Anyone got a copy of 'What's Brewing?'

[beckstar]

According to (sadly scannerless) reader on HH, James has a piccy and article in What's Brewing, the CAMRA newsletter, this month.

Anyone got a copy??

[lindenchase]

Perhaps our new member girlybrewer.

[Wyvern]

Hang about... I think this month's is in the porch. I'll have a look in a bit. Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner either, but if it's there, I'll transcribe it.

Here we are...

So how do you like your beer? TV presenter James May, pictured right, admitted he likes pale, hoppy beers, when he visited the Worcester Beer, Cider and Perry Festival with co-presenter Oz Clarke promoting their new BBC2 series.

And while the pair were there they met CAMRA's Brett Lanoish, centre, and joined CAMRA too.

James May said: "I like a sophisticated, reasonably pale ale - being a sophisticated, rather pale sort of bloke. Oz likes beer to come up and thump him in the guts where as I like it to tickle the bottom of my feet."

The festival winners were Highgate Dark Mild, Newton Court Medium cider and Oliver's Medium perry.

I'll see if I can do creativeness with the pic for you...

[beckstar]

Thanks, Wy.

I like it to tickle the bottom of my feet

LOL! I like my beer to go down my throat and into my belly and make me drunk, personally, but each to their own...

[lindenchase]

Well, if James likes to have the bottom of his feet tickled... ;D

[Deleted]

Thank you Wy

[Wyvern]

Sorry, bodge job with a camera (or should that be CAMRA?) phone didn't go well. This is the best of a bad bunch. However, I will see if I can find a scanner somewhere at some point...

[Deleted]

Oct 2, 2008 19:19:27 GMT Wyvern said:

Hang about... I think this month's is in the porch. I'll have a look in a bit. Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner either, but if it's there, I'll transcribe it.

Here we are...

So how do you like your beer? TV presenter James May, pictured right, admitted he likes pale, hoppy beers, when he visited the Worcester Beer, Cider and Perry Festival with co-presenter Oz Clarke promoting their new BBC2 series.

And while the pair were there they met CAMRA's Brett Lanoish, centre, and joined CAMRA too.

James May said: "I like a sophisticated, reasonably pale ale - being a sophisticated, rather pale sort of bloke. Oz likes beer to come up and thump him in the guts where as I like it to tickle the bottom of my feet."

The festival winners were Highgate Dark Mild, Newton Court Medium cider and Oliver's Medium perry.

I'll see if I can do creativeness with the pic for you...

Isn't the interview bit a copy of one that was from one of the local newspapers?

Thank you for the pic Wy ;D

[blackopal]

I thought bitter was a dark beer? The stuff James was knocking back on the Pub Landlord Show looked almost black.

[Wyvern]

Bitter varies a lot in terms of colour and depth of flavour. Bitter is covered by the term "ale" (a pale* ale, in fact, regardless of colour), whereas the "other" type of beer is lager. They are manufactured by different processes. Sadly, these days the market is dominated by mass-produced lager, which is usually full of chemical rubbish and tastes very nasty indeed. Lager tends to be lighter and more yellow in colour, although confusingly some ales are quite lager-ish in appearance. However, if you were to taste them, you would instantly be able to tell that they weren't the same thing. It's all quite complicated, and although I drink quite a lot of it I wouldn't be able to explain it all without dragging you around a beer festival for an illustrated lesson.

Which we would be in no fit state to remember by the time it was finished.

Even then, I couldn't tell you the technical differences in the manufacturing process... it's kind of, "ingredients go in... witchcraft happens (given that one of my favourite ales is Wychwood Hobgoblin, that may be closer to the truth than I think)... ale comes out". It always makes sense when they explain it at the brewery, but then we start "sampling" and I can't remember what they were on about.

Mass-produced bitters tend to be darkish in colour and most of them aren't great, though most of them will do in a pinch. If James is anything like me, then even the most crap and mass-produced of bitters is preferably to lager ;D

Given the choice, London Pride, in a well-run Fuller's house in the London area, is a cracking pint and not too dark, heavy or overpowering. Quite light, hoppy and almost floral, and brewed in Chiswick (just a spit from Hammersmith, funnily enough) at a site where beer has been brewed for 350 years. Actually, it's one of my favourites, but it doesn't travel well so I only really get to enjoy it in London. Bum, I'll have to go on holiday more often...

*Pale is relative - compared to stouts (e.g. Guinness) and porters (which are almost black), bitter is relatively light in colour

[Deleted]

Wy I'm not a seasoned drinker, but I like the sound of the being dragged around a beer festival for an illutstrated lesson. It sounds like fun ;D

[Wyvern]

Well, when the next summer festival season rolls around, we'll meet up. I'll fail to teach you about beer

[Deleted]

;D

[lindenchase]

Finally an appropriate thread to post this picture I found on The Internet a couple of weeks ago. ;D



It was taken on some do from some brewery in London a couple of years ago. (Sorry to be so vague, but that's all I can remember. Glad to see there are people with an even worse taste in shirts than James.

[Wyvern]

Aww, Linden, that's GORGEOUS Thank you

[maureen]

That is a great picture, Linden. After reading your post, Wy, I've really got a taste for beer. While yellow beer is good for replacing electro-lights in hot weather, I prefer darker beers. They have a very smooth flavour and go down smooth. James may like a beer to tickle his feet, but I like the buzz it usually gives my head and the warm feeling I get inside.

[kirstie42]

Hope this works as I rescued this from the recycling. Original scan if not :- i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo227/Kirstie42/WhatsBrewing.jpg



Finally worked out how to add images hope its not too large.

[lew]

Works for me... ta me dear ;D

[Deleted]

Thank you Kirstie

[blackopal]

Thanks so much, Wy! "Wychwood Hobgoblin" - I definitely would like to try that one, just for the name if nothing else. Cor - check their web site, all kitted out for Halloween!
www.wychwood.co.uk/

When I was in Scotland last year, my favourite brew to order was John Smith. Apparently it's classified as a bitter (if you go by this Wiki entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Smith%27s_Brewery
although it's got a lovely golden colour to it.

Clearly, this calls for more in-depth study on my part - I don't know my lagers from my ales, to say nothing of bitters.

[Wyvern]

Yes, John Smith's is a bitter Sounds like you have the right kind of palate for a bit of ale exploration.

CAMRA has a good definition of the characteristics of bitter - www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=180668

Enjoy the study!

[maureen]

Mmmm! That sounds good right now. I had some when we were in Glasgow in January at the fish n chips restaurant my friend, Cathy, recommended. Very enjoyable.