I'm writing an article (real writing! for real money!) about premium bottled ales (PBAs), which as we all know is the category that will save the beer market from ruin (tongue only slightly in cheek). The market for PBAs has bucked the trend of decline, and has been in steady growth, by value and volume, for the last several years (roughly 6-8% per annum). I went to visit Badger (aka Hall & Woodhouse) last month, and they are one of the breweries who have seized upon this statistic and run with it. I've mentioned elsewhere the tenfold increase in the proportion of their output that is bottled - in fact, checking the figures, they've moved from bottling 5% of their output to around 60% of their output. I find that quite staggering, and in fact I made myself look like a simpleton by insisting we go over that point three times, just to make sure I was interpreting the data correctly.Not content with this, Badger are also trying to create a new category, that of premium canned ale. It's a theme that has been touched on here, by young Dredge and an awful lot of respondents, but I'm not sure that the concept of British premium canned ale is one that has been floated in the same way as American craft beers. Badger are perfectly serious about this - Tanglefoot in a can is their first effort, soon to be followed by other beers in their portfolio - First Gold seems to be the next likely candidate for the can treatment.
I'm not sure what to make of it. In much the same way as some people don't really drink bottled beer, I don't really go for cans. The last beer I drank out of a can was Bass, and it was four months past its 'best before' date - I was curious to see what had happened to it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, nothing had - it tasted exactly as I remembered Bass to taste. If it can keep average beer tasting perfectly average well past its expiry date, maybe Badger will make a success of creating a premium canned ale category.
Tribute in a can on the train out west of Paddington is perfectly respectable in my humble opinion.
ReplyDeleteDo you know if they will be 330 or 500ml cans? I'm guessing the larger.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for any beer in a can and as Badger don't bottle condition then it makes some sense. I do think there are negatives to 500ml cans (connotations of Special Brew, etc) but the positives balance it out.
I like that BrewDog are thinking about canning Punk (and/or others). If cans are to see any success in the UK then it could revolve around them taking the plunge and making people realise that beer in a can tastes no different to beer in a bottle. Good on Badger though, I hope it's successful for them.
ATJ - Tribute never reaches respectable in my opinion. Zak. Damned (rightly_ with faint praise I'd say.
ReplyDeleteSo two opinions. Take 'em or leave 'em.
Tandoid— was drinking Tribute tonight, not canned obviously, it would be horrific to get down to my local and be served a can, but it was sublime — all fruit jelly, stern malt backbone and dry finish, we applauded each pint as it was pulled.
ReplyDeleteLike it or not, look on the shelves of your local supermarket and there clearly is a burgeoning "Premium Canned Ale" segment with the likes of Old Speckled Hen, Old Empire, Hobgoblin, Tanglefoot etc. For the person who wants to drink multiple glasses of the same beer rather than a variety of different ones it offers worthwhile savings over bottles.
ReplyDeleteOskar Blues. Fucking amazing canned beers.
ReplyDeleteATJ. In that case I'll try it again on your recommendation. I do hope you are right as worryingly you don't mention hops.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Tanglefoot's been around a good while in a can, if I'm not mistaken we tried it a few years ago. It was fine, at the time. It tasted like beer in a can - it had the same metallic first and last sip that any lager in a can does - but ok in the middle in big gulps. I guess a can can always be poured into the glass though...
ReplyDeleteMark D - they are the 50cl cans. I agree that the 33cl cans have s lightly more raffish, continental air, especially if in a 6-pack
ReplyDeleteTandleman/ATJ - Tribute is a pretty decent beer IMO, with lots of pithy grapefruity hop character. I've never seen it in a can, but would certainly try it.
Curmudgeon - at least half of those surprise me as being available in cans - I'll have to look closer the next time I'm in the supermarket.
Monty - had Oskar Blues DPA in can in Brooklyn 2007. Very good indeed.
Mark RAR - there's the rub - do you just swig it from the can, or attempt to inject a bit of decorum into the event?
I think it’s outrageous. A blatant attempt to portray fine pong as fashionable, with it, and as down with the kids as glorious lout. We won’t be fooled nor conned. We know proper lout when we see it.
ReplyDeleteCookie - I fear you doth protest too much. We all know about your closet pong habit.
ReplyDeleteSorry it's taken us a while to comment here. We've been too lazy to sign up to an ID service.
ReplyDeleteTribute has got better, I think. It used to be a bit thin and a bit boring but seems to have become heavier-bodied, more hoppy and also often seems to be in better condition these days. It's certainly always a delight at our local in London.