tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post1233862608984601215..comments2024-03-14T14:50:45.395+00:00Comments on Are You Tasting the Pith?: Are You Missing Something?ZakAveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01794154105596597019noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-6975279183940998842013-08-02T21:04:32.411+01:002013-08-02T21:04:32.411+01:00That's a very heartfelt moan, but what's y...That's a very heartfelt moan, but what's you're actual point? That pub culture isn't what it was?Zak Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10650929798289995172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-52680586381699624742013-08-02T18:01:21.380+01:002013-08-02T18:01:21.380+01:00In my town there are a very large number of young ...In my town there are a very large number of young (16-25) who never go to the pub. They may go to a club late on after sitting at home drinking (or other stimulants) <br /><br />London is very, very different with lots of middle class, downy chinned, spiky hair types talking about craft beer. It wont last. In ten years time they will have moved back to wherever it is their law practice is and the next fad will be Uzbeki Ice cream or oyster snorting.<br /><br />In the real world the trend away from pubs will continue. And I mean pubs, not restaurants in what used to be pubs. <br /><br />No one I know under 35 is a pub regular, for those slightly older its different, but they tend to be after Sunday lunch, not a night on the tear.<br /><br />The wet only pubs around here that are left open are dying on their feet. Blaming it all on the beer duty as CAMRA insist on doing is nonsense.<br /><br />In 20 years time most pubs will be mediocre food outlets where someone who does not want to eat will be made to feel like a leper by staff with name badges who say 'Hi' when you walk in.<br /><br />Real beer drinking is dying a death, the current fad among a very small group of middle class bloggers to get all poncified and Jilly Goulden about it is a side show.<br /><br />Food matching, tasting notes, floral finish, hints of oak and asparagus. What a load of oblox. <br /><br />MiseryAlchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-16453383945559362562013-03-14T15:56:41.514+00:002013-03-14T15:56:41.514+00:00Until there are truly independent figures that are...Until there are truly independent figures that are actually split into meaningful metrics (so that it's possible to separate all politics via loaded stats) it’s pretty much impossible in my mind to see exactly what's happening.<br /><br />e.g. CAMRA consistently highlighting the closures of pubs with little to no publicity about pubs that are actually opening. I accept that there is a downward trend in this area but let's split the statistics to more meaningful metrics rather than simply on the geographical location of a pub.<br /><br />Let's see the stats on how many freehouse pubs are closing versus tied pubs closing? I suspect the figures will be rather different and not particularly the type of stats that certain people in the industry will want to see made public.<br /><br />Create and perpetuate the notion of a failing pub industry and the government will be forced to intervene and help out with financial Elastoplast’s? Is that the hope for certain players in the industry?Mikehttp://www.realale.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-4561139066671260572013-02-02T19:09:15.498+00:002013-02-02T19:09:15.498+00:00Ooh, that's an interesting table. Total receip...Ooh, that's an interesting table. Total receipts for beer duty are clearly not keeping pace with inflation, and given the beer duty escalator, are clearly in decline in real terms.<br /><br />There's a pretty clear spike when HSBD was introduced, so from HMRC's perspective, that was a successful initiative.<br /><br />One further thing that muddies the water somewhat is the amount of revenue derived from people benefiting from full/any relief under PBD. In revenue terms, they are less valuable, but in industry terms (pints sold), they are quite important.Zak Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10650929798289995172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-61529105532970788042013-02-01T17:50:32.562+00:002013-02-01T17:50:32.562+00:00National Statistics:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/...National Statistics:<br /><br />https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutybulletins.aspxStringersBeerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12573068197944669997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-20987697575159346862013-02-01T13:17:26.112+00:002013-02-01T13:17:26.112+00:00The analysis of the overall market for beer in the...The analysis of the overall market for beer in the U.K. (and as elaborated in numerous comments above) is persuasive but at the same time, it is really a question of definition. Many who are committed to craft and traditional beer hardly consider mass market lager beer. I mean, it is beer of course, but it is as if you have two circles overlapping currently. The overlap is in the fact of some producers producing both kind of drinks but with the market largely segmented (separate brewers of mass market and craft/traditional beer), and in the fact that the remaining pubs, many of them, sell both kinds of beer. <br />Whether those circles will merge so that, say, lager becomes 10% of the overall beer market may be highly unlikely, but still the separate and vibrant craft/trad beer circle is widening and that is valid unto itself. I don't really see an overall issue for the real beer fans because even if pubs significantly decline from here - unlikely I think - you will always have bottled sales and also, more brewpubs will emerge partly to replace the lost pubs. There are few now to be sure, but they will increase if too many pubs will close that sell craft beer currently.