Shout if you love Real Ale

[Langdale Wolf]

Canned ale can get to feck, but you can get some lovely bottled beers.

Holdens

Bathams

Summer Lightning

Adnams Explorer

Kelham Island Pale Rider

Hobsons Town Crier

All EXCELLENT from the bottle. And also - I prefer Waggledance from the bottle as opposed to on tap which is quite unusual for me.

[5co77ie]

Did anyone see the programme which filmed me in the acoustic beer tent? I think Neil Morrissey also happened to be in there at the same time.

I don't remember beers running out very early.

[5co77ie]

Canned ale can get to feck, but you can get some lovely bottled beers.

Holdens

Bathams

Summer Lightning

Adnams Explorer

Kelham Island Pale Rider

Hobsons Town Crier

All EXCELLENT from the bottle. And also - I prefer Waggledance from the bottle as opposed to on tap which is quite unusual for me.

Edited February 6, 2009 by 5co77ie
added link

[Langdale Wolf]

dont shoot me down, i know i'm a cretin

does guiness class as ale? or just... draught

had a few dips into the world of real ale when i was up in keswick

might have to try and find you on the ale crawl if you do one

[Langdale Wolf]

Did anyone see the programme which filmed me in the acoustic beer tent? I think Neil Morrissey also happened to be in there at the same time.

I don't remember beers running out very early.

[5co77ie]

check these out:

http://glastonburyales.myshopify.com/

[Sam Crawley]

Regarding the cans question.. obviously given the strict no glass policy, one has to pitch for something in a tin to take down there. My starter for five would be Tanglefoot, and I suppose if you're coming from the South East it wouldn't be too much of a diversion to visit Hall and Woodhouse to stock up!

What other ales are available in a can? Old Speckled is not bad but not one of my favourites. Do Greedy King do Abbot or IPA (not smooth!) in a can?

[Langdale Wolf]

Regarding the cans question.. obviously given the strict no glass policy, one has to pitch for something in a tin to take down there. My starter for five would be Tanglefoot, and I suppose if you're coming from the South East it wouldn't be too much of a diversion to visit Hall and Woodhouse to stock up!

What other ales are available in a can? Old Speckled is not bad but not one of my favourites. Do Greedy King do Abbot or IPA (not smooth!) in a can?

[attackofthemongs]

Real Ale , Cask Ale , is without question the greatest drink these Isles have produced , infact it is IMO one of the greatest achievements of the human race. It is beauty in a glass , it is liquid perfection.

So , can someone explain to me the popularity of draft UK lager , a bland corporate product that comes from nowhere and tastes of nothing much ?

I understand that blandness sells , ( westlife ?) but it is nonetheless a source of constant amazement to me that in an English pub , half the customers will be drinking the shitenog that is Fosters , or even worse Stella !

Of course I don't expect everyone to like real beer , that would be unrealistic , it's the large scale popularity of a largely poor product I don't get. Why do so many people actually choose to drink something that tastes of very little when the next pump along contains liquid gold , a drink that put's a smile on your face , a drink that makes you glad you are human , a drink that enhances your life and makes you proud to be British.

I'm not anti lager per se , some continental ones are OK and in a hot country they make sense , it's the large multinational pisspoor slop that is Fosters , Carling , Stella etc that so heavily permeate UK drinking culture that I have a problem with , and don't get me started on Magners.

Maybe it's simply a classic example of the power of advertising.

Oh , The Red Flag.

Last year I counted over 20 ales on sale over the course of the weekend, it is a wonderful place.

[5co77ie]

Real Ale , Cask Ale , is without question the greatest drink these Isles have produced , infact it is IMO one of the greatest achievements of the human race. It is beauty in a glass , it is liquid perfection.

So , can someone explain to me the popularity of draft UK lager , a bland corporate product that comes from nowhere and tastes of nothing much ?

I understand that blandness sells , ( westlife ?) but it is nonetheless a source of constant amazement to me that in an English pub , half the customers will be drinking the shitenog that is Fosters , or even worse Stella !

[krisskross]

Try Otter Head it's one of my favourite bottled ales.

[Langdale Wolf]

Nope. I'm miffed, as were Oz and James on their tv programme this week, I just don't get why a bland no flavoured product has superseeded our own national drink!

[ivan]

Before I forgot !

Mr Bizarre , who posts on here quite a bit , will prob be doing the WBC Bars again !

Last year he very decently listed all the Glastonbury Drinking Establishments and their opening times.

It proved very popular with the Real Ale brigade , and hopefully it will be published this year.

I have already decided that Thursday will be a real ale pub crawl again !

Any takers ?

[glastoman417]

Because Billy Big Bollocks stood at the bar drinks it, and he's well 'ard.

Exactly the same reason why everyone started drinking Magners with ice a few years back.

It's the fashion. When I was at college as a 16 year old ordering real ale at the bar (hark at my rebellious streak!!) I got laughed at. It's simply not 'cool' to be seen drinking real ale, as it's associated with old men wearing cardigans and tank tops smoking a pipe.

I don't give a flying f**k who drinks it, I love the stuff. I don't always drink to get drunk, I enjoy the taste of a fine pint. You simply CANNOT say the same for lager. A pint of Fosters in London will be identical to a pint of Fosters in Aberdeen (except maybe the price). There's no individuality with mass-produced lagers - it's basically crap.

