Beer News

Feature

More 'live beers' planned in Burton

Marston's top brewer Richard Westwood (pictured) is planning to turn several of the group's beers into bottle-conditioned versions thanks to the brewery's new bottling plant in Burton-on-Trent. And Old Empire IPA is high on the agenda with Owd Rodger a possible contender

Added: Thursday, February 6th 2014

Feature

Antwerp: it's city of beer not wine

A Guardian trip to Antwerp offers "dinner with wine". Visitors would be best advised to sample some of the great beers of Belgium in specialist bars and restaurants such as Bier Central

Added: Wednesday, February 5th 2014

News

'Osborne looking at duty cut' -- Burton MP

Burton MP Andrew Griffiths said at the opening of a new £7m bottling line at Marston's that Chancellor George Osborne had told him his Treasury team is looking at the possibility of a further cut in duty in this year's Budget

Added: Saturday, February 1st 2014

News

It's boom time for ale as lager sales dive

Ale is enjoying a great revival with record sales over the Christmas period. With standard lager in sharp decline, the future for ale in cask, bottle and keg seems secure. Marston's will feature a special range -- the Revisionist Cask Beer Series (pictured left) -- throughout 2014 while Greene King's new specialist plant is reaping a rich reward

Added: Monday, January 27th 2014

News

Round-up: winter ales fest; Wetherspoon's boss on VAT cut; SIBA fest; new beers from Moorhouse's of Burnley for 2014

CAMRA's winter beer festival moves to Derby Roundhouse (left), an icon of the steam age; Tim Martin calls for cut in VAT on pub food and drink to 5%; SIBA announces conference and beer festival in Sheffield; Moorhouse's to launch new range of seasonal beers for 2014

Added: Friday, January 24th 2014

News

Hawkshead beers head for the wood

Hawkshead Brewery in Cumbria, founded by Alex Brodie (pictured) has launched a new range of bottled beers, including an American-style IPA, a dry stout and a powerful export ale that has been aged in American Bourbon casks named Jack and Jim -- guess the distilleries!

Added: Sunday, January 19th 2014

Comment

Beers sales are booming -- so why the media blackout for great British ale?

Tesco reports it has sold more than 1.5 million bottles of ales this week -- three times more than in the same pre-Christmas week in 2011. It says demand continues to grow as younger people switch to ale. But this great British success story is largely ignored by the media. The BBC programme 12 Drinks of Christmas, presented by Alexander Armstrong and Giles Coren (pictured) completely ignored Britain's national drink

Added: Saturday, December 21st 2013

News

River Cottage launches pale ale

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage fame has teamed up with Skinner's Brewery in Cornwall to launch EPA -- English Pale Ale -- that will be served with food at the group's restaurants and canteens. The beer is made with all English ingredients, including a UK version of the famous American hop, Cascade. Hugh is seen on the left with Steve Skinner, founder of the brewery

Added: Friday, December 6th 2013

News

Hawkes hailed as top beer writer, Protz wins gold for work on beer and pubs

Will Hawkes, who writes for the Independent, was named the Michael Jackson Beer Writer of the Year by the British Guild of Beer Writers on 5 December. Roger Protz won a gold award for his writing on beer and pubs in the Publican's Morning Advertiser. Other winners included Birmingham-based writer Marverine Cole (left in picture)

Added: Friday, December 6th 2013

Feature

A spoonful of yeast makes beer age well

After intense lobbying, Marston's has restored Brakspear Triple to bottle-conditioned format. As with the great Trappist ales of Belgium (Chimay beers pictured) ageing in bottle gives beer greater depth of flavour

Added: Saturday, November 30th 2013