Features

Batham's and Holden's are two legendary Black Country breweries famous for their dark milds. But bitter and pale beers are now their main products and mild is in deep decline. It was a style once downed in vast quantities by miners and other industrial workers but as heavy industry has disappeared mild has fallen from grace and needs urgent support from lovers of traditional beers. Pictured: Batham's famous Vine pub complete with Shakespeare quotation

Added: Monday, December 30th 2019

A tasting of old Bass beers drew a large audience in Burton-on-Trent, keen to samples beers as old as 150 years. The event was organised by Ian Webster, a local historian, with a number of retired Bass brewers.The event proved that old unpasteurised beers can age with distinction as much as fine wine.

Added: Thursday, December 19th 2019

There's a superb range of beers available for the Christmas period. They include the venerable Old Tom from Robinson's., celebrating 100 years, Chiltern about to celebrate 40 years, the revered Bateman's Rosey Nosey and a remarkable Imperial Pilsner from Camden Town that has been aged in French wine barrels.

Added: Tuesday, December 10th 2019

The Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield is a fascinating view of the city's great industrial past and it was a fine venue for the CAMRA Steel City Beer Festival. Close by, the Kommune collective of restaurants and book shops is home to Hop Hideout, a beer shop run by Jules Gray with a fine range of beers from home and abroad

Added: Monday, November 25th 2019

The old question "What did Porter taste like?" is answered by a collaboration brew between Goose Island of Chicago and Wimbledon Brewery in London.The beer is based on recipes unearthed by historian Ron Pattinson from the old Truman brewery in East London. The name celebrates Obadiah Poundage,a retired London brewer in the 18th century, whose writings gave an insight into how early Porters were brewed

Added: Wednesday, November 6th 2019

When two publicans in St Albans, Sean Hughes and Christo Tofalli (pictured) launched a campaign against crippling business rates on their pubs, the Boot and the Olde Fighting Cocks, they found that fellow pub owners throughout the country face a similar problem. What began as Save St Albans Pubs has now become a national campaign with publicans lobbying the Treasury for a review of rates

Added: Thursday, October 31st 2019

Sambrooks Brewery in Battersea plans to relocate in 2020 to the Ram Quarter in Wandsworth, South-east London -- the site of the historic Young's brewery that closed in 2006. Duncan Sambrook opened his brewery in 2008 to fill the void left by Young's and will use the old buildings for a brewery, tap room and museum. Pictured, an artist's impression of the Ram Quarter with the brewery chimney in the background

Added: Friday, August 9th 2019

A £70 million investment at Budweiser Budvar in the Czech Republic will enable the state-owned brewery to boost annual production to 2 million hectolitres.The brewery exports to 80 countries, with Germany its main customer and enjoying healthy sales in the UK. It has launched a new beer, Budvar 33, and its chief executive Petr Dvorak thinks most of the trademark battles with AB InBev are now in the past. Pictured, the copper brewhouse

Added: Monday, July 15th 2019

Salcombe Brewery in Devon has a mission to produce not only good beers but also to put something back into the community and help the environment. Seahorse donates to the Seahorse Trust that supports the endangered species while LIfesaver makes a contribution to the local lifeboat station

Added: Tuesday, July 9th 2019

Low alcohol and no alcohol beers -- dubbed NABLABs -- used to taste like cold Horlicks. Such horrors as Kaliber were advertised by Billy Connolly, who is now on the wagon! But a new range of NABLABS offer the taste of malt and hops and can be genuinely enjoyable. Adnams removes the alcohol from Ghost Ship by reverse osmosis while the Small Beer Brewery uses less grain to obtain the level of alcohol required.

Added: Saturday, June 29th 2019