Category: And what about the beer?

by Steve Renshaw

The number of young people regularly drinking in pubs has slumped over the last few years. A recent study of the drinking habits of 18 to 24-year-olds carried out by CAMRA shows the number visiting pubs at least once a week has fallen from 38% to 16% in the past seven years. This is particularly bad news for the future viability of pubs.

One of the things that enterprising publicans are doing to attract a younger clientele is to put on live music, whether it’s karaoke, open mic nights or paid performers. But, of course, musical entertainment in pubs is nothing new. From their early days, beer houses had provided entertainment of some sort, be it singing, gaming or sport.

Music hall evolved from sing-songs in pub. In the 1830s, landlords set aside back rooms in their pubs for ‘saloon concerts’. By the 1850s many inns had their own halls for simple theatre and concerts. Indeed, some public houses were demolished and music hall theatres were built in their place.

In the 1880s, George Palmer, landlord of the Brown Cow Inn on Broadgate, used a room on the first floor of his premises as an entertainment hall. For some time, variety artists, some of whom became top-of-the-bill stars, visited the city and appeared there. Among them was Dan Leeson, the big-booted dancer, who performed in footwear measuring 30 inches in length.

A few years later, the Brown Cow changed its name to the Unity Arms and, later, the Unity Hotel. The most recent name change came in 1982, when the Jolly Brewer came into existence.

And the story comes full circle in 2004 when landlady, Emma Chapman, took over. Part of her original business plan was to have occasional live music in the pub. This proved to be so popular that it has become a major feature. When the beer garden was developed in 2005, a stage was built to accommodate bigger gigs.

So, to complete my research, I joined a group of young CAMRA members in the Brewer for a Friday evening session. The first thing you notice is the colourful, Art-Deco-style décor. But the other striking feature was the number of young people enjoying the lively atmosphere. And this isn’t a nightclub-style venue with nowhere to sit down! In fact, it was CAMRA’s Lincolnshire Pub of the Year in 2011.

After a couple of pints, we drifted outside to check out the headline act. Despite the rain, the sizeable crowd was rocking along with Knock Out Kaine, described in the flyer as ‘the Kings of Cock Rock’. Winner of KERRANG!’s Best Unsigned Live Act 2007/08, the band has just released a debut album.

I managed to last a couple of numbers before retiring inside with ears bleeding. One more pint and I was off in search of a taxi, happy in the knowledge that plenty of young people in Lincoln are enjoying what a good pub has to offer. Just a pity there wasn’t a big-booted dancer on the bill!

And what about the beer? Emma is a great supporter of local breweries. In fact, three of the six real ales on offer that evening were brewed within 25 miles of Lincoln. I chose Mowbray’s Mash from the Oldershaw Brewery in Grantham which, at 3.7% ABV, is an ideal session ale. When I put my pint on one of the sparkly tables, reflected light danced in the clear, amber liquid. As always at the Brewer, the beer was in tip-top condition, and I found the balance of biscuity malt and hoppy bitterness really refreshing.

To find out more about the Campaign for Real Ale in Lincoln, visit www.lincolncamra.org.uk

by Steve Renshaw

This month, I’m off to Newark to visit the pub that has beaten our own Strugglers Inn to be named CAMRA’s East Midlands Pub of the Year. And Just Beer isn’t an ordinary pub – it’s a micropub!

Most beer drinkers are familiar with the idea of a microbrewery. The term has been used since the late 1970s to describe the new generation of small breweries which focus on producing traditional cask ale. But a micropub?

At CAMRA’s 2009 AGM in Eastbourne, we heard how the Licensing Act 2003 had made it easier to set up a new pub. Martyn Hillier had turned a former butcher’s shop in the Kent village of Herne into a tiny pub. The micropub formula that he developed involved converting an existing (small) premises, selling real ale with no lager whatsoever, and promoting lively chat with no music.

Former chairman of Newark CAMRA, Phil Ayling, who was in the audience that day, was inspired to have a go himself. He got together with three other enthusiasts to work on the project.

The search for suitable premises took them to the Swan and Salmon Yard, close to Newark Castle. The unit had originally been part of the stables of a nearby coaching inn. Following extensive building work, Just Beer opened its doors in August 2010. At 8.5 metres by 3.5 metres and with a limit of 57 customers at any one time, it’s one of the biggest of the micropubs that have sprung up across the country.

