The 'going out' culture

[BootCross]

So I'm curious. For so long there has been this culture of going out and getting smashed out of your brains with no regard for anyone, including yourself. This isn't aimed towards anyone in particular, especially anyone here. A friend of mine said, "craft ales are the other side of wine tasting." He said that it's more about the taste than it is getting smashed. This is a concept I can get behind.

What I want to know is, what do you guys think of this stigma that has been attached to drinking alcohol for so long? Granted, it may have changed in recent times, but what can we do to change it?

[NickDavies]

Do you mean the town centre/weekend nights/vertical drinking culture - that's only evolved - and I suspect is now unevolving - over the last twenty years or so.

[BootCross]

Yeah, exactly that. I'd love to drink ale without being looked at as a drunk (I should point out that my culture and the area I live in aren't the most accommodating of the 'drinking' lifestyle). It's why I've resorted to drinking from home and ordering online. It's not the same, but the plus side is that I've discovered a bunch of ales I probably wouldn't have if I was at my local.

[Al 10000]

Yeah, exactly that. I'd love to drink ale without being looked at as a drunk . It's why I've resorted to drinking from home and ordering online..

So you are now not doing what you state you like to do,that is go out and have a few pints,i would not bother what other people think about you.

I go out on a regular basis and go in 21 or 22 different pubs i am not bothered what people think of me,if i go out with my wife to the local Spoons we will drink plenty of beer during an evening and my wife always ends up on a double brandy,we dont give a *oss if other people are watching our drinking it is up to us what we do when in a pub as long as we dont get too *issed.

Go out to a pub and have a few drinks you might meet some interesting people and even make new friends.

[Alesonly]

So you are now not doing what you state you like to do,that is go out and have a few pints,i would not bother what other people think about you.

I go out on a regular basis and go in 21 or 22 different pubs i am not bothered what people think of me,if i go out with my wife to the local Spoons we will drink plenty of beer during an evening and my wife always ends up on a double brandy,we dont give a *oss if other people are watching our drinking it is up to us what we do when in a pub as long as we dont get too *issed.

Go out to a pub and have a few drinks you might meet some interesting people and even make new friends.

With you on that one. I had a good few last night in three different spoons I dont go out to get rats but like a good few ale sod what others think at nearly 60 Im past caring what others may think. Only time I tend too avoid spoons is Fri & Sat nights because its packed with yobs and Sunday lunch times till mid evenings because family's & kids.

[sheffield hatter]

Yeah, exactly that. I'd love to drink ale without being looked at as a drunk (I should point out that my culture and the area I live in aren't the most accommodating of the 'drinking' lifestyle). It's why I've resorted to drinking from home and ordering online. It's not the same, but the plus side is that I've discovered a bunch of ales I probably wouldn't have if I was at my local.

Do people in pubs really look down on ale drinkers as drunks? Not in my experience.

I agree with Alesonly and Al 11000. Just do what you want to do and never mind what other people might be thinking.

[Strongers]

Go out while you can! I have two young kids so often end up having a few beers at home with the wife. We haven't been out since Christmas and I can't remember the last time we went out out.

If you get a bit paranoid about people thinking you drink too much maybe you should try having a few beers out of your area. Maybe stay in your area but drink in a few different pubs.

[Mobyduck]

Yeah, exactly that. I'd love to drink ale without being looked at as a drunk (I should point out that my culture and the area I live in aren't the most accommodating of the 'drinking' lifestyle). It's why I've resorted to drinking from home and ordering online. It's not the same, but the plus side is that I've discovered a bunch of ales I probably wouldn't have if I was at my local.

If your personal circumstances allow, why not try taking a trip out some
where away from your area once a week or month, try some new pubs and hopefully new breweries, Its so much better getting out and about discovering new pubs/ales and indeed people, although I have been known to drink like a fish on occasion (sometimes quite true,) I rarely drink at home, it doesn't interest me and I'd rather have a cup of tea. Pubs rule for me,but of course at a cost.

[AlanH]

A friend of mine said, "craft ales are the other side of wine tasting." He said that it's more about the taste than it is getting smashed. This is a concept I can get behind.

