Unpopular opinions
I've been reading beer blogs and brewery websites for a while now and I have five opinions about beer and pubs that for some reason do not seem to be widely shared:
The question of silly beer names is of sufficient importance to deserve its own upcoming post.
- Women are not going to start drinking beer just because you put a pink label on a bottle of mediocre lager or serve it in a flowery glass.
- The Nonic pint glass is a great design.
- Great beer is well worth £3 a pint.
- Bad beer, or competently made but nonetheless dull beer, is not worth £3 a pint.
- If you run a pub, charging people for tap water makes you look like a tightwad no matter how justifiable it is.
The question of silly beer names is of sufficient importance to deserve its own upcoming post.
1. People like Ally have been saying this regularly.
ReplyDelete2. From a drinkers' point of view? Really? Why?
3. I'm definitely on board for that one, and I's say the likes of Knut Albert would be too.
4. I can't of anyone who's said otherwise. Reference?
5. As 4.
I didn't expect to find prior art for four out of five so quickly! But am I really the only Nonic fan?
ReplyDelete1. Excellent article which I missed at the time. Every other discussion seemed to finish with a perceived need for stylish glassware. I have no objection to stylish glassware, but I believe this argument is a red herring. It's very good to see women who already drink beer criticising marketers who most probably don't even drink beer. I fear that neither group is going to get any real benefit from this exchange, though.
2. It's well proportioned, it has curves, it sits well in the hand. Like a pair of jeans, it still looks good when it gets old and worn. It looks good whether filled with pale lager, copper ale or black stout. I don't like the half pint version though; the proportions are all wrong.
3. Just thought it needed saying as corollary to #4.
4. cf. any comments section of the Publican or Morning Advertiser for landlords bemoaning the state of their business. Bet many of them sell Abbot Ale or Courage Best or something equally tedious, day in, day out. By choice.
5. Sure this came up on some landlord's blog at some point, but I can't find the place now.
More of my poorly researched assertions to follow.
£3 a pint? You're having a laugh. get down the Spoons, matey.
ReplyDeleteCooking Lager, I have no bone to pick with the quality of Spoons' beer, but dislike drinking in places that smell of old chip fat. I do sometimes pop into one for ticking purposes or if I'm thirsty and fancy a quick, cheap pint. On balance I think Spoons are far better than any other pubco though; they do things that free houses can't do and other pubcos won't do, like bring the head brewer of Heineken over to make a special real ale for a festival.
ReplyDeleteI like Nonics too - the sit in the hand factor being a particular advantage. But I'm not a fan of the conical glasses that many pubs and beer festivals seem to think are the best thing for cask beer. And as for pint goblets for Stella...
ReplyDelete