It looks like I’m going to have plenty to write about in the coming weeks.

The book is subtitled “A Sociable History of Beer”, and that is what it is – something of a helter-skelter ride through the history of beer and pubs, from the earliest known references to something resembling beer up to the present day (well almost – more on that later).  The fact that it covers a lot of ground doesn’t mean that it is in any way superficial – it charts the major milestones in the history of beer, and puts them in the context of national, international and cultural events.  It weaves a very interesting story of how beer and pubs came to be what they are today, and includes some fascinating, tragic and hilarious episodes along the way.  Brown used to be an advertising executive working on brewery accounts, and his insights into how advertising and the media have affected our relationships with beer and pubs is, for me, one of the most interesting parts of the story.

Pete Brown’s prose style takes a bit of getting used to; the approach is often a bit “laddish”, and the large number of footnotes, some of which are totally banal, are a bit annoying, but in the end I found it to be one of those rare books that is so compelling that I found myself rationing myself to a few pages at a time, to ensure that I absorbed everything and got it into context.  One of the reasons I started this web site was to give me the impetus to learn more about beer, and being in the position of a non-expert, I found this book gave me an excellent overview of the subject and a thirst (appropriately) for more knowledge – I would definitely recommend this book.  As mentioned above, when you get to the end the story is not quite complete.  The book was originally published in 2003, and since then there have been a number of factors that have influenced our drinking habits – not least, of course, the smoking ban in pubs.  I suspect that there will be an updated edition at some point, but don’t let that put you off reading it now.

Available from Amazon: Man Walks into a Pub: A Sociable History of Beer

Badger dandelion flavoured organic ale (4.5%) describes itself as “a refreshing well-rounded ale with dandelion natural flavour”.  It has a golden colour and a slightly herby smell.  I’m not sure what I was expecting it to taste like – maybe something like the dandelion & burdock pop that I used to drink as a kid – but in fact it has quite a bitter, slightly oily, astringent taste.  I didn’t get the “floral hop tones” or the “delightfully grassy hedgerow aroma” promised on the bottle- in fact I found it slightly unpleasant.  As I got down the glass, it began to taste cloyingly sweet – and still oily.  It was drinkable as a one-off, but I won’t bother buying another.

River Cottage Stinger Organic Ale (4.5%) – Brewed by Badger – “brewed with organically grown hand-picked Dorset nettles”.  I wonder whether Dorset nettles are better than nettles from other counties for adulterating beer (you can probably guess that I didn’t like this one either).  It’s pale, with a very thin head that didn’t last long.  The bottle label says “slightly spicy with a light bitterness and a subtle tingle that comes from the nettles” – definitely light, in fact a bit thin tasting, but does have a bitter finish.  I couldn’t detect any “tingle” or any taste that might have been nettles.  None of the negative characteristics of the dandelion brew, but nothing to go out of your way for – clearly something of a marketing gimmick to attract the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall fans.

As a self-proclaimed big fan of Badger beers, I was quite honestly rather underwhelmed by these two offerings – stick to the good stuff.

The kit consists of a hardback, spiral-bound colour book and an “experience pack” that contains a tasting glass, some barley and malt samples and a “scratch and sniff” card with hop aromas – a simple but quite effective introduction.  The book also has a section for the “tickers” where you can make notes on the beers you taste and give them a score – not really my cup of tea, but a useful insight into the criteria that are used to judge beers.  It has all been produced by Alex Barlow, who has loads of experience in the brewing industry.

I have to say that it isn’t particularly cheap – £19.95 (plus £3.95 P&P in the UK) – or £28.74 plus P&P if you want a kit with 2 experience packs.  Mind you, considering you get a rather nice glass and a hardback book it isn’t that bad.  And no, I don’t get any commission!

Anyway, County out of a bottle tastes pretty good, although I’m led to believe (by a wikipedia article, so read what you want into that) that the GK brew doesn’t use the same recipe as the original - but I think it’s a lovely amber beer, malty and hoppy smell with a sharp bitter taste and with a touch of fruity sweetness and a caramel toffee taste.  It styles itself as “proper country beer”, whatever that means, but it is good.   I recently tried a few cans of County.  Initially I was a bit disappointed with it – it seemed a bit flat and lifeless – but after a while it began to grow on me, and the lack of gas became a benefit rather than a drawback.

I much prefer events such as the Reading Real Ale and Jazz that is held every July just the other side of the Thames.  Okay, so there are only about 30 beers on offer – many of them local to the area, but the enjoyment of the beer is enhanced by the enjoyment of the jazz bands.  Yes, there is some queueing and jostling, but it is less intense, as people are not there just for the beer – it is an interesting adjunct to the music.

When I set out on this blogging adventure, one of my aims was to widen the range of beers that I drank – and I admit that I have made an effort to try some beers that I had never tasted before – some that I had never even heard of before – in an attempt to broaden my experience and knowledge of beer – but the intention has never been to try and drink as many different beers as possible.  If I find a beer that I like, I’m more than happy to drink it over and over again.  I want to write about the enjoyment of beer, not just to produce a sterile list of beers and their characteristics.  With this aim of learning more about beer in mind, I intend to add some pages to this site about how beer is produced, and more about matching food to beer (or even the other way round!) 

I even joined CAMRA in an attempt to expand my knowledge (see my CAMRA shy post) – I’ve yet to write about my experience of that organisation thus far…watch this space.

I haven’t actually drunk any of the 10 beers listed (so many beers, so little time … and money) – but the two that really appealed were Innis & Gunn Blonde Lightly Oaked Beer which is matured in rum casks, and Brew Dog Paradox Isle of Arran which is matured in whisky casks.  Yeah, I don’t mind my beers tasting of rum and whisky!  Will keep an eye out for these two at least.

In spite of this hitherto firm reluctance to join the ranks of the self-appointed custodians of the beer of the nation, I have decided that in order to find out more about beer and the brewing industry, I will swallow my pride (and I don’t mean London Pride) and join up.  I am hoping – in fact expecting – that my pre-concieved ideas about the organisation will prove to be unfounded, and that I will find myself settling comfortably into the bosom of the beery brotherhood.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

The campaign’s five demands are:

1. To stop plans to increase beer tax by up to a third
2. To enforce existing laws – not create new ones – to deal firmly with irresponsible drinkers and premises
3. To end the irresponsible promotion of alcohol in supermarkets, pubs and elsewhere
4. To trust responsible adults to make informed choices about what they drink, not punish them for the actions of an irresponsible minority
5. To support the British pub as a vital part of social life in local communities.

You can find out more at the Axe The Beer Tax web site – where you can also send an email lobbying your local MP.  There are also links to join Facebook and YouTube groups