Protz On Beer, by Roger Protz

News

Black beauty comes up from the deep

A bottle of Guinness 162 years old has been brought to the surface from a ship wrecked off the coast near Dover. It's now being analysed to see if it still contains live yeast. If the beer is drinkable or can be brewed again it will give a fascinating insight into how beers tasted more than 150 years ago

Added: Wednesday, September 16th 2026

Comment

Pythons to the real ale rescue

With hot summers forecast for years to come, it's essential that pubs install equipment to keep cask beer cool. This includes cellar cooling, under-bar coolers and pythons that keep beer cool on the journey to the bar

Added: Sunday, August 2nd 2026

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Rob Jones, craft beer pioneer

Rob Jones, who won Champion Beer of Britain with his Dark Star ale, has died aged 69. He went on to brew at the Evening Star in Brighton before moving to a bigger brewery at Partridge Green in Sussex. His beers included Hophead and American Pale Ale.

Added: Monday, June 15th 2026

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Greedy retailers are killing beer sales

Greene King's shock decision to sell its Old Speckled Hen range is due to the greed of retailers in the off trade who demand such deep discounts that there's no income for brewers. The OSH range has been sold to the Spanish brewer Damm now operating from the former Charles Wells's Eagle Brewery in Bedford

Added: Monday, June 1st 2026

Review

Belgium guide makes a timely return

After a gap of eight years, CAMRA's Good Beer Guide Belgium is back with a new editor, Tim Skelton. Tim lives in The Netherlands and has criss-crossed the border to visit the amazing breweries in Belgium, including those run by Trappist monks and Lambic breweries where beer is made by wild fermentation, using yeasts in the atmosphere.

Added: Thursday, May 14th 2026