Craft beer

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Discussion

Rollin

Original Poster:

6,165 posts

251 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
quotequote all
I'm not keen on the escalation of pretentious names and daft designs on the can, but I bloody love several nice 2/3 pints of posh cloudy beer.

Just got back from another quick trip to some unassuming industrial units around Manchester for some supplies of Cloudwater and Seven Brothers.

I'm not particularly anoraky about how they're made or what goes in them, but current favourites from extensive tasting whilst out and about in Manchester are...

Seven Brothers IPA
Salt Alpaca
Cloudwater Pale

Only problem is how quickly your brain goes as hazy as the beer when they are 6%+

What's your favourites?


Ultuous

2,249 posts

197 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
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Not usually a huge fan of all the flavoured stuff that tends to be Craft, but Hammerton Peanut Butter Crunch Stout is bloody terrific stuff!

Driver101

14,376 posts

127 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
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There is tons of great craft beers out there. With so much different types there really is something for everyone.

I'm still not sure why so many people have such a dislike of craft beer market and companies.

Edited by Driver101 on Saturday 9th November 17:13

darren9

986 posts

201 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
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I like Docks Beers. They're a small craft brewery based in an old church in Grimsby.

anonymous-user

60 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
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I drink a lot of craft beer, for quality and taste, and a wide variety. My favorites currently are

Big milk stout - 7.5% rich chocolate taste, like liquid velvet

Black Sheep Pineapple Milkshake IPA Yorkshire - sounds horrible but is bloody tasty

Hazy Daze - summer ale, sweet and reminds of the summer, grass and hay.

Pistonheads Amber - lovely taste, rich and a session drink

Einstok Iceland - refreshing reminds me of pure water , clean tasting

Wild Beer Co Millionaire Somerset - rich and luxorious

Tiny Rebel Cwtch Wales - tasty red ale, no bitterness.

Union Unfiltered Lager Germany - old skool full flavour lager how all lagers should taste.

Peanut butter milkstout - Lovely

I think tribute is bloody lovely, not a craft though.

Spend too much considering most are 2-3 quid a can.

Rollin

Original Poster:

6,165 posts

251 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
quotequote all
Yup, can be expensive. 6 cans of Cloudwater was about £25!


shirt

23,356 posts

207 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
quotequote all
Driver101 said:
There is tons of great craft beers out there. With so much different types there really is something for everyone.

I'm still not sure why so many people have such a dislike of craft beer market and companies.

Edited by Driver101 on Saturday 9th November 17:13
I think it’s the name itself, which is American in origin whereas for most nations it’s simply proper beer (or ale, stout etc). Also seems to upset the camra lot due to the range of non traditional ingredients and styles, but that’s their problem.

The term ‘craft beers slightly irks me, but as it means you can get a decent pint pretty much anywhere these days I can more than live with it.


Driver101

14,376 posts

127 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
quotequote all
shirt said:
I think it’s the name itself, which is American in origin whereas for most nations it’s simply proper beer (or ale, stout etc). Also seems to upset the camra lot due to the range of non traditional ingredients and styles, but that’s their problem.

The term ‘craft beers slightly irks me, but as it means you can get a decent pint pretty much anywhere these days I can more than live with it.
CAMRA will catch up soon. They have to reform or die off. 73% voted to include craft beer in their remit. They still lost the vote.

Most CAMRA members only sign up for the Wetherspoons discounts.


The term craft beer is used too loosely. The definition keeps changing as the small breweries get bigger and bigger.

There's also a lot of the big players just adding craft to any old beer.

Driver101

14,376 posts

127 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
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Here's my dessert for tonight. Lovely stuff.


Sy1441

1,168 posts

166 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
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I love Beavertown Gamma Ray.

Driver101

14,376 posts

127 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
quotequote all
Sy1441 said:
I love Beavertown Gamma Ray.
Beavertown make some really good beers. People are curious to what happens since they've sold 49% of the company to Heineken.

People are predicting a full takeover and the quality to suffer.


cml24

1,443 posts

153 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
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What is the definition of craft beer?

How is it different to say, Robinson's that I grew up drinking? They make short runs of interesting beers now, does that count?

I'm a bit confused where the boundary between normal beer and craft is. I guess it doesn't matter though, I like it all mostly. (Apart from sour beers... Yuck)

Driver101

14,376 posts

127 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
quotequote all
cml24 said:
What is the definition of craft beer?

How is it different to say, Robinson's that I grew up drinking? They make short runs of interesting beers now, does that count?