This is what most Real Ale drinkers on this site have been doing for years before the word "craft" was the latest buzz word. That is drinking Real Ale to appreciate the taste. Craft can be Real Ale or keg! If a craft keg can be a decent drink, just think how good it could be if it was served in a natural unprocessed Real Ale state.

[Mobyduck]

This is what most Real Ale drinkers on this site have been doing for years before the word "craft" was the latest buzz word. That is drinking Real Ale to appreciate the taste. Craft can be Real Ale or keg! If a craft keg can be a decent drink, just think how good it could be if it was served in a natural unprocessed Real Ale state.

At a sensible price.

[Delboy20]

Do people in pubs really look down on ale drinkers as drunks? Not in my experience.

I agree with Alesonly and Al 11000. Just do what you want to do and never mind what other people might be thinking.

Couldn't agree more ... You have to get out there...

I don't really drink at home that often, I would much rather go to the pub. Its a social thing.

Do what you want and sod them all.

BE A SALMON !!!!!

[london calling]

I like to try craft beer (therefore I must be sophisticated) but have never noticed or thought that people look down on me as a drinker.I find that people tend to be quite friendly towards me even though I may have been drinking.I don't think binge drinking really applies to older drinkers even when that is in essence what we do. Just look at that picture of the 3 amigos in York.Frightning !!!

[trainman]

Seems like a troll thread to me...

[Strongers]

Seems like a troll thread to me...

Do trolls drink cask ale?

[NickDavies]

Seems like a troll thread to me...

The way I read it the question is aimed at the opprobrium heaped, with some justification, on the "late night economy" which has ruined town centres for more mature drinkers on weekend evenings, and that those going to the pub in the same way that they did twenty or thirty years ago are tarred with the same brush.

[bcfczuluarmy]

Get on the bombs and sourz. Job jobbed.

[PaddyMick]

I'm fine until I stop drinking beer, any beer, and hit the whisky.

Regarding Real Ale being Craft etc: meh. I don't like either term. I prefer to call them what they are: Cask and Keg. Anyting else is just marketing, either by CAMRA or by hipsters.

Totally agree 'craft' keg beer is overpriced.

[Aqualung]

Totally agree 'craft' keg beer is overpriced.

Not if you go here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/82432/) it isn't. All Red Squirrel cask or keg were £2.25 a pint last November. Even Spoons are a lot more expensive for their two "craft" keg offerings.

[PaddyMick]

Not if you go here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/82432/) it isn't. All Red Squirrel cask or keg were £2.25 a pint last November. Even Spoons are a lot more expensive for their two "craft" keg offerings.

That's cool. I'd be interested to know how much they are being charged for a keg and what their margins are. Could it have been a one off promo?

I'd also love to ask some 'craft' brewers to justify their prices. Maybe it's the pubs that are adding the premium because they can, or maybe it's the brewer charging the pub too much. More than likely a bit of both.

[PaddyMick]

Ah i see that place is owned by Red Squirrel. Still, good of them to do it at those prices.

[Aqualung]

Ah i see that place is owned by Red Squirrel. Still, good of them to do it at those prices.

The bloke behind the bar told me that it costs them NOTHING more to do keg than it does cask. It's one big gravy train.

[PaddyMick]

That's interesting. Means there is potentially a huge gap in the market for affordable 'craft' keg beer in pubs.

[london calling]

That's interesting. Means there is potentially a huge gap in the market for affordable 'craft' keg beer in pubs.

If you are happy making the same profit pound wise not percentage wise as you make on cask beers there may be huge market for craft keg beers.Only downside is you have to attract the hipsters who drink it. cheers

[Mobyduck]

Totally agree 'craft' keg beer is overpriced.
Yes when I saw a beer I personally like in it s natural form,(cask), normally around £3.60 ish , offered as keg here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23382/) at £ 5.20/pint, Darkstar Hophead 3.8% ,you have to wonder who is actually taking the piss?

[PaddyMick]

Playing devil's advocate here I imagine the reasoning from a craft brewer going something like this:

'We have a much better product than mass produced keg lager. We don't have the ecomonies of scale because we are small. We put more time and effort into brewing and use better quality ingredients than the big boys. Customers are willing to pay for quality'

Problem with this argument is that cask ale brewers can make the same argument. So why is 'craft' more expensive? Marketing and trends, and gullible punters!