<br /><br />I think the main factor by the way to explain the fall-off in the mass consumption of beer is not the anti-smoking ban or the drinking and driving laws but the massive increase in wine consumption since the 1960's. This factor, common to the U.K. and North America, has IMO forever altered the old beer drinking pattern but at the same time it leaves room for the craft/trad beer sub-market to grow and flourish.<br /><br />GaryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-8035331323277273712013-02-01T12:54:00.667+00:002013-02-01T12:54:00.667+00:00Interest in beer has tripled amongst the general p...Interest in beer has tripled amongst the general public! <br /><br />So instead of 1% giving a monkeys about what it is that is getting them drunk, now 3% do. :-Dpy0noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-63389105608704495282013-02-01T12:11:47.099+00:002013-02-01T12:11:47.099+00:00Not really Zak, it's just that of all the peop...Not really Zak, it's just that of all the people still using pubs, only a tiny minority are actually 'interested' in beer, most just drink and enjoy it. Any 'buzz' there may be is not really being felt outside of the inner sanctum of beer bloggers and beer geeks. Perhaps this has some bearing on the 'conflict' you've noticed.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15595039296072668714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-53344279173546145652013-02-01T10:35:00.326+00:002013-02-01T10:35:00.326+00:00So basically anyone interested in beer is getting ...So basically anyone interested in beer is getting confused by the signal-to-noise ratio around "craft" beer at the moment?Zak Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10650929798289995172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-61600384633334054522013-02-01T10:25:23.020+00:002013-02-01T10:25:23.020+00:00Oh god no. Midget porn, toupe porn I can sort of l...Oh god no. Midget porn, toupe porn I can sort of live with. Beer geek porn? Please no, say it ain't so. I don't want to know what they do with the giant wine glasses.Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-25842843620884345992013-02-01T09:21:42.765+00:002013-02-01T09:21:42.765+00:00Rule 34 isn't it?Rule 34 isn't it?StringersBeerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12573068197944669997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-11096476819158490452013-01-31T18:48:42.567+00:002013-01-31T18:48:42.567+00:00In terms of volume of beer sold.In terms of volume of beer sold.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-13403179925830008892013-01-31T18:26:49.946+00:002013-01-31T18:26:49.946+00:00I think it's worth baring in mind that the ...I think it's worth baring in mind that the '...current buzz around the industry' could perhaps better be described as 'within' the industry (which includes beer bloggers and some other beer geeks of course). Even assuming there is a buzz 'around' the industry, it's probably only really extends to approximately '1' Beer Belly width. The vast majority of beer drinkers and pub goers are experiencing absolutely 'No' buzz with regard to beer and brewing because drinking beer is merely an ever less important accompaniment to their real life.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15595039296072668714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-65056239908456249832013-01-31T13:37:18.317+00:002013-01-31T13:37:18.317+00:00in real or money terms?in real or money terms?Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-20162695749699739462013-01-31T12:30:03.397+00:002013-01-31T12:30:03.397+00:00The BBPA say they have revised their statistical m...The BBPA say they have revised their statistical methodology to take better account of micro-brewers and independent importers. While the overall figures show the same kind of decline over time, the absolute values are greater than they were before.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-12448379514624093572013-01-31T12:27:02.963+00:002013-01-31T12:27:02.963+00:00They might be too busy in the company of a nice yo...They might be too busy in the company of a nice young lady to bother with pubs for all you know.Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-62255210198395766442013-01-31T09:45:14.901+00:002013-01-31T09:45:14.901+00:00The thing is, beer is one of those acquired tastes...The thing is, beer is one of those acquired tastes. Its not particularly nice at first for an underdeveloped palate, but once you "get it" you don't want to drink anything else. Due perhaps to the lack of pubgoing and general cluelessness about alcohol, there is less peer pressure on young men to acquire the taste of beer, so a lot of them simply never do. As a result, a group of 18 year olds that would previously have all been drinking Carling are now going to the pub and ordering pear ciders or all sorts of weird spirit concoctions.