Drink Real Ale

[Rincewind]

Taken from What's Brewing.

Drinking real ale could save the world, according to research carried out by CAMRA.

Choosing a pint of real ale in a pub not only gives you better tasting beer compared to mass-produced brands, but could also have beneficial effects on the environment.

With 46 per cent of UK beer sales packaged in non-returnable bottles or cans, and home drinking on the increase, the environmental impact of drinking adds to the weight of evidence that drinking in a pub is best.

CAMRA cheif executive Mike Banner said "We're all becoming more environmentally conscious and drinking a local real ale in a pub is one way of making a small but significant contribution to save this world and promote local economies in a food and drink market dominated by global companies. Draught real ale means no wasted beer cans or bottles and if you choose a locally producedbeer, you'll help reduce unnecessary beer miles."

Research carried out by CAMRA shows 64 per cent of adults would like to see at least one local beer in every pub - but there are still too many pubs in the UK which offer nothing but the usual global beer brands.

With more than 600 small breweries across the country few pubs lack a local brewer and by choosing local beers drinkers can boost the local economy - keeping money and jobs in the community.

Jeanette Longfield, co-ordinator of Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming, said "We're long been concerned about the impact of the food and drink industry on sustainable development. CAMRA's excellent campaign for locally brewed distinctive beers can not only cut down on unnecessary and damaging transport, but also provide local jobs and stimulate interest in high quality ingredients for drinks and food."

Well that settles it. Bugger living on a rubbish dump for three weeks. This Friday I'll be doing my bit to save the planet by visiting the Criterion's Southern Counties Beer Festival and reliving them of some of their real ales.

[Ultra]

:thumbsup:

[The People's Hero]

I drink a fair amount of real ale and I really can't stand how smug real ale drinkers are. There is no need to be so pretentious and holier-than-thou about it.

In my life, I've encountered 2 organisations which attract the most bigoted, self-centred and nasty people you could hope to meet. The Church and Camra.

Bollocks to both of them.

[Manwell Pablo]

I drink a fair amount of real ale and I really can't stand how smug real ale drinkers are. There is no need to be so pretentious and holier-than-thou about it.

In my life, I've encountered 2 organisations which attract the most bigoted, self-centred and nasty people you could hope to meet. The Church and Camra.

Bollocks to both of them.

Amen to that, self righteous pricks.

[Ultra]

Amen to that, self righteous pricks.

And of course, we never see any of them in any other walk of life, do we?

[Manwell Pablo]

And of course, we never see any of them in any other walk of life, do we?

Oh, there are there are plenty about, yourself for example, but there are high concentration of them in the above named organisations

[Sir Fynwy]

I drink a fair amount of real ale and I really can't stand how smug real ale drinkers are. There is no need to be so pretentious and holier-than-thou about it.

In my life, I've encountered 2 organisations which attract the most bigoted, self-centred and nasty people you could hope to meet. The Church and Camra.

Bollocks to both of them.

I love real ale, cannot stand the mass produced lagers and bitters at most pubs (hence my massive dislike of the Dry Dock etal.) but I can only agree with you about the 'wierdy beardy' camra types who seem to be on some crusade to tell everyone they are drinking sh!t, which tends to put off the younger drinker.

Just let everyone get on with their own poison in their own way.

[Ultra]

Oh, there are there are plenty about, yourself for example, but there are high concentration of them in the above named organisations

You and TPH are obviously as ignorant about real ale drinkers as you are about football.

But I'm sure the staff and clientele at the Criterion will be distraught at your reluctance to grace the venue with your presence.

[Sir Fynwy]

You and TPH are obviously as ignorant about real ale drinkers as you are about football.

But I'm sure the staff and clientele at the Criterion will be distraught at your reluctance to grace the venue with your presence.

I don't think they said they'd not drink there or drink real ale, just hate cocks like you who are involved with Camra etc. Camra aren't the only drinkers of proper beer you know.

[The People's Hero]

You and TPH are obviously as ignorant about real ale drinkers as you are about football.

But I'm sure the staff and clientele at the Criterion will be distraught at your reluctance to grace the venue with your presence.

Quite the opposite, I used to liaise regularly with CAMRA as part of my job and whilst working for my local pub for a spell, took pride in looking after the real ales which we kept.

