News

Greene King, one of Britain's oldest breweries dating from 1799, has been sold for £2.7 billion to a Hong Kong property developer called CK Asset Holdings.The new owner has no roots in brewing or pubs and there are fears the tied estate of 2,700 could be drastically reduced, throwing a question mark over the future of brewing at Bury St Edmunds.

Added: Tuesday, August 20th 2019

A pint of bitter is Britain's favourite style of ale yet a growing number of major brewers are re-branding both their bitters and pale ales as "amber". The trend started with Marston's Pedigree, which is a classic Burton pale ale, using no darker malts in its recipe, but is now labelled "amber". This is making a mockery of centuries of brewing tradition and traducing a beer style famous throughout the world

Added: Wednesday, May 29th 2019

Carlsberg has created media interest in its new Danish Pilsner and its admission that it may not brew the best lager in the world. It has also unleashed criticism from drinkers that the beer lacks flavour and character. But it has also sparked a debate over what constitutes proper lager beer and whether it can be brewed as quickly as ale or whether long maturation is still best.

Added: Friday, April 19th 2019

Cask beer had a tough time in 2018 but there are signs of a revival. Shepherd Neame has launched Cask Club with a series of new beers, including collaborations with the likes of Sam Adams in the U.S. BrewDog and Cloudwater are planning to brew some cask beers while Thornbridge says sales of its real ales are doing exceptionally well. Multi-prize-winning Timothy Taylor Landlord has become a cult beer among young drinkers

Added: Tuesday, March 26th 2019

The sale for £250 million of Fuller's brewery and brands to Asahi of Japan brings to an end the long history of family brewing in London. Fuller's sold up as a result of falling profits from brewing, with cask sales in particular down by 10 per cent, with far more money to be made from pub retailing. The worry now is that the Japanese giant will reduce the beer range is order to turn London Pride into an "international brand".

Added: Sunday, January 27th 2019

Beavertown Brewery in North London has received a £40 million investment from Heineken in return for a major share in the company. This will allow founder Logan Plant (pictured) to build a new 450,000 hectolitre brewery. But will Heineken end up the sole owner of Beavertown? The omens are not good as "Big Beer" moves in on the craft sector in both the United States and the UK

Added: Saturday, June 23rd 2018

Jackie Parker, the new chairman of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, says beer drinkers must ignore many of the distorted views in the media and on Twitter about the decisions taken at the annual meeting and grasp the fact that the campaign, following a major review of its role, will go forward with great determination to support real ale, cider, perry and pubs -- but is opening the door to other types of beer at its festivals

Added: Friday, April 27th 2018

The decisions taken by the Campaign for Real Ale at its annual meeting have been widely reported -- and widely misunderstood. As a result of company law, 75% of members have to support a change to the constitution and a call to make CAMRA the voice of all pubgoers failed by just 3%. But other important changes were agreed and suggestions that cask ale is under threat do not stand up to scrutiny

Added: Monday, April 23rd 2018

With the spotlight turned on small craft brewers, beer lovers tend to forget that large amount of cask beer are produced by the 47 family brewers that have survived the turmoil of the late 20th century. Arkells of Swindon (pictured) is celebrating 175 years of brewing in 2018 and the likes of Shepherd Neame, Harvey's and McMullen are even older. They deserve greater support and admiration

Added: Monday, March 12th 2018

The London Drinker beer festival, first staged in 1985, will call "time" this week as its home, the Camden Centre, is closing. The festival has been at the forefront of the revival of brewing in the capital where there are now more than 70 breweries. 150 of their beers will be on show this week. The success of the festival is down to the commitment of the North London branch of CAMRA and the remarkable duo of John and Christine Cryne

Added: Monday, March 12th 2018