711 breweries! (part 1)
Here's a fairly upbeat item from Channel 4 news. I find it hilarious that after all these years, journos still can't resist mentioning beards in any story about beer.
With 71 new start-ups in one year, you do start to wonder if this rate of growth can be maintained. I met one brewer recently who was quite pessimistic and thought the real ale market was at saturation point; yet on the other hand I keep hearing stories about micros who are doing very well indeed. I guess the ones who are in trouble tend to keep quiet about it in case their suppliers start demanding cash up front.
There is no doubt that craft beer is gaining ground. Real ale might be a different issue as the likes of BrewDog make in-roads with their chill filtered and carbonated offerings. But what ever, I think the future is bright for craft beer due to an expanding market.
ReplyDeleteI've heard several comments from friends that their friends (hipster student types) are getting into good beer too, so I agree that the market is expanding. It's also not limited to the traditional CAMRA milieu, indeed often it has no connection to that at all. I had two lads next to me at a gig the other night happily drinking seaweed porter. Unbelievable a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteBarm, you were at a gig where they sold something other than pishy corporate shite? *That* would be unbelievable up here in Glasgow.
ReplyDeletevittorio: if you go to gigs at Mono, Stereo or the 13th Note there is decent beer. You are right about bigger venues though.
ReplyDeleteoops. Barm, I didn't realise you were from Glasgow :) You're right actually, 13th note isdecent if you buy upstairs, but they don't always take the good beer downstairs and the bands prefer you to buy downstairs. Stereo - i've been to the bar many times but for some reason never to any of their gigs. Is it the same selection as upstairs? I was gutted when they stopped selling Grimbergen Dubbel cos I went in there especially for that. Still, when I did get some free bottles of it when they stopped restocking cos it had gone out of date. Mono again is pretty decent as you say, but not so many gigs there. Pivo Pivo is good to I suppose but normally when I'm there I'm playing, and driving, so don't get to partake in the beverages so much.
ReplyDeleteThe culprits I'd name are the big ones as you say (Academy, ABC, SECC etc) and some smaller ones, Tuts, Capitol, Box, Ivory Blacks etc. Barfly used to be AWFUL. Their beer tasted shite even for what it was. Their Worthingtons was disgusting.
Lets face it Glasgow is just generally awful for beer. Yeah there are a few beacons (Blackfriars, Bon Accord, Three Judges etc), but generally it's pretty dismal.
I don't go to gigs for the beer, so I've got used to it. I think it's more that Scotland in general is a beer desert thanks to the legacy of Tennent's and S&N, good riddance to the latter. It wasn't too bad for a while because at least you could get Deuchars in dozens of places, but since they've changed the recipe that's become undrinkable.
ReplyDelete