Should Camra promote all 'craft' beer?

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I've just received my Summer edition of Camra's quarterly publication 'Beer' and I was pleasantly surprised to see a healthy debate within it's pages titled - Should Camra promote all 'craft' beer?


Arguing for the 'YES' camp is author of the Good Beer Guide Belgium and former Camra exec member, Tim Webb. In the 'No' corner is the current Chairman of Camra's Rochdale branch and author of the Tandleman Beer Blog, Peter Alexander. It is an interesting debate.


Webb argues that 'Camra needs to get involved in the new world' and that a 'new generation of beer drinkers' are 'not impressed by technical correctness of production' but instead 'get excited by exploring taste and variety'. He goes on, 'What makes beer good...is neither dictated by technical specification nor advertising. It is defined by what experienced palates taste within it'. He describes Camra's definition of good beer as 'now plainly inadequate'.


Alexander counters in a concilliatory tone by stating that 'Few of us are so closed-minded to believe that cask is the only way to serve good beer'. However, he goes on to state that 'Our purpose, until the members say otherwise, is to promote real ale as the indigenous beer style of Britain. It is why we exist'. To reinforce this point, Alexander qoutes one of the Camra founders, Michael Hardman, 'I must point out that we're not fighting against anything, we're fighting for something'.


Alexander finishes his argument by saying that 'The craft beer movement must find it's own way in the world'.


On the following page, Fuller's head brewer, John Keeling continues the debate further by exploring the science of packaging, dispense and it's influence on flavour.


It is good to see Camra devoting some space over to this issue and exploring it in a mature and non finger pointing, knee jerk way.


This is an exciting time to be a beer drinker. The range and quality of beers out there has never, in my opinion, been better. Both keg and cask have their merits and on the issue of dispense, I'm fairly pragmatic. If the cap fits and all that. Keg has clearly moved on since the dark days of the 1970's when Camra first started and I believe that quality cask and keg can peacefully co-exist in a perfect beer world.


 However, on the question of whether Camra should promote all 'craft' beer. That is, as Peter Alexander says, down to the members of that organisation. If you are not a member of Camra and think that they should endorse keg, join the organisation and try and change it from within.








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The Session - All Hands to the Pump?

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As part of beer bloggers Friday, I thought I'd chip in my two pence worth regarding the topic of the day -  Cask, Keg, Can, Bottle: Does dispense matter?


I'm a fan of nice, tasty, well made refreshing beer. There is simply no finer feeling than the first gorgeous glug of a lovely beer as it makes it's way from the glass into your mouth and fills it with a variety of lush lupulin flavours and tastes. And more often than not, it's cask that fulfils my beer needs. That's because it's what I want when I'm out. It's what I go out for: a lovely pint.


That's not to say that every pint I've had on cask has been lovely. They have not. Many have been stunning and gorgeous examples of the brewer and cellerman's art and craft. Some have been poorly made or poorly kept. Others simply not to my taste. I'll take that risk and if good cask beer is on sale in a pub that I'm in, that's what I have. If there is no cask on, I'll find another pub. Unless they have a magic fridge dispensing untold gems of bottled U.S. and German beers like a stunning hybrid of Glasgow's Allison Arms and Blackfriars pubs.


Which leads me on to bottles. Bottles are great and my bank statement and heaving cupboard are testament to my fondness for impulsive yet deliciously enjoyable internet beer buys. The bottles I have are different from the cask beers I usually drink when out. They tend to be beers or from breweries that are harder to come by other than via the net. Bottles suit my purposes when at home and want a nice relaxing beer during the evening.


I recently dipped my toe into U.S. Craft beer in a can virtue of Maui breweries Big Swell IPA and Coconut Porter. The novelty of drinking quality beer from a can was a great feeling and although I was fearful prior to pouring that the beer would have a tinny taste my fears were misplaced. The Big Swell was stunning. The Porter was just okay. The method of dispense paid no part in the differentiation of my enjoyment between each. I just thought the IPA was a much nicer beer.


Which I think answers the initial question.


Cask, Keg, Can,  Bottle - Does dispense matter?


Ultimately, the method of dispense is important but more in terms of where you are and what's available. What's more important is what ends up in the glass and how it tastes. A bad beer dispensed by cask, keg, can or bottle is still a bad beer. Similarly, a good beer is still a good beer and a beer of quality should shine through regardless of what it's poured from.


Tasty beer is tasty beer.