You're trying to steer this away from CAMRA and on to real ale drinkers in general. Real ale drinkers in general tend to be fine. It's the concentrated anti-lager groups like CAMRA who just bitch and moan about everything that get on my tits.

Now I'll leave you to your draught copy and your pint of whatever ale your book has told you to 'enjoy', no doubt served in a dirty glass, at your request. Please don't sit near the windows, I'd quite like other people to come in to the bar.

[Manwell Pablo]

You and TPH are obviously as ignorant about real ale drinkers as you are about football.

But I'm sure the staff and clientele at the Criterion will be distraught at your reluctance to grace the venue with your presence.

I know more about football then you ever have or ever will and you know it.

And I wasn't talking about real ale drinkers in general I was on about CAMRA which is full of tits who spout rubbish and force their bollocks opinions on people who don't want to hear them. Exactly like you.

[Bellend Sebastian]

I nearly joined CAMRA at once, but didn't bother because I realised that there wasn't any point. You don't need to be in a society or drink, do you? And they weren't going to give me any beer

I'll get me own then

[hairy]

Ken started a thread about how we can save the world by drinking real ale. But you three have turned it into a slagging match.

Were's the love guys?

Ken. I fail to see how this will make things better as whenever I drink real ale I produce far more methane gases than I do when I drink Newcastle Brown.

[Manwell Pablo]

Ken started a thread about how we can save the world by drinking real ale. But you three have turned it into a slagging match.

Were's the love guys?

Ken. I fail to see how this will make things better as whenever I drink real ale I produce far more methane gases than I do when I drink Newcastle Brown.

It's Ultras fault, he starts these little skrimishes, fortunatley he is easily deafeted and scuttles off when he has no come back.

[Raj]

i'm teetotal.

But i like Lemonade made from real lemons

[Daggers]

Meths on the rocks, please.

[Rincewind]

I'm a member of CAMRA. I joined because their campaigns included full pints being served to customers and the saving of small breweries. The majority of CAMRA members join because they enjoy real ale and cider. I'm not activly involved at the local level but I do go to some meetings. Admittedly there are who overdo things but there are people like that in all walks of life. The article was meant to be taken light-heartedly. I am not telling or forcing anybody to drink real ale. CAMRA are also opposed to higher taxes on beer. Is that a bad thing? In the past they have put pressure on governments to rethink laws which would hit small breweries and force them to close. Is that a bad thing?

A lot of CAMRA members join because they can get into beer festivals cheaper being a member and they just like trying different ales. I know somebody who has a record of every beer he has tried since the 70's. He's a decent bloke. He goes to Derrby and Sheffield during the week and does a tour. He's classed as disabled so he does it on the cheap via railcards etc. He says he does not go as far as to take samples of all the beers. He just drinks it.

I object to being called pretentious. I am just a normal fellow who enjoys a good pint. Occasionally I pass on information about up and coming beer festivals in our area. If people do not want that information fair enough, just say so. I can use the time typing it out doing other things.

Young people will never take to drinking real ale while there are continental type theme pubs that attract them with 2 for 1 drinks and loud disc/house music blasting out. I'm not knocking them just saying that teenagers like different things when going to a pub.

[Sir Fynwy]

I'm a member of CAMRA. I joined because their campaigns included full pints being served to customers and the saving of small breweries. The majority of CAMRA members join because they enjoy real ale and cider. I'm not activly involved at the local level but I do go to some meetings. Admittedly there are who overdo things but there are people like that in all walks of life. The article was meant to be taken light-heartedly. I am not telling or forcing anybody to drink real ale. CAMRA are also opposed to higher taxes on beer. Is that a bad thing? In the past they have put pressure on governments to rethink laws which would hit small breweries and force them to close. Is that a bad thing?

A lot of CAMRA members join because they can get into beer festivals cheaper being a member and they just like trying different ales. I know somebody who has a record of every beer he has tried since the 70's. He's a decent bloke. He goes to Derrby and Sheffield during the week and does a tour. He's classed as disabled so he does it on the cheap via railcards etc. He says he does not go as far as to take samples of all the beers. He just drinks it.

