Letter: Well done for report on real ale
Thank you to the Shropshire Star for highlighting the scale and quality of real ale in Shropshire.
The Good Beer Guide is compiled from beer quality scores submitted by CAMRA members. Unlike other pub guides, licensees cannot buy an entry in the Good Beer Guide.
I’d also like to join the Shropshire Star in congratulating and celebrating the pubs included in Good Beer Guide 2013.
These are the pubs who have excelled in this year’s surveys. However, the number of entries for Shropshire in the guide is strictly limited. Just because a particular pub is not listed, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t serve wonderfully good beer.
CAMRA particularly supports the production and service of real ale, beers which are not filtered or pasteurised and which are live in the barrel (cask) and mature (condition) in the pub cellar. This is why real ales are often referred to as cask conditioned.
However, not every pub can serve beer in this way.
We support all pubs and encourage responsible drinking through the social and wholesome practice of nipping down your local under the watchful eye of a caring licensee, rather than over-indulging at home.
That is why we are campaigning against the tax burden on pubs.
Search for Save Your Pint to sign an e-petition to force a debate in Parliament. We are also going to Parliament in December to lobby MPs to support local pubs. If you want to see a great range of beers from across the country, come to the Shrewsbury Beer Festival in the Morris Hall on November 1-3 or find us on Facebook.
Finally, while I like a Scottish or a Cornish ale as much as the next enthusiast, it is important to drink local beers (a) because Shropshire brewers make a great contribution to the economy and (b) because local ales reduce the burden on the environment by reducing carbon emissions.
Norrie Porter
Vice-Chairman
Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA
Comments for: "Letter: Well done for report on real ale"
The Original Jake
If a pioneering brewery like Sierra Nevada was based in Shrewsbury, they would be one of the town's largest employers (450 people) and would be a fantastic asset. Would they receive support from the local CAMRA branch?
Dick Parsnip
They'd have my support!
Norrie Porter
Jake, I can't give an official view on this as CAMRA is a democratic organisation and we haven't discussed such a hypothetical situation as a Branch. However, CAMRA does not oppose or denigrate any style of beer or lager while promoting real ale in particular.
For my part, and I suspect many of my fellow members would share this point of view, I would welcome and support the production of craft keg beers in the town, on both economic and beer variety grounds (but would encourage the brewer to make real ale versions of their brews available, at least locally).
Until Sierra Nevada decide on Shrewsbury as the centre of their production outside the United States, we'll continue to support the 17* or so producers of real ale in Salop, including our two winners at the Champion Beer of Britain competition, Salopian and Hobsons.
*It's growing all the time!
The Original Jake
That's good to hear. We may yet see craft keg stalls at the GBBF? No? Thought not.
Norrie Porter
Jake,
Sorry, but you've missed the point - CAMRA promotes the style of craft ale where the beer is racked live and allowed to mature in the cask - REAL ALE. It doesn't disparage other styles, but it doesn't promote them either.
NSPCC supports children's homes. It doesn't promote animal shelters, they leave that to the RSPCA. However, that doesn't mean they hate kittens. Likewise, CAMRA doesn't promote craft keg, it leaves that to others. But it doesn't hate other good beer styles.
Colin Dodd.
I've never really attached any importance to CAMRA reports. When all is said and done, beer, any beer, is a matter of taste, and what may suit them, may not appeal to others.