<br /><br />*and, as I said above, a lot of youngsters don't go out at all and simply stay at home and play WOW or COD and make sneery remarks about people "who have to drink to have fun" (and then wonder why they can't get a girlfriend).py0noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-40466653581280920702013-01-31T00:08:04.174+00:002013-01-31T00:08:04.174+00:00My 17-year-old correspondent tells me fake ID is r...My 17-year-old correspondent tells me fake ID is really easy to get if you want it, but he also tells me (and I believe him*) that he's never gone down that road, & consequently never bought beer, ever. When I was his age I'd been drinking in pubs with my mates for two years. He quite likes beer when we give it to him - pale-ish and bland-ish beer in particular - but it is something his parents let him have. He's going to have a lot of catching-up to do, at later and more responsible ages, as is his entire generation.<br /><br />*He's a lousy liar.Phil Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05328292577477440272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-31402098604314438852013-01-30T23:05:13.387+00:002013-01-30T23:05:13.387+00:00pyo makes the point that 15-25s haven't taken ...pyo makes the point that 15-25s haven't taken to beer. That may be so, but one sure fact is that they haven't taken to pubs because they can't get served due to the ID regime.<br /><br />My generation spent a lot of money in pubs between the age of 16-18. Most of us had jobs which meant disposable income. So pubs were our Facebook and Twitter. I wonder what percentage of the beer market was due to underage drinking in the 70s and 80s?Birkonianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02797631050700297107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-80433227751888933032013-01-30T21:27:15.225+00:002013-01-30T21:27:15.225+00:00I suspect meeting up with beer geeks, bloggers etc...I suspect meeting up with beer geeks, bloggers etc on a twissup is cleaner and less messy than such internet sub cultures. I am less likely to get anything in my hair.Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-59615944536944897162013-01-30T18:14:39.122+00:002013-01-30T18:14:39.122+00:00Reminds me of the reaction of the biggest trade as...Reminds me of the reaction of the biggest trade association here a couple of years ago. The production of beer had fallen overall by 8% (the previous year by 6%) and they said that it had been the worst year since the fall of Communism. However, if you asked the smaller regional brewers, most of them would tell you how happy they were with their results, to which you'd have to add the almost two dozen new microbreweries that had opened in the same period. <br /><br />It might be the same in your neck of the woods. A handful of companies that produce most of the beer have had bad years and that has pulled the whole industry down.Pivní Filosofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883511608403454943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-75028672518061413182013-01-30T16:13:49.589+00:002013-01-30T16:13:49.589+00:00That reminds me I haven't read Savage Love thi...That reminds me I haven't read Savage Love this week. Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13844169940650659196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-87688530487596007572013-01-30T14:58:13.904+00:002013-01-30T14:58:13.904+00:00You haven't lived 'til you've spunked ...You haven't lived 'til you've spunked on a wig.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-22096339798581361592013-01-30T14:33:56.277+00:002013-01-30T14:33:56.277+00:00One factor that gets forgotten is that 85% of the ...One factor that gets forgotten is that 85% of the adult population drink and every year loads of people die and loads of new entrants to the market arrive. Older drinkers tend to be set in their ways and largely unmovable regarding what they like. New entrants take a few years to decide what they like and are influenced by peers, zeitgeist, trends, fashion and dare I mention advertising. They will try things they do not like and maybe even pretend to like something because they think if they don't they will be considered a knob by their peers. People have different peer groups based on geography, social class, education and much more. One certainty is that every young drinker wakes up one morning to find they are old codgers and the hip young things of today have crap taste in jeans, trainers, music and drink.<br /><br />Market movement really does not require anyone to change any habit ever. If takes about ten years.Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72277889156220824.post-78904976260874614612013-01-30T14:04:20.298+00:002013-01-30T14:04:20.298+00:00No, by meaningless I mean about as relevant to mos...No, by meaningless I mean about as relevant to most people as the bit at the end of the news about some pandas coming to a zoo. It's nice but doesn't change the world. Of course it has meaning to those involved in it, just not to the 99.9% of the population that constitutes everyone else.Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.com