The aim of the four “tapsters” was to provide the best features of a traditional pub. They seek out beers from microbreweries across the country that are not normally found in the town, and also support local brewers. The beer is served in oversize glasses so you can be sure of getting a full pint. Tasting notes are provided and, if you’re not sure what to choose, they’ll give you a sample. There’s no TV or gaming machine so, in the confined space, lively conversations can develop.

On weekdays, four ales are available, with five or six at the weekend. There are no regular beers and there’s always a dark ale available. A board over the bar gives the number of different beers served since they opened; on the day I visited, the total stood at 1,310.

If you can’t find a beer you like, there’s traditional cider and a perry. The only other drinks are red or white wine, cola or water. You certainly won’t find any keg beers or trendy bottles.

When they first started, there was no food on offer, but they now have crisps and snacks for drinkers with the munchies. The platter of local cheese and biscuits looked very tempting.

Since Just Beer opened, business has built steadily. They’re now selling around 1,000 pints each week plus cider and perry, with relatively low overheads. And being voted one of the top sixteen pubs in the country can’t harm trade, can it?

And what about the beer? I couldn’t resist trying the latest brew from Project Venus, the occasional collaboration of brewsters (women brewers) from across the country. Sugar & Spice (4.6% ABV) was produced at Brentwood Brewing Company in Essex. It’s a pale gold colour and was fermented with honey and root ginger. I’m not usually a fan of beer with added ingredients, but this mix was very subtle. There was some early sweetness, and the hops and ginger combined to produce a wonderful aftertaste that stayed with me for most of the journey back to Lincoln.

To find out more about the Campaign for Real Ale in Lincoln, visit www.lincolncamra.org.uk

by Steve Renshaw

Last week, the 2013 edition of CAMRA’s best-selling “Good Beer Guide” was published. It features the 4,500 best real ale pubs in the UK, as selected and reviewed by CAMRA members. It also contains a unique Breweries Section that lists all the breweries – micro, regional and national – that produce real ale in the UK.

This edition is the 40th, and it’s interesting to look back at the first commercially-produced Guide that was published in 1974. Flicking through its pages, you get a real sense of the changes that have taken place in the pub and brewing industry.

The introduction highlighted two major developments that were threatening to kill off good ale once and for all. These were the large-scale promotion of characterless keg beers, and the transfer from traditional methods of serving draught beer to pumps using carbon dioxide pressure, which makes ale gassy and sickly. Concern was also expressed that six companies owned more than 60% of our pubs and that they had started to standardise beer. Large brewing factories were supplying beer for whole regions of the country, where once there were dozens of little breweries each producing ales of different strengths and flavours.

The list of brewers in the 1974 Guide has just over one hundred entries, with accompanying comments ranging from ‘Recommended’ to ‘Avoid at all costs’. Contrast that situation with the 2013 edition, with over 1,000 breweries and a bigger range of styles and flavours of ale than we have ever seen.

But, of course, everything in the current beer-drinker’s garden isn’t rosy. In 1974, there was no mention of pubs closing, whereas now, because of the triple squeeze of tax, the big pub companies and the supermarkets, we are now losing twelve a week across the UK.

Of the twenty-nine Lincolnshire pubs listed in the ’74 Guide, five were in Lincoln. But only one remains as a real-ale pub. The others are now a snack bar, a ladies’ clothes shop, a (closed) bar and an Indian restaurant. I wonder how many readers can name those four pubs. See below for the answers.

And the one that remains? The ’74 Guide describes The Still on Saltergate as an ‘authentic Victorian pub owned by local wine merchants, C.Pratt & Sons’. The real ale on offer was from Younger’s Brewery which, at the time, was part of the Scottish & Newcastle group. So how has The Still changed?

As I’m a newcomer to Lincoln, I didn’t know the pub in its heyday. It’s clear that the interior has been changed quite a lot. But there are some features that I’m guessing are original. In particular, when you enter you’re immediately confronted by the magnificent, curved bar that separates the two drinking areas. On the walls are photos, dating back to around 1900, showing the wine merchant’s premises stretching all along Saltergate to what is now Ann Summers.

The Still is now one of a number of Marston’s pubs in the area. Based in Wolverhampton, Marston’s is now one of the national real-ale producers; the group also includes Banks’s, Brakspear, Jennings, Ringwood and Wychwood Breweries.

And what about the beer? I chose a pint of Marston’s Burton Bitter (3.8% ABV). You find Pedigree in lots of places, but Burton Bitter is less common. In fact, it was a first for me. The temperature was just right and the beer was crystal-clear amber with a creamy head. The first taste was a bit watery but a really refreshing bitterness quickly came through. Certainly a beer I shall seek out again.

