Craft and (crap) beer at Glastonbury

[Jay Pee]

32 minutes ago, BBC7BBCHEAVEN said:

This always annoyed me so much.

Wild beer set up their drive through beer shop on the way to Glasto, they're literally on the doorstep and still not in there

Makes a total mockery of the supposed standards of the festival 

Wild Beer sailed a bit close to the wind for a few years on their crowd funding and a few other aspects. Not wanting to sling shit at the fallen but the Guardian covered it in detail.

I'm also a Bearded Theory backer for how to serve great beer at the right price

[Greenelk]

Just spotted this from Brew York and had to share.  Sadly just had a delivery from my usual indie, so won’t be getting a can of this for the festival 

[Tranquility of Solitude]

1 hour ago, Greenelk said:

Just spotted this from Brew York and had to share.  Sadly just had a delivery from my usual indie, so won’t be getting a can of this for the festival 

Almost £4 for a can? Unless they’re donating 50% of that to Greenpeace, Oxfam and Water Aid they can do one.

[Greenelk]

10 minutes ago, Tranquility of Solitude said:

Almost £4 for a can? Unless they’re donating 50% of that to Greenpeace, Oxfam and Water Aid they can do one.

Pretty standard for a lower ABV can of craft.  Think there was a debate about beer pricing further back in this thread.  I'd rather pay that than drink fosters, bud, strongbow etc.  But fully get why other's don't want to pay it.

[fightoffyour]

Got a load of Track session DIPAs in, can’t wait. Gold Tops are the world standard in NEIPAs for me.

[Alvoram]

Did my order the other day... Still have to go and grab some Ikat before it all sells out, but this is what I ordered so far... 


Nothing overly special, but easy drinking. (Neck oil is 'mostly' for the missus, who likes that when she fancies a beer, but I don't mind it and will probably drink a lot of it too.) 

[HotChipWillBreakYourLegs]

Most places did Otter for their ales offering last year.

If you wanted a cold one you had to go with the lager as the ale was a little otter.

[Tiesto13]

On 4/26/2023 at 4:55 PM, sprocketrocket said:

 

When you say craft do you mean the overhopped american cold lagery stuff? I can do without that as long as there are some decent real ales.

 

The problem is that it seems like whoever is responsible for sorting the Glastonbury beer contract seems to take this view, despite it being completely out of kilter with how the craft beer scene has developed over the past 10 years.

The view at Glastonbury seems to be as long as we have a beer for the masses (carlsberg) and then a few different real ales in a few places around the festival we've done what we need to do in terms of giving people a choice, completely ignoring the fact that the most successful independent breweries over the past 10 years have been Brewdog, Beavertown and Camden Town (unfortunately all have been victims of their own success to some extent, resulting in Beavertown and Camden Town selling out to major breweries, and Brewdog disappearing up its founders arse somewhat).

Eitherway, though the proliferation across the UK of this overhopped american cold lagery stuff has been a pretty huge development in the past 10-15 years, and by partnering with one of the major breweries who have no decent option in this space and pointing to the fact they have some local real ales on, its reminscent of the old men in CAMRA who chose to ignore one of the most exciting periods of innovation in the brewing industry in years, because it doesn't meet their definition of real ale.

[catavento]

37 minutes ago, Tiesto13 said:

 

The problem is that it seems like whoever is responsible for sorting the Glastonbury beer contract seems to take this view, despite it being completely out of kilter with how the craft beer scene has developed over the past 10 years.

I figure they miss a trick by not having one bar that's in a similar vein to the Acoustic bar but with kegs rather than casks. It wouldn't even need to be particularly weird stuff, just the most standard things a few local-ish craft breweries produce. Maybe put it in the Park? I dunno if the contract with Carlsberg precludes anything keg that isn't from them though. 

I'll drink keg and cask generally, I figure there's a place for both as long as the beer's good, but it's definitely been a gap in the beer choice previously.

[fightoffyour]

I’m not a big cask fan (did have one at the Acoustic before Paul & our Jacqui) so it would be good to have some kegs. Bring on the Chubbles!

[sprocketrocket]

7 hours ago, Tiesto13 said:

 

The problem is that it seems like whoever is responsible for sorting the Glastonbury beer contract seems to take this view, despite it being completely out of kilter with how the craft beer scene has developed over the past 10 years.

The view at Glastonbury seems to be as long as we have a beer for the masses (carlsberg) and then a few different real ales in a few places around the festival we've done what we need to do in terms of giving people a choice, completely ignoring the fact that the most successful independent breweries over the past 10 years have been Brewdog, Beavertown and Camden Town (unfortunately all have been victims of their own success to some extent, resulting in Beavertown and Camden Town selling out to major breweries, and Brewdog disappearing up its founders arse somewhat).

Eitherway, though the proliferation across the UK of this overhopped american cold lagery stuff has been a pretty huge development in the past 10-15 years, and by partnering with one of the major breweries who have no decent option in this space and pointing to the fact they have some local real ales on, its reminscent of the old men in CAMRA who chose to ignore one of the most exciting periods of innovation in the brewing industry in years, because it doesn't meet their definition of real ale.

I get your point. There are many good craft beers out there, I do prefer real ale though. However, there is a lot of craft beer which is overhopped largery stuff. 

 

Pete brown wrote a good article on the whole argument a number of years ago. 

https://www.petebrown.net/2015/12/14/i-just-realised-how-debate-about-craf/

[Alvoram]

1 hour ago, sprocketrocket said:

I get your point. There are many good craft beers out there, I do prefer real ale though. However, there is a lot of craft beer which is overhopped largery stuff. 

