Bottles, cans or draught...........

Can sup froms cans but prefer bottles, big bottles

 

That’s the one!!

Some of them we went to we’re just folk who brewed on there farms!! Some pretty good flavours too but a don’t think I could do a session on them

 

I’ve spent a load on Craft cans since lockdown , all sorts but been impressed with Pomona Island , Turning Point and Polly but you can’t beat a hand pulled pint of real ale from a decent pub , looking forward to it

 

When I was 18 years old my Dad told me he wanted to take me out to ‘the Club’ for my first beer. Of course it wasn’t my first beer, we both knew that, but it was a ‘right of passage’. You know, Dad going out with his lad for a beer and his affiliate cards!

Anyway, the Club in question was ‘The Stute’ in Grimey. Some of you may know it. Those that don’t, imagine Ceasar’s Palace in Las Vegas. My Dad had just come of a shift at the face at Grimey pit and he’d asked some of his mates to join him to celebrate this right of passage. There were about 12 of them and we all marched into the Stute and up to the bar. My Dad with his arm around my shoulder, pleased as punch. There were a lot of people in that night.

He looked around to see how many of his mates were in and turned to Big Brenda, the Barmaid and said “12 pints of Tetleys please love.” “Now then lad” he said turning to me. What do you want. I looked up at him and said, “I’ll have a pint of Woodpecker cider please Dad.”

Well........the piano player stopped playing...... there was a long silence...some tumbleweed blew across the room, narrowly missing the Snooker table. The Darters stopped mid throw. I’ve never experienced such silence. It was broken only by a couple of my Dad’s mates stuffing hankies into their mouths to try to stop the laughter.

My Dad was getting redder and redder as his embarrassment grew. I realised I may have made a faux pas - an expression frequently used in Grimethorpe in the early eighties. Finally the Old man broke the tension. “You fckn will not have a pint of fckn Woodpecker Cider lad” he said. “13 pints of Tetleys Brenda” he told the Barmaid.

From that day to this, I’ve never drunk another pint of that pigswill nor any other Bitter. Bloody awful.

My Dad’s still not talking to me either.

 

You didn't mention pouches.
My favourite takeaway beer has got to be pouches from Nailmaker at Darton. Wentworth IPA being particularly good.

 

Had a few Pomona cans for first time recently and was impressed. Patternist by Polly's is also lovely. Several pubs have been doing takeaways near me in Shef and it's been a real treat being able to call for a few pints. A few been selling beers from saint mars of the desert brewery, which I can highly recommend.

 

I l

Iike the chocolate safari and citra grapefruit

 

I used to think I didn’t like canned beer, then I realised I was drinking crap beer from cans, that’s not the fault of the can

Likewise I thought proper hand pumped beer was superior to electrically pumped. But if it’s done properly the method of distribution is less important.

there’s some great independent breweries, and beer is better now than at any time in my life. Just at a time where I’m struggling to enjoy it.

 

For me most stuff tastes nicer out of bottles , on the other hand you can crush cans so not as embarrassing on recycling day

 

Absolutely.

We had a school trip to York when I was in 6th form it turned into a pub crawl, the bus had to stop several time on the way back to Wath for lads being sick.... Great day out, blew my week's £1 pocket money on beer, mind you it was only 11 or 12p a pint.

 

Cans all the way for me, I'm into hoppy craft beers and I don't mind a bit of fizz in it.

Brands
Verdant, seriously good beers, expect to pay north of a fiver a can.
North Brewing Co, some cracking dipas
Whitefaced, small independent in Penistone, his First Flight is bang on.
Brew York, some interesting milk shake ipas.
Magic Rock in Huddersfield, do some great beers too.

I buy from the lad in Mapplewell (Bottle&Co) or direct from Whitefaced.

 

In the land of wine ( good quality and dirt cheap) my preference is beer (expensive although becoming more popular by the day) The main reason... I discovered I was allergic to sulphites which is present in almost all wine and some* beers (used to make them clear). You CAN find some wines that don't contain them but only from really good years when the grapes are of a highest quality

Fortunately, microbreweries are springing up all over the place including one located by the bar in our small comune. Two young Italians trained in Rome and then located in our area and obtained funding and a grant to start the business. Two years in and they produce small batches of different beers (some more successful than others it has to be said) which they sell in the bar on draught and in bottles for purchase supplying other local bars and restaurants. It has been a struggle these past few months given lockdown but I do my best to support them with home purchases

My favourite in summer is one they call 'La Perpetua' which is light, very 'hoppy' so quite bitter but a 'fruity little fekker' and very aromatic. Not everybodys choice but IMO a great summer beer alongside all the white and blonde beers. They do a ZonaRossa red beer which is very good too. Couple of 'faux-pas' with names, for example using a Scottish sounding name on one with a tartan label but referencing it as an English IPA!! Arabian Ian would go apoplectic!!!. However, I did point out the error of their ways!! I do quite like Weiss beer but again I can understand they are not to everyone's taste.

The downside is that they are expensive. A decent bottle of wine can be had for a couple of euros whilst 33cl bottles of beer are 3 euros to 3.50 euros although I get a box of 12 for 30 euros takeaway. A O.4ltr glass (On tap) in the bar is around 4 euros. It is chemical free though and supporting the local business is good (use it or lose it IMO). Spirits are cheap...and you can even get base alcohol 95% proof at around 13 euros a litre to infuse with flavourings (and obviously dilute before drinking)

Out of curiosity how much does craft beer cost in the UK these days not to mention the more 'exotic' beers in bottles?

*German purity laws means all beers from there are sulphite free

 

Not arguing against that as I don't know but glass has been recycled for years. It was one of the first recycled materials. You'd get money back at the shop for returning your Ben shaws bottle. There were bottle banks. The milk man left fresh milk at the door and took the empties. On Saturdays I'd go with me dad in his lorry taking a load of bottles from Redferns to Liverpool and bringing back a load of smashed glass to be recycled. When did it get a bad rep?

Also real ale from a bottle is twice the product that it is in a can.

 

Pints for me in the pub. You can't see the condition of the cellar from the bar. Bottles and cans could be p1ssed on by rats. On the rare occasion I do buy bottles I ask for a glass as well.

 

Did you never watch Corrie or Eastenders. Wasn't part of "bottling up" wiping the bottles as you put them behind the bar?

 

You've got me there. One thing I've never understood is why people buy the 330 mil bottles and pay more for them than they would a pint.

 

It's the weight of the bottle that is the issue, that adds to the amount of diesel required and pushes up the carbon footprint.

Of course, properly re-used bottles, locally delivered and recycled are far better.

 

But a bottle does not have to be melted down to be recycled.

Breweries should encourage locals to return them to be washed and reused just like milk bottles.