lager style beer in the 1800s marked a major shift in German brewing culture. As …

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Introduction to Bock Beer

A strong malty bottom-fermented lager, the bock beer provides some sweet seasonal cheer when the weather turns sour. Respite From the Gloom During the long harsh German winters light lager offers limited respite from the biting gloom and so brewers have long since decided that beers that offer more in …

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Microbreweries: Saviour of British Pub Culture?

With a remarkable rise defying the decline of the brewing industry, are microbreweries the saviour of British pub culture? Bucking the Downward Trend Declining beer sales and week-on-week closure of UK pubs has led many to predict the imminent demise of one of Britain’s beloved historical and social institutions, its …

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