The relationship between CAMRA and publicans

[Brewguru]

Kind of following on from Conrad, CAMRA is stiffling beer evolution if it thinks Real Ale is the only possible beer format. As he says there are now some very interesting craft keg beers. I see this not as a return to the bad old days of keg but more an evolution into a new format. Kegging beer requires alot of capital investment in equipment which is why only large breweries have done it in the past. Now a new wave is dawning with breweries like Thornbridge and Brewdog kegging their beers. Down here Moor Brewery does it as well. Is CAMRA going to throw them out of competitions like the Champion beer of Britain because they keg?

[oldboots]

Is CAMRA going to throw them out of competitions like the Champion beer of Britain because they keg?

Only their kegged beer as it doesn't meet CAMRA's definition of Real Ale; it's their competition so it's their rules.

[Paris_Hilton]

Only their kegged beer as it doesn't meet CAMRA's definition of Real Ale; it's their competition so it's their rules.

You beat me to it OB

[Eddie86]

You beat me to it OB

Hence SIBA organising one this week featuring 50 kegged beers from the UK.

[Paris_Hilton]

Hence SIBA organising one this week featuring 50 kegged beers from the UK.

Correct me if I'm wrong but SIBA is a trade organisation for brewers, and I quote from their website 'formed in 1980 as the Small Independent Brewers’ Association, to represent the interests of the emerging new wave of microbrewers'.

As such they will push their product and encourage all to drink it in the same way as the big brewers did in the past. They may well have a kegged beer festival this weekend, presumably to try to convert us all to keg beer as, as has been mentioned before, kegged is easier to keep that cask ales etc etc.

CAMRA is an independent organisation, not funded, nor therefore influenced, by the brewers. CAMRA's mission is to protect the interests of cask ale drinkers.

Like someone (OB?) said of CAMRA, their competition, their rules.

[oldboots]

Correct me if I'm wrong but SIBA is a trade organisation for brewers, and I quote from their website 'formed in 1980 as the Small Independent Brewers’ Association, to represent the interests of the emerging new wave of microbrewers'.

Quite, so wouldn't it be their job to promote "craft beer" from the likes of Summer Wine, rather than an organisation set up to promote cask conditioned beers and the places it is sold?

What ever happened to the Licensed Victuallers Association? They were supposed to look after landlord's interests.

[Eddie86]

Correct me if I'm wrong but SIBA is a trade organisation for brewers, and I quote from their website 'formed in 1980 as the Small Independent Brewers’ Association, to represent the interests of the emerging new wave of microbrewers'.

As such they will push their product and encourage all to drink it in the same way as the big brewers did in the past. They may well have a kegged beer festival this weekend, presumably to try to convert us all to keg beer as, as has been mentioned before, kegged is easier to keep that cask ales etc etc.

CAMRA is an independent organisation, not funded, nor therefore influenced, by the brewers. CAMRA's mission is to protect the interests of cask ale drinkers.

Like someone (OB?) said of CAMRA, their competition, their rules.

Sorry - I should have made myself clearer. What I meant was it's not CAMRAs job, hence SIBA doing it. I quite agree CAMRA should be about real ale. Not quite sure about RAIB though...

[gillhalfpint]

Just got back in from Fleetwood fest so catching up on all todays posts.

On pub allocation to GBG I heard that if you had an allocation of 15 say and only had 2 good enough to put in, you should put in the 2 and pool the other 13 centrally rather than put poor pubs in.

A branch then with an allocation of 15 and a lot more decent pubs worthy of entry could draw from the central pool.

Sounds a good idea, but no branch wants to put so few entries in, as the next year they would likely get a reduced allocation.

[Quinno]

Hence SIBA organising one this week featuring 50 kegged beers from the UK.

Good on them - but they are there to promote trade for microbreweries in general not specifically real ale. I might even try a few....