Not my usual pub, but worth a shout.

Do you have your email in profile! (On phone at moment)

I ask, as I could mention you chaps to the chaps there…..!

Gotta love craft beers both US & UK.

Current fav brewery is The Kernel. If you get the chance to try one of their beers then do.

Also Magic Rock Brewery are the best new brewery of 2011 for my money.

Not sure on the Brew Dog marketing but its got them in to the supermarkets helping to introduce more people to the range of UK beers rather than the standard offering. Yes there are a lot of better UK brewers out there like Thornbridge, Marble, Darkstar (my local one) Magic Rock, The Kernel, Brodies, Redemption etc etc but they are doing all right for themselves so must be doing something right. Beers are like bikes in that not everyone is going to be in to the same thing.

I think the thing i don’t like about CAMRA is their closed mindedness to new ideas. They need to realise that there is so much more to UK beer than a pint of Mild!

Thats my 2p’s worth. Now, which beer to have next 😛

Yes Email In Profile

The point about Camra is they need to evolve from the stereotypical image portrayed before to a much ‘younger’ one .
Go to enough beer festivals and you will see exactly what i mean . Thing is they do actually do a good job promoting Uk micro’s and supporting local pubs .
Unless they loose the dinosaur image and aim at a much wider cross section of the population then membership will fall off and influence will decline.

Singletrackmind – ever heard of CAMRGB? What do you make of them?

I like real ale. Didn’t reckon much to BrewDog in the past but picked up some Punk IPA on the cheap and it’s not bad, so I’ve changed my mind a little bit. Overpriced at full price though.

Can anyone recommend a good online retailer for trying some of the Stuff that’s been mentioned in this thread? I do like my local stuff, but fancy trying some English ale.

vorlich – I’ve used Beers of Europe in the past, and they seem ok:

http://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/acatalog/

As to the Camra thing, there’s nothing wrong with them as such, but as others have mentioned, they do attract a certain ‘type’ of folk. They did wonders for proper beer in the 70’s and 80’s and still do so now, so that can only be a good thing.

They aren’t the be all and end all of beer in the UK though, as Brew Dog and other breweries have shown.

I remember going to a local Camra meeting a couple of years back in which one prominent local brewer spent the whole time bad mouthing another smaller local brewery, and not for any other reason except that they were competitors. The local Camra branch seemed to be on his side too… 🙄

I also take the Good Beer Guide with a pinch of salt too, they seem to include some awful pubs, whilst ignoring some better pubs in the same area. The branch members put in their ‘favourite’ pubs I guess, even if they aren’t that good to non-regulars.

This ‘closed shop’ mentality doesn’t do Camra any favours I reckon.

(Or the woolly jumpers). 😉

bigsi – try and get some Kernel now if you can, they’re not going to be brewing for a while due to relocation. Love the IPA.

the thing i don’t like about CAMRA is their closed mindedness to new ideas. They need to realise that there is so much more to UK beer than a pint of Mild!

Hmm.. maybe it’s cos I’m in the north but there isn’t much mild drunk round here!

My local (The Boathouse in Wylam) is the Regional Pub of the Year. It has 15 hand pulls, with the selection changed every other week, and fairly frequent beer festivals and events. Scottish and Northern England breweries are very well represented, mild isn’t!

North East CAMRA: http://www.cannybevvy.co.uk/

GrahamS – The Boathouse is a great little pub, not been for a while though. Camped at a little campsite a bout a mile up the road when I rode Hadrian’s wall, it was ace.

I do like a nice pint of mild though, like Moorhouses Black Cat. Magic.

Aye, it’s a cracker.

The Black Bull just up the road in the main village is great too.
Both CAMRA recognised/recommended pubs.

GlitterGary – not had a proper look yet, but that looks pretty comprehensive. Cheers!

All things being equal, I will be going to the Quantum brewery in Stockport tonight. Apparently there is a bit of an event this evening. well, they said on Twitter that it was the end of brew-day, and to join them for a pint. Sounds like a good offer to me. 🙂

Was in Font last night and had a pint of Hard Knott’s Cool Fusion, nice little ginger flavour in the ale.

Mmmmmmm beer.

#CAMRGB all the way.