Here are the other 1974 pubs: British Rail Buffet; Roebuck; Crown & Anchor; Hare & Hounds.

by Wendy Margetts

At the same time as Olympic medals were being awarded, Britain’s best brewers were receiving gold, silver and bronze at another London venue. The Great British Beer Festival in Olympia saw the culmination of CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain competition for 2012.

Coniston Brewery’s ‘No.9 Barley Wine’ was crowned the Supreme Champion

Having previously been judged Champion Winter Beer of Britain, No.9 Barley Wine was placed ahead of the gold medal winners from the Bitters, Best Bitters, Strong Bitters, Golden Ales, Milds and Speciality categories. The 8.5% ABV ale was described by the judges as ‘having fantastic finesse, reminiscent of a fine cognac.’

Being a democratic organisation, CAMRA’s search for the best beers starts with a vote by individual members. From the ales produced in their region, they nominate their favourite in each category. These nominations are ranked and the top selections go forward to the regional competitions.

Regional winners in each category are selected by tasting panels at local CAMRA beer festivals. Category winners from each region go forward to the judging rounds at the Great British Beer Festival. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded in each category, and the winners go forward to the final round to decide the Supreme Champion.

At this year’s Lincoln Beer Festival, I was invited to join the panel of CAMRA members, local business owners and brewers who judged the beers entered in the East Midlands’ Mild category. The panel chairman briefed us on what we should be looking for, and we gathered round a table, pens and paper at the ready and jugs of water and wafer biscuits nearby to cleanse our palates between beers.

The beers were brought in one by one in unmarked jugs and we assessed the aroma, appearance and, most importantly, taste. As each jug was brought in, we filled our glasses, swirled the beer around and took a breath. Does the smell make us want to take a sip? Does it have an unfortunate chemical smell (One did!)? We made our notes and moved on.

Then we held our glasses to the light to check the clarity of our beer. Is it hazy? Does the beer meet our expectations as to how a mild should look? We scribbled more notes. Then came the most important part, as we savoured the flavour of the beer. Human taste is decided on the tongue, different areas deciding whether the taste is sweet or sour, salty or bitter. We needed a good taste of this beer! Again, notes were made and scores noted for each element we were judging the beers on.

The process was repeated for each mild, until we had a line of glasses in front of us all sampled and marked. Discussion followed to reach a decision. We all agreed on the beers we didn’t like and these were eliminated. Now the process got tricky. We tasted the three remaining beers again and compared them side by side. Finally, we came to a unanimous decision.

And what about the beer? The winning East Midlands’ Mild was Castle Rock Black Gold (3.8% ABV). This beer is attractive in the glass, dark and almost stout-like. It is a perfect example of a Dark Mild, with a lovely sweet caramel smell and taste which is soft and smooth, not too sweet and not too bitter. It was a clear favourite with the entire judging panel who kept coming back for more!

If you want to see the full list of gold medal winners in the 2012 Champion Beer of Britain competition, look out for the next edition of ImpAle, due out in September.

by Steve Renshaw

In the current edition of our magazine, ImpAle, the chairman of the Louth CAMRA branch reports that the Heneage Arms – you’ll have seen the imposing building on the sharp double bend at Hainton, on the road between Wragby and Louth – has been saved from closure by the locals. The pub currently opens on Friday and Saturday evenings, and is run entirely by volunteers from the Heanage Arms Community Group.

With the pub trade under greater pressure than ever before, more and more communities are realising how important their local is to village life, and are taking action to keep it open. This reminded me that we have a pub in our area that has been taken over by the local community.

The Cherry Tree, in the village of Cherry Willingham, is owned by Punch Taverns. In common with many pubs, it went through a period where different landlords failed to make a go of the business. Locals became frustrated by the lack of consistency so decided to do something about it.

In 2010, the community were given an opportunity to take over the running of The Tree as a village concern. There were two conditions that needed to be met: someone was needed to run the pub, and funds were required in order to take over the lease.

The community had to raise approximately £15,000 for the initial set up. A total of 43 people put their hands in their pockets to become “shareholders” in The Tree.

Two years on and I decided it was time to pay the pub another visit to see how the venture was progressing. The Tree is an archetypal 1960s estate pub which backs on to the village sports ground. There are two large rooms, one the main bar and the other a dining and function room.

