Hey British and other countries

What's the beer scene like there? I'm pretty sure that you guys can go to pretty much any bar(pub?) and find several real beers. But how popular are they compared to the crap beers that dominate the US market? Do any of our crappy beers show up over there? Do any of our good beers show up over there? Do you have lot's of choices for good beer or is it more regional?

Unfortunately the crappy beer market (Bud, Coors, Millar, Fosters, Carling, John Smiths Smoothflow (blech! I really hate the last one!) etc..), driven by the big corporation brewers, is growing stronger and stronger. That linked with the young-uns preferring to get tanked up on this sh!te in noisy "fake" pubs is not doing the real ale (or our society) any favours!

This is why CAMRA was set up. They have campained very hard to allow real guest ales even in the corporate brewery owned pubs.

The good news is more and more people want real ale in quaint English pubs (that together with good pub grub), so yes if you go to the right place (usually out of city / town) you can get a good selection of real ales. Bottle conditioned ales are also proving popular in supermarkets, so we can get all sorts from around the world. I've seen Sam Adams, Goose Island etc in the supermarket.

I heard the brewing industry (Traditional beers) hired a marketing whizz from Canada to help counter the crap beer fad. The marketer had experience with megaswill in North America.

One of the major success stories around here is a tiny (no longer) brewery called Big Rock. They started making really nice ales in a lot of different styles, including things like porter. Some were more popular than others, but the ones that were immediately well loved have generated a huge following, and the brewery has expanded a lot, and is exporting etc. Their success and the apparent market for beer that actually tastes like something has led to a whole bunch of other little brewers having a go... Tree, Brew Brothers, and a half dozen others, all make some really good ales and lagers. Okanagan springs make some incredible stuff...

Bud and Molsen Canadian still fly off the shelves, but there is at least a medium sized "No thanks, I prefer beer." market.

Sasquatch said:

One of the major success stories around here is a tiny (no longer) brewery called Big Rock.

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Big Rock McNalley's Irish Red is very nice 7.0% beer. We get big rock here to. There cider is great, though I've only seen it on tap in BC not in bottles. Not even listed on their website. Strange...

In Western Australia there is a lot of botique brewing companys around if you are willing to look little creatures being my fav

Denny - To the best of my knowledge, Big Rock doesn't make make cider. And I've had everything they make, even some of the special low-run stuff. Are you thinking of 'hard rock cider' or something else? Some kind of rock cider rings a bell though...

Cheyco said:

Denny - To the best of my knowledge, Big Rock doesn't make make cider. And I've had everything they make, even some of the special low-run stuff. Are you thinking of 'hard rock cider' or something else? Some kind of rock cider rings a bell though...

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It's called "Rock Creek Premium Draft Cider". Seen it in lots of places in Vancouver. No where else so far. Made with apples form the Okanagan.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/391/2053/

We get Big Rock beer like Grasshopper and Jack Rabitt here, not too bad I must say. Storm Brewing in Newfoundland produces some great micro brewed beer such as Killock Ale. Irish Red, and Coffee Porter. Quidi Vidi brewery (another micro brewery) makes a deadly Honey Brown. Most of the younger crowd here goes for the BMC beers.

BlightyBrewer said:

Unfortunately the crappy beer market (Bud, Coors, Millar, Fosters, Carling, John Smiths Smoothflow (blech! I really hate the last one!) etc..), driven by the big corporation brewers, is growing stronger and stronger.

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That's why the Reinheisgebot (purity law) is so important for Germany. It makes the german marked unattractive to these beer giants since it is more expensive to brew according to the RHG. But even with the RHG the German (mass marked) beers tend to become more and more similar and designed to the taste of the masses.

Kai

There is one Brewery in my town (called "The Brewery" hows that for original?) But home brewing is a pretty popular hobby, cos we grew out of xxxx

Too bad they had to give up that law when they joined the EU.

quote=Kai]That's why the Reinheisgebot (purity law) is so important for Germany. It makes the german marked unattractive to these beer giants since it is more expensive to brew according to the RHG. But even with the RHG the German (mass marked) beers tend to become more and more similar and designed to the taste of the masses.



Kai[/quote]