 

Pete brown wrote a good article on the whole argument a number of years ago. 

https://www.petebrown.net/2015/12/14/i-just-realised-how-debate-about-craf/

Isn't that an Oxymoron? Lagers are generally lightly hopped. I guess that might have been your point, that you find them to be like lagers, but with too many hops? 

Either way, it's the extra hops that lots of people like, hence the growing DDH and TDH range of beers.

Anyway... I like both. Can't drink cask in the summer though, I want something cold, and kegged craft hits the spot. 

Edited June 11, 2023 by Alvoram

[catavento]

7 hours ago, fightoffyour said:

I’m not a big cask fan (did have one at the Acoustic before Paul & our Jacqui) so it would be good to have some kegs. Bring on the Chubbles!

Chubbles! That whole series is great. I considered that as a rucksack beer option for a second but I don't know how well boiled TIPA would go down on a hangover.

[fightoffyour]

2 minutes ago, catavento said:

Chubbles! That whole series is great. I considered that as a rucksack beer option for a second but I don't know how well boiled TIPA would go down on a hangover.

Warm great beers are still better than cold crap beers

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

13 hours ago, Greenelk said:

Just spotted this from Brew York and had to share.  Sadly just had a delivery from my usual indie, so won’t be getting a can of this for the festival 

Got this in my subs box this month so keeping it to crack as my first beer at the festival

(Suspect it's just a rebrand of grapefruit lupu lion though)

[Familiar2billions]

I remember the Theatre and Circus bar having some decent craft options in 2017. Had a few different Brooklyn Beers on and it was the first time I tried 'Brooklyn Defender'. They also had some beers from the now defunct London Fields Brewery including 'Hackney Hopster'. 

[StePotts]

29 minutes ago, Familiar2billions said:

I remember the Theatre and Circus bar having some decent craft options in 2017. Had a few different Brooklyn Beers on and it was the first time I tried 'Brooklyn Defender'. They also had some beers from the now defunct London Fields Brewery including 'Hackney Hopster'. 

I was gonna say, pretty sure there was a Brooklyn bar on in 2017. Hopefully something similar will be there now they're supplying lager.

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

Unfortunately I think that was a one off, as far as I know it hasn't been back since.

Someone pointed out earlier in the thread, Brooklyn are Carlsberg owned which is why they would have been allowed.

[Badlands]

Slightly off topic but not worth of a new thread.

As we’re camping by the co op this year I’m going to stock up on more cans that I can keep cold with bags of ice. Does anyone recommend a suitable receptacle for storing cans and ice in all day that isn’t gonna soak you? Don’t fancy lugging a box around but using the tote is going to be a right damp affair!

[vans]

6 minutes ago, Badlands said:

Slightly off topic but not worth of a new thread.

As we’re camping by the co op this year I’m going to stock up on more cans that I can keep cold with bags of ice. Does anyone recommend a suitable receptacle for storing cans and ice in all day that isn’t gonna soak you? Don’t fancy lugging a box around but using the tote is going to be a right damp affair!

These were great when on sale, but I cant find anything similar online

FREEDOM TRAIL 25L Cool Bag | Millets

[NorthernChris]

25 minutes ago, Badlands said:

Slightly off topic but not worth of a new thread.

As we’re camping by the co op this year I’m going to stock up on more cans that I can keep cold with bags of ice. Does anyone recommend a suitable receptacle for storing cans and ice in all day that isn’t gonna soak you? Don’t fancy lugging a box around but using the tote is going to be a right damp affair!

LIDL have got these at the moment, can't comment on how good they are though

 

https://www.lidl.co.uk/p/camping-classics/rocktrail-cool-bag-backpack/p61896

[Tiesto13]

Can’t speak for the ones recommended and can’t find the one we got from Amazon last year, but get yourself a coolbag/drybag thingy. Basically it’s a dry bag with cool bag insulation around it. Meaning you fill it with beers/ice in the morning, and it cools your beers to a cold temp to drink all day, then when everything starts to finally melt you pour all the water out and it weighs almost nothing to carry back to your tent. If you’re smart you can find a backpack one.

 

needs someone to go and buy a bag of ice each day

[Derby_Dave]

On 4/26/2023 at 1:48 PM, Boomtowner said:

One of the most important line ups of the Summer, BT have knocked it out the park again!

Oakham Citra and black Iris Endless summer are two of the nicest beers ever brewed.

 If only Glastonbury had anything even close to this selection of breweries.

Edited June 12, 2023 by Derby_Dave

[duke88]

7 hours ago, Derby_Dave said:

Oakham Citra and black Iris Endless summer are two of the nicest beers ever brewed.

 If only Glastonbury had anything even close to this selection of breweries.

Citra is brewed 10 minutes walk from my house. It's always on around here (and really cheap at my local), so probably take it for granted and don't have it as often as I should, it's a great beer.

[badger80]

Hear Hear, Citra is one of the best session beers around. My local always has it on.  Off sale wise I've only ever seen it in glass bottles unfortunately.

Brew York is expensive but it's one if the best breweries in the country. £4 a can is a dear do but you get what you pay for.  The Empress Tonkoko is probably one of the best I've ever tasted. They have a tap room and beer hall in York that are well worth checking out - the range of beers is out of this world.

Edited June 13, 2023 by badger80