Landlady, Barbara Mawer, worked behind the bar for over twenty years before agreeing to take on the role of licensee. She was keen to show me round the pub and it soon became clear that the shareholders had played a masterstroke when they asked her to take charge. She knows her customers and what they want – and she works hard to provide it.

The Tree has everything you’d expect from a community local. There are dominoes, darts and pools teams, support for sports clubs, meetings of various local groups, bingo nights, functions and private parties. Fund-raising events provide support for the local school and sports teams.

And it’s clear from the enthusiasm of Barbara and the locals I met that the pub is doing well. Profits are being ploughed back into the business, with new furniture and decoration. An indicator of the success is the Sunday carvery. When the cooperative took over, they had twenty to thirty customers but now they regularly cater for over fifty, and have had as many as ninety.

The Cherry Tree is a good example of how a standard pub leasing arrangement can provide a flexible and affordable solution for a community group to run a successful pub business. But the two factors that make it work are the locals who support the pub and a great landlady who is passionate about serving the community.

And what about the beer? Charles Wells Bombardier, a top-ten national cask ale brand, is the regular at The Tree. Last year, the ABV was reduced from 4.3% to 4.1%, making it a better prospect for a lunchtime. It’s burnished copper colour and has sultana fruit character with a gentle hop bitterness. Barbara clearly knows how to look after her beer as well as her customers.

Case studies of community-operated pubs can be found on the Pub is the Hub website.

by Steve Renshaw

It was exactly two weeks since the start of the Beer Festival and I had just about recovered – from my exertions, not the drinking. But I was beginning to panic because I couldn’t think of what to write about for this column.

And then I picked up the Echo (June 7, 2012) and I found my inspiration. It was only a small piece but it struck a number of chords. The Centurion in North Hykeham was serving an ale that is based on a recipe more than a hundred years old.

Firstly, it confirmed what we saw at the Festival – that today’s brewers are producing a fantastic variety of beers. Not only are they experimenting with different malts and hops to produce new brews, but they are also reviving old beer styles and long-forgotten recipes.

Mild is one of the traditional beer styles that is enjoying a revival in today’s real ale market. Usually dark brown in colour, it is less hopped than bitters and often has a chocolatey character with nutty and burnt flavours. Once sold in every pub, Mild experienced a catastrophic fall in popularity after the 1960s and was in danger of completely disappearing. However, in recent years the explosion of microbreweries has led to a renaissance, and an increasing number of Milds are now being brewed.

Porter was a London style that turned the brewing industry upside down early in the 18th century. It was a dark brown beer that was originally a blend of brown ale, pale ale and ‘stale’ or well-matured ale. The strongest versions of Porter were known as Stout Porter, reduced over the years to simply Stout. Restrictions on making roasted malts in Britain during World War One led to the demise of Porter and Stout. In recent years, smaller craft brewers in Britain have rekindled an interest in the style.

But it’s not just beer styles being revived, but also individual beers. The one in question is Archer’s Old Glory, which is based on a recently-discovered recipe dating back to 1895. Archers Brewery was a familiar landmark in Swindon but the company went into administration in 2009. The Archers brands were bought by Welsh brewery, Evan-Evans, which has produced Old Glory.

The other thing that struck me about this story is that it’s further evidence that real ale is now part of the mainstream within the pub trade. The Centurion isn’t what many would consider to be a typical real ale pub. It’s fairly modern, with contemporary furniture and a broad clientele. But one of the first things that strikes you when you walk in is the eight handpumps on the bar.

The Centurion is part of the Ember Inns group of family-friendly pub/restaurants. A quick look at their website reveals their commitment to real ale, with prominence given to their seasonal cask collections. Under their ‘Sip before you Sup’ scheme, they will let you try a beer before you buy it, to make sure you’ll enjoy it. And all their pubs are Cask Marque certified, so you can be confident about the quality of the beers.

The businessmen who run national chains such as Ember Inns wouldn’t put so much effort into promoting real ale if it wasn’t profitable. In fact, according to industry reports, it is the only part of the trade that isn’t currently in decline.

And what about the beer? Archer’s Old Glory (4.5% ABV) is marketed as a classic, premium English ale. It was a lovely chestnut colour and I found it quite sweet and spicy, with some bitterness. I have to say that I prefer the hoppiness of many of the modern-day recipes.

Pick up a free copy of the latest edition of our branch magazine, ImpAle, in your local pub.