I'm a bit confused where the boundary between normal beer and craft is. I guess it doesn't matter though, I like it all mostly. (Apart from sour beers... Yuck)
Everyone's definition is different. It changes all the time and used to have the terms about the size of the brewery and volume of beer. A lot of the small breweries have expanded past the limit and the limit was raised.

You've not had a good sour then. laugh They are an acquired taste. The good ones are a bit pricey.

peter tdci

1,812 posts

156 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
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cml24 said:
What is the definition of craft beer?
There isn't one, it's a marketing term.

I've been to two or three events hosted by the Brewhouse and Kitchen showcasing some small 'craft' beweries and I asked their reps the same question - there wasn't a convincing answer.

hacksaw

762 posts

123 months

Saturday 9th November 2019
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Rather enjoy a cloud water myself

ninepoint2

3,481 posts

166 months

Sunday 10th November 2019
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I really love this one..very nice

https://lagunitas.com/beer/IPA

C70R

17,596 posts

110 months

Sunday 10th November 2019
quotequote all
I've become a bit of a craft beer nause since two excellent indie taprooms with regularly rotating stock opened up near me in SW London. Quite often find myself heading there with friends, as opposed to the traditional boozers.

I'd recommend downloading the Untappd app. It helps keep track of what you have previously had (if, like me, you're always looking for something new), and can help predict whether you're likely to enjoy something before you drop £8+ on a can.

I've logged a few hundred beers on there (mainly heavy, hoppy, cloudy, DIPAs), and my 2019 highlights so far have been:
- Fruit, Car, Sight, Exhibition, by Verdant
- Double Dry Hopped Double Mosaic Dream, by Other Half
- Tremendous Ideas, by Cloudwater
- Chinook Mosaic Double IPA, by Polly's Brew Co.
- People Do Odd Things, by Verdant
- The Strongest of the Strange, by Verdant
- Three's Company, by Cloudwater
- Hop City DDH IPA, by Northern Monk
- THAT CHIHUAHUA, by Garage Beer Co.
- Is There Music In Your Dreams?, by Wylam

If you like your beer in the same style as I do, I'd recommend seeking out beers from Verdant, Cloudwater and Northern Monk (among others). All of those should be readily available in good UK taprooms, and they seem to be releasing nothing but great beer of late.

Jonny_

4,283 posts

213 months

Sunday 10th November 2019
quotequote all
I do enjoy a craft beer. How has it taken this long for a craft beer thread to appear?!

Popped in to the House of the Trembling Madness in York today, and picked up a selection to keep me ticking over for the next few weeks:



The variety on offer at present is incredible, and with all the small batch/limited edition/collab stuff being produced you could drink 5 different beers a day and never have to repeat yourself. All bar one of those pictured are new to me, and I'm looking forward to sampling them all yum

Rollin

Original Poster:

6,165 posts

251 months

Sunday 10th November 2019
quotequote all
C70R said:
I've become a bit of a craft beer nause since two excellent indie taprooms with regularly rotating stock opened up near me in SW London. Quite often find myself heading there with friends, as opposed to the traditional boozers.

I'd recommend downloading the Untappd app. It helps keep track of what you have previously had (if, like me, you're always looking for something new), and can help predict whether you're likely to enjoy something before you drop £8+ on a can.

I've logged a few hundred beers on there (mainly heavy, hoppy, cloudy, DIPAs), and my 2019 highlights so far have been:
- Fruit, Car, Sight, Exhibition, by Verdant
- Double Dry Hopped Double Mosaic Dream, by Other Half
- Tremendous Ideas, by Cloudwater
- Chinook Mosaic Double IPA, by Polly's Brew Co.
- People Do Odd Things, by Verdant
- The Strongest of the Strange, by Verdant
- Three's Company, by Cloudwater
- Hop City DDH IPA, by Northern Monk
- THAT CHIHUAHUA, by Garage Beer Co.
- Is There Music In Your Dreams?, by Wylam

If you like your beer in the same style as I do, I'd recommend seeking out beers from Verdant, Cloudwater and Northern Monk (among others). All of those should be readily available in good UK taprooms, and they seem to be releasing nothing but great beer of late.
I have a couple of similar places about 300m from where I live. Dangerous.



FamousPheasant

619 posts

122 months

Sunday 10th November 2019
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Driver101 said:
Here's my dessert for tonight. Lovely stuff.

An excellent choice! Enjoyed a few of those.

Big fan of dark beer, orkney dark island being my go to since it's readily available and inexpensive.