Beer News

Drinkers swarm for Hannah's honey beer

Hannah Rhodes is celebrating her fifth anniversary as a brewer by launching her Hiver honey beers in cans to augment the keg and bottle versions. She uses fresh, unpasteurised honey as part of the fermenting and conditioning process, not just as an add-on flavouring. 10% of her profits go to backing charities that support bees as they forage for honey. All her malts and hops come from England
Added: Monday, September 24th 2018
Europe now leads craft beer revolution

After years of dramatic growth, the craft beer sector has slowed in the US but is growing at a fast pace in Europe, according to a report by leading research organisation Mintel. Traditional beer styles are being challenged by innovative new ones as consumers look for new tastes and flavours. The downside of craft beer's success, says Mintel, is that global brewers are now entering the sector and are buying independent producers. Pictured: Stone Brewing of California now has a second brewery in Berlin
Added: Thursday, September 20th 2018
Beer guide hails socially aware brewers

The new edition of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide praises breweries that are "putting something back" by reducing carbon footprints and producing more gluten-free, vegan-friendly and low alcohol beers. The guide also lists breweries that aid less fortunate people,such as those with learning difficulties and others serving prison sentences. Other breweries aid the environment by recycling used malt and hops and even lining brewing vessels with sheep wool.
Added: Thursday, September 13th 2018
Big Beer threat to US craft revolution

For the first time in years, the craft beer sector in the United States is losing growth as a result of the emergence of two giant brewing groups, AB InBev and Molson Coors. Jim Koch (pictured) says the domination of "Big Beer" poses a threat to the craft movement while the Brewers Association lays the blame for the decline on the aggressive price cutting of the giants and success of Bud Light, which has led to some craft brewers producing light lagers
Added: Monday, September 10th 2018
Great beer: it's a grainy image

So much attention is paid to hops these days that many drinkers ignore the vital role played by barley and other grains in making beer. Hops are the salt and pepper of beer-making but it needs malt, with its essential sugars, that enables beer to be made and to balance the bitterness of hops with rich biscuit notes with chocolate and fruit from darker grain
Added: Thursday, August 30th 2018
40 years on, Big Beer still rules the roost

In 1978, when Roger Protz published his first book on beer, Pulling a Fast One, the industry was dominated by the Big Six national brewers who closed many smaller breweries and charged high prices for their ales and lagers. 40 years later, global brewers have replaced the nationals and their beers are still shockingly over-priced
Added: Friday, August 24th 2018
Champion stout good way to start the day

Siren Craft Brew from Berkshire stole the show on the opening day of the 2018 Great British Beer Festival by winning Champion Beer of Britain with its Broken Dream Breakfast Stout. The Siren team are shown with their cup, with founder Darron Anley centre. The Silver award went to Green Jack brewery for Ripper barley wine and Bronze was won by Mordue Brewery for its Workie Ticket Best Bitter
Added: Wednesday, August 8th 2018
Brits are being priced out of pubs

A YouGov poll commissioned by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, finds that 56 per cent of British beer drinkers say the price of a pint is driving them away from pubs and to more affordable outlets such as supermarkets. CAMRA is calling on the government to scrap plans to increase beer duty in the autumn -- which will put 2p on the price of a pint -- and to ease the burden of business rates on pubs.
Added: Monday, August 6th 2018
Brakspear Special: back where it belongs

Brakspear Special, a much-loved traditional ale, disappeared when the Henley brewery closed and production moved to Wychwood in Witney, where just Brakspear Bitter and Oxford Gold are brewed. But now the independent Brakspear pub company has brought Special back, brewing it on a small plant in its Bull pub in Henley.
Added: Sunday, July 22nd 2018
Big drive to save embattled locals

Delegates attending the annual conference of More Than a Pub, staged by the Plunkett Foundation, heard of campaigns throughout the country to save cherished local pubs as a result of dedicated work by action groups. The centrepiece of the conference was a case study of the Gardeners Arms in Sheffield (pictured) that was saved from closure and is now acting as a vital community hub and is also the tap house for the Sheffield Brewery
Added: Tuesday, July 17th 2018