Propel column
Half measures
The chief reason for visiting a taproom or brewpub is to sample the range of beer a brewery produces. On such occasions, and if I have enough time, I’m more than likely to try all the beers on offer. For me this is the key reason for making such visits and typically these establishments encourage…
Read MoreRoll out the barrel…
Watneys Red Barrel was the beer that prompted the formation of real ale movement the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in 1971 because this fizzy liquid, held in pressured keg containers, was deemed tasteless and a threat to traditional real ale. In the first CAMRA Good Beer Guide, drinkers were infamously advised to “avoid it…
Read MoreShattered dreams
Crowdfunding has dined out for far too long on the story of Camden Town Brewery delivering a highly profitable exit for its investors on Crowdcube in 2015. Since then, the reality is there has been little positive news accompanied by the occasional blow-up to upset the party. Until recently, that is, as we’ve seen a…
Read MoreOpposite Ends of the Scale
One of the UK’s most non-PC comedians, the late Bernard Manning, used to have a running gag at his shows in which he would pick an overweight member of the audience and a slimmer one and suggest the thin one looked like he had been in a famine his larger mate had caused. This oddly…
Read MoreFuller’s sale: Sad? Yes. But not the end of their story.
Charles Dickens stated “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” in his novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ he could have been describing the present state of brewing in the UK from a consumer perspective. In the same week we had the announcement that Fuller’s was selling its brewing business…
Read MoreGrowing into the overcoat
New York-based Brooklyn Brewery is undoubtedly one of the most successful US craft brewers having built a global presence since its creation in 1988 helped by its flagship amber lager and iconic label. By employing graphic designer Milton Glaser – best known for his I Love New York design – to create its logo, Brooklyn…
Read MoreBeware the craft beer hangover…
In the beer world, craft brewers get all the attention – and for all the right reasons. They have shaken up the world of beer from one where seven large producers largely controlled the UK market leading to laziness and non-existent new product development as they focused solely on cost-cutting and increasing profit margins. The…
Read MoreStools are cool
I had the privilege of being asked my views last year on what elements I’d like to incorporate into my local pub. London brewer Fuller’s had recently acquired a lovely Victorian boozer, The Great Northern Railway Tavern, which it intended to restore to its former glory. Rather than rushing into anything, Fuller’s sensibly canvassed some…
Read MoreUniting the brewing generations
Fuller’s move to purchase Dark Star brewery highlights the radically changing state of brewing. Traditional brewers have found it particularly tough in recent years to hold their ground against a massive number of small new craft breweries setting up shop. It feels like there is a new one opening up almost every day. This…
Read MoreThere’s A Beer For That’s new strategy is missing the target
There’s a Beer for That describes itself as a cross-industry group of brewers, pub companies and beer organisations working together for the good of beer in Britain. It sounds a good idea but I’ve always had my reservations about the effectiveness of these coming-together groupings. There is never likely to be a universal consensus when…
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