BEER writers have declared National Cask Ale Week a success. It’s a week when daring drinkers give ale a try, enthusiasts extol its virtues, and CAMRA sends out suspiciously-posed pictures of attractive young women drinking bitter.
Just over half of alcohol drinkers in Britain have tried real ale, the campaign’s press release excitedly chirrups – 52% compared to 35% in 2008. The North East figures are similar – 50% up from 33%.
But “tried real ale” seems rather vague. Is this just a figure for how many girlfriends have wrinkled their nose up at the searingly bitter taste of a pint they’ve had shoved into their hand with a grunt of “try this”?
I used to do that and, for some reason, remained eternally expectant that my companion would share my enthusiasm. But my simpleton’s smile was always replaced by despondency after getting the eponymous feedback that it tasted “bitter”. The figure has gone up since 2008, and that’s positive whichever way you look at it. But is just getting people to try it – a CAMRA tactic that saved ale 30 or 40 years ago – still the right way to go? More triers doesn’t equate to more drinkers: if they don’t like it, why will they try it again?
A quick straw poll of my non-ale-drinking friends found most had tried it, none had enjoyed it.
Perhaps a change of tactic is needed. For instance, no one liked beer the first time they tried it as teenagers. But we persevered. Not because we were promised it would eventually taste better, or because it was handcrafted with local ingredients. We persevered because we wanted to look cool. And that’s also the thinking behind ad campaigns for beers such as Coors, Budweiser and Carling. The plan to make the drinking of ale “cool” is slowly happening already, but we can probably help to speed it up.
The promotion of real ale is something I want to look at in another column. But to me, more telling than the headline statistics is The Cask Report’s statement that ale drinkers visit pubs twice as often as non-ale drinkers. Along with the atmosphere and events, it’s one of the few things drinkers can almost exclusively enjoy at the pub. Bottled beer is a different animal, while some beers are only on cask.
Whichever way ale is promoted, if it saves some pubs, that really would be cool.
BEER EXTRAS
BELGIAN lager brand Vedett have launched an unusual promotion in the Christmas run-up.
It likes to not take itself too seriously and, to that end, you can upload a picture of yourself or friends which they’ll put on the bottle labels in a case of beer.
All the uploaded pictures will also have a chance of featuring on 10,000 bottles distributed to pubs and bars.
I doubt my grinning mug on a label would help sales.
:: THE good people at Tyne Bank Brewery have finished a new beer which was out for Octoberfest – and it’s appropriately an altbier at 4.6%.
Altbier is like a German version of British top- fermenting ale, except it is cold stored, or lagered, for two months.
The brewery’s Julia Austin says it’s similar to Newcastle Brown, with a malty character and slight caramel and chocolate flavours.
It has a hoppy bitterness with fruity spice character and slight floral aroma.
