Wetherspoon's news of the day

[Aqualung]

I was dismayed to pick up a leaflet from the George in Wanstead today proclaiming "Craft Beers".

The beers were all bottled, which is ludicrous as several of their Locale and a few of their guest beers could quite easily be described as "Craft".

The beers on the leaflet were as follows :-

Goose Island IPA (355ml)
Coopers Pale Ale (355ml)
Brewdog Punk IPA (330ml)
Fuller's Organic Honey Dew (500ml)

The Fuller's and Brewdog beers are readily available at a supermarket near you and the Aussie beer is from a massive brewery in Australia.

I forgot to add that all these are just £2.99 each.

[Farway]

I was dismayed to pick up a leaflet from the George in Wanstead today proclaiming "Craft Beers".

The beers were all bottled, which is ludicrous as several of their Locale and a few of their guest beers could quite easily be described as "Craft".

The beers on the leaflet were as follows :-

Goose Island IPA (355ml)
Coopers Pale Ale (355ml)
Brewdog Punk IPA (330ml)
Fuller's Organic Honey Dew (500ml)

The Fuller's and Brewdog beers are readily available at a supermarket near you and the Aussie beer is from a massive brewery in Australia.

I forgot to add that all these are just £2.99 each.

Gosh, a real bargain, not

I have noticed a trend in them pushing bottled beers, not sure if just me, but of course many just love bottled beers, so who am I to question JDW commercial decisions, obviously works and profits flow in

[london calling]

I was dismayed to pick up a leaflet from the George in Wanstead today proclaiming "Craft Beers".

The beers were all bottled, which is ludicrous as several of their Locale and a few of their guest beers could quite easily be described as "Craft".

The beers on the leaflet were as follows :-

Goose Island IPA (355ml)
Coopers Pale Ale (355ml)
Brewdog Punk IPA (330ml)
Fuller's Organic Honey Dew (500ml)

The Fuller's and Brewdog beers are readily available at a supermarket near you and the Aussie beer is from a massive brewery in Australia.

I forgot to add that all these are just £2.99 each.

The first 3 beers would qualify as Craft to me and all 4 would qualify as bargains in any pub in London other than Wetherspoon,s.

[oldboots]

I was dismayed to pick up a leaflet from the George in Wanstead today proclaiming "Craft Beers".

The beers were all bottled, which is ludicrous as several of their Locale and a few of their guest beers could quite easily be described as "Craft".

The first 3 beers would qualify as Craft to me ....

Brilliant stuff guys; can we have an argument about WTF a craft beer is?

Spinko lad where art thou?

[NickDavies]

Brilliant stuff guys; can we have an argument about WTF a craft beer is?

As quoted widely now from http://petebrown.blogspot.co.uk/2013...-cask-ale.html, including in this month's Wot's Bruin:

"Awareness of ‘craft’ is not as widespread among consumers as it is in the industry. 77% of licensees are aware of craft beer, but only 37% of drinkers (this rises to 47% among cask ale drinkers). Those who are aware of it believe it denotes quality and is worth paying more for, and consider most cask ale to be ‘craft’."

Whatever those who coined the term meant it to mean, and whatever many CAMRA types think it means, Joe Public think it includes cask beer. When stuff like GK IPA is branded 'craft' it is surely time for the purists to throw in the towel and think of some other description for stuff that includes keykeg from two barrel plants but doesn't include 'boring brown bitter' from big corporates.

[Aqualung]

As quoted widely now from http://petebrown.blogspot.co.uk/2013...-cask-ale.html, including in this month's Wot's Bruin:

"Awareness of ‘craft’ is not as widespread among consumers as it is in the industry. 77% of licensees are aware of craft beer, but only 37% of drinkers (this rises to 47% among cask ale drinkers). Those who are aware of it believe it denotes quality and is worth paying more for, and consider most cask ale to be ‘craft’."

Whatever those who coined the term meant it to mean, and whatever many CAMRA types think it means, Joe Public think it includes cask beer. When stuff like GK IPA is branded 'craft' it is surely time for the purists to throw in the towel and think of some other description for stuff that includes keykeg from two barrel plants but doesn't include 'boring brown bitter' from big corporates.

I have to agree, "Craft" beer seems to be evolving into "normal" beer. A year ago a Black IPA would have been looked upon as a "Craft" beer, but now they seem to crop up everywhere, and a good thing too. If this trend continues then maybe in a few years time "boring brown bitter" will become a highly sought after drink and gain the "Craft" tag.

[Wittenden]

I have to agree, "Craft" beer seems to be evolving into "normal" beer. A year ago a Black IPA would have been looked upon as a "Craft" beer, but now they seem to crop up everywhere, and a good thing too. If this trend continues then maybe in a few years time "boring brown bitter" will become a highly sought after drink and gain the "Craft" tag.

What doesn't get mentioned in this "debate" is the fact that "craft beer" is very much a metropolitan phenomemon:the sort of country pubs that I frequent stock Harvey's Sussex Best, Old Dairy beers,or maybe Sheps.The most extreme beer seems to be Dark Star Hophead. Not that I'm complaining.If I wanted anything more exciting I'd need to go to that London or up North and be prepared to pay through the nose, and drink with people with ironic facial hair and silly hats. Anyway, I'm not going to drink keg...

[Al 10000]

Why not call it Expensive Keg,then everbody will know what they are getting,a pint of *ucking expensive keg beer,thats what the brewdog boys call it.

[Aqualung]

What doesn't get mentioned in this "debate" is the fact that "craft beer" is very much a metropolitan phenomemon:the sort of country pubs that I frequent stock Harvey's Sussex Best, Old Dairy beers,or maybe Sheps.The most extreme beer seems to be Dark Star Hophead. Not that I'm complaining.If I wanted anything more exciting I'd need to go to that London or up North and be prepared to pay through the nose, and drink with people with ironic facial hair and silly hats. Anyway, I'm not going to drink keg...

Have you not come across Kent Brewery Enigma? That's a very good cask Black IPA and was the same price as any other beer of 5-5.5% strength in the pub I tried it (£3.60 less 10% CAMRA discount).

Dark Star are arguably the blueprint for "Craft" beers. I remember trying their Expresso Stout for the first time about 10 or 15 years ago and thinking how incredible it was.

Keykeg is off limits for me now after the prices in the William IV rocketed. I wouldn't go near Brewdog unless it was on offer in a supermarket.

[trainman]

...pubs that I frequent stock Harvey's Sussex Best, Old Dairy beers...

Where are these havens Wittenden? Preferably nr a train station and with a dartboard?

ps. I've been to Hoodens, liked it, but not returned yet, tho I will.