I guess that the problem is that they will mostly be in the more populated areas such as the Midland Valley, and when you get to the more interesting regions where the pubs are more than a half hour drive apart there is less inclination to keep a product with a limited lifetime. One safe alternative is bottle conditioned real ales.
Iâm a lager drinkerâŚno shame to my mind but please donât flame me!
I also like most Belgian, German (Wheat & normal light coloured), Austrian and Czech beers when I am in those countries. I stopped drinking bitter beer years ago (as we used to call it) but occasionally try the occasional locally brewed real ale if it is pale looking or âblondeâ enough. I tried Boddingtonâs a few times being a Lancastrian where it was widely sold, horrid stuff. I enjoyed Thwaites as it was - they now brew Wainwright and I have been know to drink that also, draught and bottled. My first pint of beer a mild, around 1968 was 1s 4d - equivalent to about 7p I believe nowâŚ
Off Topic:
PS Been more of a red wine drinker since about 2000, have a glass a day and more when I am away on holiday enjoying myself. I source it from one of the cheap supermarkets and rarely pay more than ÂŁ4 a bottle, tending to favour two specific reds I like.
Sorry Phil, Wainwright is brewed by Marstons in Burton/ Wolverhampton these days which annoys me as a Thwaites ('twaites) shareholder, as are products from Jennings and Ringwood breweries to name just a couple.
As for the so called Deutsches Rheinheitsgebot or German Purity law, itâs my understanding that it hasnât been law since 1983 or 87 but some breweries still adhere to it for the âsnob valueâ. This is making me want to book another trip to my favourite beer mecca ⌠BAMBERG !!
Well, as they used to say, âdifferent strokes for different folksâ. There is no obligation to drink anything you donât like.
There was a time when âsmall beerâ was the normal drink of both lords and peasants, the brewing process killed bacteria and it was far safer to drink the small beer than fresh water at a time when there was no understanding of hygiene!
I think itâs more about keeping customers, rather than snob value Steve! If a German heard a brewery was no longer conforming to the Rheinheitsgebot at the least the breweryâs products would no longer be bought in Germany. I believe the ruling in the eighties was an EU ruling of some kind, to allow the import of beers from other European countries (aka âthe chemical beersâ). I know of no Bavarian brewery that doesnât still conform to the rules. I believe the northern breweries also still conform, but canât state that for sure.
Well, the Reinheitsgebot was originally meant to save rye and wheat for the bakers, and barley was left for brewing. Also, poisonous plants were not to be used any more to spice the beer. So far, so good. Sometimes it was law, sometimes not. Its rules still apply to bottom-fermentation beers, while top-fermented beers can now be made using other malts, sugars, and hop extracts. The rules in Germany are, however, still more restrictive than elsewhere, but brewers may apply for exemptions.
Brewing beer according to the old purity order seems to imply trustworthiness, but it has also restricted the available choice. Supermarkets often only sell a few locally popular varieties of beer. Restaurants and inns often only serve Pils from the tap. For variety, you need to travel, but quality on the whole is fine. Still, I remember an awfully sour Dunkel (probably from dirty pipes) served in a restaurant atop a summit that has in the meantime been struck from the SOTA list (not because of the beer, but for lack of prominence).
73, Jan-Martin
PS: I have also seen beer warmers in Saxony and Brandenburg, but mostly in more old-fashioned inns.
That reminds me of something I havenât seen done since I was a kid - mulled ale. You added nutmeg or cinnamon to the beer then plunged a red-hot poker into it to warm it through. Mulled wine has become popular, some pubs have the heater for it installed on the bar, but I have seen no mention of mulled ale outside of old literature - anyone encountered it recently?
My local Aldi is currently selling a brew from Wychwood labelled Dunkel Fester - not bottle conditioned, but at ÂŁ1.25 for a 500ml bottle I am not complaining - quite palatable.
Jim
Just spotted news of this special activation callsign:
DG500BIER - the call used to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Bavarian Purity Law, this law regulates the beer production. Operation until end 2016. QSL via bureau or via DL8NBM direct
I think you are onto something here. Your sense of taste does vary depending on your recent activities. If you have lost a lot of fluid through physical exertion, everything you eat and drink tastes different. I used to play squash (for about 30 years) and after an hour of that, even very salty electrolyte replacement drinks tasted sweet. So with that I could suggest that your activity level has a huge impact on how you taste various food and drink.
I wonât horrify the UK readers with the details but on my visit to the uk this year I did enjoy a pint of various liquids at the end of each day. Very enjoyable and the variety was appreciated.
That is true - but I was never into ball games of any kind. My sport was rock climbing, and after a long day on the hill and an aggregate of several hundred feet of ropework, our first stop was the pub! I donât know if it tasted different, but the first pint went down in one! No concern for records, I think it was usually about eight seconds, but it certainly never touched the sides! The second pint was for enjoymentâŚ
It doesnât seem to be like that now, the youngsters in the climbing club are terribly serious about it and train religiously. I suspect that the carefree days have gone, and they even drink alco-pops (shudder!) but its their scene, now!
Nope, actually its still good beer. That stuff is for the wazzocks !
Most are also keeping to strict fitness diets, which tends to restrict their freedom to drink themselves silly. Its too easy to pile on the pounds with these modern office jobs !
Well, thatâs my attitude, too, but you have to give some respect to people that lead middle extremely severe routes even if of an evening they suck strange blue fluids out of a bottle!
Ball games arenât the only way to develop a thirst and lose electrolytes. Walking up a hill for an hour or so is bound to change your sense of taste for drinks and foodâŚ
Same here Brian and it was the more of the same when I took up pot holing. With both activities there was an urge to re-hydrate as fast as possible - I am sure a pint of water would have been better had the thought crossed our minds!
I am sure that relative to earnings, beer in pubs was cheaper 40 - 50 years ago. I certainly managed to buy enough on very little money. The cost, combined with the drink-drive laws and the improvement in bottled ales, it is little wonder that drinking at home is on the rise.
I rowed; usually ending early afternoon. With the possibility of study later beer was ill-advised and we drank several pints of lemon and lime before going our separate ways.
For SOTA I usually tank up before leaving the car and again when I get back. A pint (or two) then goes down really well a bit later. Usually a local bottled ale unless the pub is within walking distance. Dark Knight was a new discovery at Elterwater.
