English Beer

Mo14

Hey everyone.
My parents are heading to England next week, and I was thinking of asking them to pick me up three or four bottles of beer that aren't available to us in Ireland for me to try. I know the likes of drinkstore has a great selection of British beers, but I'm sure there must be some very tasty beers that are fairly easy to get there but aren't sold here? Anybody got some ideas of which beers I could ask them to bring back?

Dahtac

http://www.thekernelbrewery.com/

You will make a lot of people very jealous if you manage to grab a bottle or two from here

Mo14

Thanks for the suggestion, but unfortunately I don't see Windsor or Birmingham (where they'll be) on the Where to Buy page. Shame, some of their beers look very interesting.

Dahtac

That's a shame. I have been hearing nothing but praise and much taunting from English friends since they hit the market

Technocentral

The Newcastle Brown Ale in cans in Birmingham is to die for!

Mo14

Haha, I'm sure it's much better than the Nookie Brown in cans I've had in Kilkenny, but I'll give it a miss.

BeerNut

Hobson's is local to Birmingham and does good bottles -- Old Henry in particular. Thornbridge stuff should be available too: Bracia and Halcyon aren't sold here yet.

Sonovagun

Try Badger ale.

Mo14

Thanks Beernut, nice advice. I'll ask them to look for those two Thornbridge beers, I enjoyed the beers I've tried by them a lot.

Technocentral

Mo14 wrote: »

Thanks Beernut, nice advice. I'll ask them to look for those two Thornbridge beers, I enjoyed the beers I've tried by them a lot.

I was jesting about newkie of course.Btw to poster above, badger ales are in loads of places over here nothing special bout it.

du Maurier

Many to choose from of course over in the UK, but why oh why can't we get some Boddingtons in this country. I was quite taken with that tipple when I lived over there briefly.

BeerNut

du Maurier wrote: »

why oh why can't we get some Boddingtons in this country.

Mostly because big beer companies don't bother with niches. Boddington's is owned by A-B InBev, whose beers are distributed by C&C in Ireland. Ireland mostly drinks lager and cider, so they distribute Stella, Beck's Vier, Staropramen, Tennents, Brahma and Bulmers. To some specialty pubs, and the supermarkets, they'll bring Hoegaarden and Leffe because there's a big enough niche for that. As regards English bitter, they sell thimblefuls of Bass in a handful of outlets, mostly to old men. They're not going to see any advantage in trying to sell another one as well.

du Maurier

BeerNut wrote: »

Mostly because big beer companies don't bother with niches. Boddington's is owned by A-B InBev, whose beers are distributed by C&C in Ireland. Ireland mostly drinks lager and cider, so they distribute Stella, Beck's Vier, Staropramen, Tennents, Brahma and Bulmers. To some specialty pubs, and the supermarkets, they'll bring Hoegaarden and Leffe because there's a big enough niche for that. As regards English bitter, they sell thimblefuls of Bass in a handful of outlets, mostly to old men. They're not going to see any advantage in trying to sell another one as well.

Thanks for the thorough reply. That's a shame really, in my opinion. I'd make a sterling effort to keep the drink popular should it be introduced. I'd start a campaign:). Joke aside, the 'popular' brands they bring in have little 'charm' to them in my opinion, hence the popularity I suppose.

I could be of a very small minority here, but is said Boddingtons actually a drink that you beer enthusiasts would embrace here? I know there's plenty of alternatives out there, but that seems like a popular (or at least available on draft) tipple that's available in the UK that one would've thought would be an easy enough option to acquire and sell in the Irish market - just seamlessly stick it in on draught in certain pubs around Ireland.

It's not quite Kilkenny and not quite Guinness (or similar stouts). It's just right.

BeerNut

du Maurier wrote: »

is said Boddingtons actually a drink that you beer enthusiasts would embrace here?

Not me anyway. I don't like any of the nitrogenated "smooth" bitters: Boddington's, John Smith's Smooth, Tetley's. At best they lack flavour, at worst they're cloying and gloopy. I find Boddington's far too sweet. Bitter should, in some way, be bitter IMO.

There's a cask version brewed in Manchester by Hyde's but I've never seen it.

MetalmanBeers

In Windsor, the Windsor and Eton brewery is quite central, and they sell their bottles directly from the brewery. They make a lovely black IPA, and the Windsor Knot is great too. In the Birmingham area, you might be lucky enough to come across Brewsters beers in bottles - pale ale and porter, both excellent.

Good luck and enjoy whatever comes home!

Chriscl1

BeerNut wrote: »

Not me anyway. I don't like any of the nitrogenated "smooth" bitters: Boddington's, John Smith's Smooth, Tetley's. At best they lack flavour, at worst they're cloying and gloopy. I find Boddington's far too sweet. Bitter should, in some way, be bitter IMO.

There's a cask version brewed in Manchester by Hyde's but I've never seen it.

Hydes anvil, I used to work there.

du Maurier

BeerNut wrote: »

Not me anyway. I don't like any of the nitrogenated "smooth" bitters: Boddington's, John Smith's Smooth, Tetley's. At best they lack flavour, at worst they're cloying and gloopy. I find Boddington's far too sweet. Bitter should, in some way, be bitter IMO.

There's a cask version brewed in Manchester by Hyde's but I've never seen it.

I haven't sampled it for a number of years now. Perhaps my tastes have changed since then and I'm in for a (not so pleasant) surprise.

Mo14

Technocentral wrote: »

badger ales are in loads of places over here nothing special bout it.

Aye. I picked up their Fursty Ferret today in Kilkenny in fact.