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Thread: A moan about some real ale pubs...

  1. #1
    Glass Half Empty General Staal's Avatar
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    Default A moan about some real ale pubs...

    Just been posting some reviews of pubs I have been to on my recent hols.

    When listing the ales served, I realised that the ales they sold were basically the same. For example, one pub served Tetley Cask, Thwaites Bitter, Black Sheep Bitter and a fourth ale which was also a bitter.

    Thinking about it, several real ale pubs serve a number of ales which are, basically, a bitter. Or they go for a range of citrussy flavoured ales.

    Why do they do this and am I imagining it?

  2. #2
    Waterborne Beer Inspector Bucking Fastard's Avatar
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    General,that's a gripe I often have.It is well worth mentioning in any review,and I usually give extra marks if I find a pub with a well thought out range of beer styles and a variety of ABV's.

    I suppose a possible reason for stocking say four real ales all with a similar style and similar ABV's may be that the publican is buying his beer from a distributors list and wants to maximise profit by stocking ales which may be subject to a cheap offer.A little misguided but you can see in these more difficult days for the pub trade why some publicans may be tempted to do this while maintaining that they sell a range of real ales.

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    It's a marketing thing sometimes. My local chain pub decided it was summer and for a while had four or five 'summer ales' plus London bleedin Pride. I find those light beers too acidic by the second pint so, as far as I was concerned, it wasn't very good marketing. I know lots of people like them but for me a sign saying 'Summer Ales Festival' is as depressing as the one you used to get in chip shops saying 'We are now frying new potatoes".

  4. #4
    Pussy Galore No 1 Oggwyn Trench's Avatar
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    Sometimes its what the customers want , the Station where i do most of my drinking has 2 permenant ales , Shropshire Gold and Ansells Mild plus 6 guests mostly golden citrusy/hoppy , they do have the occasional darker one/stout/porter but they dont tend to sell that well .
    Theres a Man with a Mullet going Mad with a Mallet in Millets !

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    This Space For Hire gillhalfpint's Avatar
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    Whatever is on the bar, I always feel I can have no gripe over as the bar serves his regulars. I have been in pubs where beer is served far too cold (not just JDW) so the flavour all but goes, but feel this must be how the regulars like it. Same if they are all golden, hoppy or dark beers.

    Landlords in some areas must cater for his regulars rather than the likes of me who may turn up once to spend £3 and never be seen again.

    Town pubs or those on well known crawl routes can afford to put a better variety on the bar, so as long as the beer is drinkable, I will accept the selection offered.

  6. #6
    I'll stay on me own Andy Ven's Avatar
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    Sometimes I go into the Wellington and most of the 16 on offer are rated as 'A' (pale) for colour. Sometimes there might only be one that is D or E (darkest). Having said that, sometimes the ratings are inconsistent which leads me to think that the brewer has rated them rather than the pub.

    I suppose pubs need to sell stuff they can turn over quickest (i.e. what the punters want) and pale ales and bitters outsell milds and stouts - do you think?
    Waes hael!

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    This Space For Hire gillhalfpint's Avatar
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    As a bit of an ignoramous, is it not possible to make brown hoppy beer with a bit of malt so they are not all described as pale. I don't want to see all porters, stouts and milds, but there must be something possible in between these days.
    Alcohol doesn't solve problems .... but then again, neither does milk.

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    This Space For Hire Rex_Rattus's Avatar
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    I suspect that in some cases there's a bit of laziness involved. Pubco managers are given a list from which they can order, so they tick a number 4, 7, 12 and 16. In one of my locals (a 'spoons) I've known the four guests to be all stouts and porters, and on another occasion all hoppy "summer" ales. I just don't believe they really think it's what their customers want. Is it reasonable to sit down and come to the conclusion that "this week all our customers will want to drink stouts" - and "next week all our customers will want hoppy ales"? I wouldn't have thought so.

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    Inndigestion Strongers's Avatar
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    The Doric Arch used to have a system of voting from the patrons to pick the guest beers, I thought it a good idea at the time and still do.
    WE ARE THE BREADMEN - UP THE BEES

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    This Space For Hire gillhalfpint's Avatar
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    I agree that giving the customers a chance to chose a beer for the guest pump is a great idea, and keep them interested. Even if only a few of the regulars interested so pick their favourites no-one should blame the landlord. I have seen the system around and about in a few pubs.
    Alcohol doesn't solve problems .... but then again, neither does milk.

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