I object to being called pretentious. I am just a normal fellow who enjoys a good pint. Occasionally I pass on information about up and coming beer festivals in our area. If people do not want that information fair enough, just say so. I can use the time typing it out doing other things.

Young people will never take to drinking real ale while there are continental type theme pubs that attract them with 2 for 1 drinks and loud disc/house music blasting out. I'm not knocking them just saying that teenagers like different things when going to a pub.

That's not true, I have drunk real ale since I was in my teens and I know plenty of other people who have done the same, CAMRA doesn't appeal to me or my friends because of the way they go about promoting themselves. They have some good campaigns but really need to be more inclusive rather than telling people what to drink and how to drink it.

CAMRA will remain a small lobby until they understand how to talk to people on their level.

[The People's Hero]

Hop, no offence mate, but all of that is complete bollocks.

I know of many many young people who prefer real ale to other alcoholic drinks.

Not only this but if you think my original post was a dig solely at you then you've completely failed to grasp the point.

CAMRA are not an association I would associate myself with - but I wouldn't go as far as saying that ALL their members are nasty beings.

[Kent Fox]

Oh, the times they are a-changing...

I didn't really get into real ale until my late 20's. Before that, I drank (almost) anything - in a "I'm not an alcoholic" kind of fashion.

Nowadays, I do prefer real ales to the usual crap bitter's in most pubs. Or I enjoy a healthy 'no need to eat anything' pint or 6 of Guiness.

Lager is for summer. Cider is for summer. Real ale comes in many forms and can be drunk all year round.

Old Peculiar, anyone?

[The People's Hero]

Oh, the times they are a-changing...

I didn't really get into real ale until my late 20's. Before that, I drank (almost) anything - in a "I'm not an alcoholic" kind of fashion.

Nowadays, I do prefer real ales to the usual crap bitter's in most pubs. Or I enjoy a healthy 'no need to eat anything' pint or 6 of Guiness.

Lager is for summer. Cider is for summer. Real ale comes in many forms and can be drunk all year round.

Old Peculiar, anyone?

How do you find the real ale in Kent mate?

I think we get some really good stuff down here. Did enjoy going down to Sussex for a bit and getting some Harveys literally a minute or two from where it was brewed, fantastic.

[Kent Fox]

How do you find the real ale in Kent mate?

I think we get some really good stuff down here. Did enjoy going down to Sussex for a bit and getting some Harveys literally a minute or two from where it was brewed, fantastic.

Much of it is good stuff. There is some rather tasteless Shepherd Neame stuff that doesn't warrant getting excited about.

There's a really good pub in Strood that has excellent ale.

Have to agree on the Harvey's I have a mate who lives near Battle and we do enjoy a few pints of that.

And for those who don't know, I find that well kept real ale = no hangover, even after copious amounts of the stuff

[Rincewind]

That is why a group was set up for young members. Yes there are a lot of young real ale drinkers but I was thinking of places like O'neils being packed out while a little back street pub was half empty. Maybe CAMRA do need to change their attitude but that will never be done without a change of personel and the same people are voted onto the coommittees each year. At the Leicester branch the chairman has been in place for a few years. I don't think he comes on here (he doesn't like football) so I can say he isn't very well liked. He has arguments and disagreements all the time but there is nobody willing to do what he does. He does a fair job and contacts the right people at the right time and is dedicated to real ale buthe upsets people. But you will also find this sort of person on a lot of organisations because it takes a certain kind of person to do it. Apologies to any chaiman who is not like this.

Anyway it is up to CAMRA members to raise points and put forward ideas at meetings. They might not all be acted upon but the choice is there. I still say the majority of CAMRA members are OK.

[The People's Hero]

Shepherd Neame beers are horribly uninspiring and often not very well kept as they simply do not give a sh it about who is selling the stuff and how it's being served.

2 exceptions are the bottled spitfire/bishops finger beers.

[Dr The Singh]

IMO and my own experience, most 'young' people don't drink ales because of the perception of ales being a drink that's drunk by oldies, and it's bitter!!

I've only got into Ales\beers after a meeting a forum favourite, Thracian, when I met him for a drink at the Swan and Rushes!! he intoroduced me to Babbar and a couple of other Ales and to say I was surprised by the taste and complexion of these beers, and it totally went against my predisposed opinion of ales\beers!!