[Aqualung]

Playing devil's advocate here I imagine the reasoning from a craft brewer going something like this:

'We have a much better product than mass produced keg lager. We don't have the ecomonies of scale because we are small. We put more time and effort into brewing and use better quality ingredients than the big boys. Customers are willing to pay for quality'



And that argument doesn't stand up as if they brew less than 5,000 hectolitres a year they only have to pay half the duty.



So why is 'craft' more expensive? Marketing and trends, and gullible punters!

And that argument hits the nail on the head!!!

[Mobyduck]

Gullible punters I suspect (and I fall into this category) just for research you understand.

[london calling]

The bloke behind the bar told me that it costs them NOTHING more to do keg than it does cask. It's one big gravy train.
I think its the pubs that are ripping us off not the brewers.

[Aqualung]

I think its the pubs that are ripping us off not the brewers.

Probably mostly so, I agree.

[london calling]

Yes when I saw a beer I personally like in it s natural form,(cask), normally around £3.60 ish , offered as keg here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23382/) at £ 5.80/pint, Darkstar Hophead 3.8% ,you have to wonder who is actually taking the piss?
Yes, a very expensive pub indeed.They had a beer on from Bearhug brewery about 5.0 at £7.00 a pint.I questioned the female manager why it was so expensive and she said it comes all the way from America.I told her to google it but she refused as she knew it was American.Its a new London brewer.One nil to me. cheers

[london calling]

Gulible punters probably. I met a friend at Craft beer 100 who tweeted last week that he had a pint of Orbit(newish London brewer)-lager.£5.50 keg in the Kings Arms se1.Reasonable price for central London he added.He refused to see my point that that was expensive for a beer that was brewed 2 miles away.

[london calling]

Playing devil's advocate here I imagine the reasoning from a craft brewer going something like this:

'We have a much better product than mass produced keg lager. We don't have the ecomonies of scale because we are small. We put more time and effort into brewing and use better quality ingredients than the big boys. Customers are willing to pay for quality'

Problem with this argument is that cask ale brewers can make the same argument. So why is 'craft' more expensive? Marketing and trends, and gullible punters!

Marketing doesn't come into it.Breweries such as Kernal have never picked up a phone to sell beer.Word of mouth sells good beer.cheers

[Aqualung]

Yes, a very expensive pub indeed.They had a beer on from Bearhug brewery about 5.0 at £7.00 a pint.I questioned the female manager why it was so expensive and she said it comes all the way from America.I told her to google it but she refused as she knew it was American.Its a new London brewer.One nil to me. cheers

And people think it's odd that I rarely drink in Central London! When I last went there I stuck to a few Spoons with 50p vouchers plus 20p off for Cheapskate Monday and a reduction for the London Beer Festival so I didn't get fleeced at all. Nice beer as well!

[london calling]

And people think it's odd that I rarely drink in Central London! When I last went there I stuck to a few Spoons with 50p vouchers plus 20p off for Cheapskate Monday and a reduction for the London Beer Festival so I didn't get fleeced at all. Nice beer as well!
Maybe us older drinkers have a different prospective on prices.While I sometimes pay a lot of money for a beer it will be something I really want and have heard its good.(doesn't always work).I have seen beer prices rise from 9p (pre-decimal )to over £4 now.To pay £4 you want a good beer not something boring and brown.You may think from the beers I post each week I use the scattergun approach but I walk past loads of poor brewers beers before I pick the one I want.

[PaddyMick]

Marketing doesn't come into it.Breweries such as Kernal have never picked up a phone to sell beer.Word of mouth sells good beer.cheers

Yeah your probably right, although they are probably all over free marketing on social media. The word i'm looking for is hype - it gets created one way or another. Also when you put a high price on beer, i'd say that's a form of marketing in itself. It's saying 'look how good my beer is, I have to charge a premium'.

[Aqualung]

Yeah your probably right, although they are probably all over free marketing on social media. The word i'm looking for is hype - it gets created one way or another. Also when you put a high price on beer, i'd say that's a form of marketing in itself. It's saying 'look how good my beer is, I have to charge a premium'.

Wifebeater ran a whole ad campaign along these lines, "Reassuringly Expensive" and the muppets all fell for it!!

[Mobyduck]

End of the day, they sell their beer and make a profit, what we or anyone else thinks is bye the bye, unfortunately.