I love to go to beer festivals and part of the reason why I like them is the atmosphere - like minded people are there sampling drinks they like and it's FRIENDLY. You will rarely see any trouble.

There have been SO many occasions when my lager-loving mates have tried a taste of my ale and they say - more often than not - "Actually, that's not too bad." What do you mean 'actually'?! This gives me the impression that you're so caught up with the general stereotype of an ale drinker that you never thought that maybe it's because the stuff actually TASTES nice?!?!?? So what do they do? Back to the bar for another Kronenberg. F**k off........

Lager is shit. I'm proud to be an ale fan, and I'm proud of my taste buds.

Also - as attackofthemongs said (great username by the way) there ARE some nice lagers out there. I totally agree - some lovely ones on the continent. But your bog standard Fosters/Stella/Kronenberg?Carling etc really aren't that.

[EasyUserName]

... Of course, they also had the excellent Morrissey Fox beer on sale last year which - if you'd have seen Neil Morrissey's Risky Business - featured on TV. I was served by the man himself. Proof:

...

[EasyUserName]

... Back to the bar for another Kronenberg. F**k off........

Lager is shit. I'm proud to be an ale fan, and I'm proud of my taste buds. ...

[Kowalski]

I have to say, I was really impressed with the choice of real ale last year (my first year at Glasto), especially at the red flag bar near the acoustic stage where I spent most of my time. I think a real ale crawl would be a really good idea. I did try a couple of beers in the Bimble in but the qualty wasnt quite as good as the red flag bar, not that I am trying to be picky.

[Kowalski]

Real Ale , Cask Ale , is without question the greatest drink these Isles have produced , infact it is IMO one of the greatest achievements of the human race. It is beauty in a glass , it is liquid perfection.

So , can someone explain to me the popularity of draft UK lager , a bland corporate product that comes from nowhere and tastes of nothing much ?

I understand that blandness sells , ( westlife ?) but it is nonetheless a source of constant amazement to me that in an English pub , half the customers will be drinking the shitenog that is Fosters , or even worse Stella !

Of course I don't expect everyone to like real beer , that would be unrealistic , it's the large scale popularity of a largely poor product I don't get. Why do so many people actually choose to drink something that tastes of very little when the next pump along contains liquid gold , a drink that put's a smile on your face , a drink that makes you glad you are human , a drink that enhances your life and makes you proud to be British.

I'm not anti lager per se , some continental ones are OK and in a hot country they make sense , it's the large multinational pisspoor slop that is Fosters , Carling , Stella etc that so heavily permeate UK drinking culture that I have a problem with , and don't get me started on Magners.

Maybe it's simply a classic example of the power of advertising.

Oh , The Red Flag.

Last year I counted over 20 ales on sale over the course of the weekend, it is a wonderful place.

[Sam Crawley]

Hear hear, Attackofthemongs, I too have never fathomed the love of tasteless fizzy lager, mass produced in large factories by chemical engineers pressing buttons. Ales are all that is good and proud about Britain - locally produced, full of natural goodness, a huge variety of flavours and styles.. I never have a hangover after a night on the ales, but give me lagers or even the mass-produced bitters like John Smiths or Tetleys and the following morning I often feel terrible. Ale festivals have a similar vibe to Glasto - it's about discovering new varieties and cultures in a supportive good-natured environment - ales are the perfect match to this festival, and I urge everyone to encourage people to try the real ale option this June (then attend the Great British Beer Festival in August in Olympia or Earls Court!).

If anyone does have the Glasto bar opening times (perhaps nearer June) then that would be handy!

[strudders]

This is a great thread!

We have some fantastic beers here in Sussex and some great micro brewery's.

Long live ale!

however

Cider Rules!!!!!!!!!

[Boris]

I dunno why I've been to the Real Ale tent so little in past years. I love it ver much.

When it comes to cans the clear winners for me are London Pride and Spitfire and I often bring some of these to Glasto with me. Proper local aleas are often great... I've never been one for dark treacly ones- it has to be fairly light for example Exmoor Gold otherwise I find I get ill- Otter (normal) for example has spun me out before, but Otter Bright is great. Admittedly these aren't as flavoursome as others though.... but a nice pint of Pride has it all- plenty of flavour and not heavy. Anyway I will be visiting a lot more this time round.

[Dark Star]

Regarding the cans question.. obviously given the strict no glass policy, one has to pitch for something in a tin to take down there. My starter for five would be Tanglefoot, and I suppose if you're coming from the South East it wouldn't be too much of a diversion to visit Hall and Woodhouse to stock up!

What other ales are available in a can? Old Speckled is not bad but not one of my favourites. Do Greedy King do Abbot or IPA (not smooth!) in a can?

[Staberinde]

Before I forgot !

Mr Bizarre , who posts on here quite a bit , will prob be doing the WBC Bars again !

Last year he very decently listed all the Glastonbury Drinking Establishments and their opening times.

It proved very popular with the Real Ale brigade , and hopefully it will be published this year.

I have already decided that Thursday will be a real ale pub crawl again !

Any takers ?

[Dave F.]

(NEVER try to take a plastic polypin - it'll go off).

[alframsey]

Big Shout For GUINNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And real ale of course.