Heineken Sales Down As Dickheads Migrate To Craft Beers

Alun

Baron Kurtz wrote: »

Other countries, the UK imo, don't have this hang up. Probably because they've been doing it right for a long time and we're a bit new to it - giving those people who are also equally fresh to these in vogue tipples an outlet to crow about it.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The UK went through the whole Real Ale movement, spearheaded by CAMRA, back in the 70's and 80's (I was part of it!) and today practically every pub in the country has at least 2 cask ales on tap, many have many more including a section of regular guest ales. There isn't the snooty pretentious attitude that seems to surround the "Craft Beer" scene here, it's just another product on sale along with all the other regular stuff in ordinary, everyday pubs.

I've just come back from a 2 week walking holiday in Cornwall, and managed to sample 16 different beers from 5 different breweries without having to try hard at all. These were, in the main, the only pub in some quite small villages, and I didn't have to go searching for a pub that served them.

If only we had that situation here in Ireland I'd be a happy man.

Alun

First Up wrote: »

Agree there is a lot of pretentious guff around the CAMRA scene. That doesn't mean the beer isn't a lot better as a result.
I recall some purists who refused to recognise some excellent Scottish beers because they were not dispensed through gravity feed. Still smashing beers though.

It's become a bit like that in recent years I think, possibly an extension of the Craft Beer thing, but it wasn't like that back in the day at all.

It's a bit like all the guff surrounding coffee. A few years back, espresso style coffee was all the rage amongst the afficionados, but the average Joe on the street couldn't afford a machine to make it. Now they're two a penny, so the coffee snobs have to look elsewhere, now singing the praises of filter coffee, something they'd have turned their noses up at years ago. They just have to have something they consider superior to what everybody else is drinking, so they can look down on them sneeringly.

First Up

Alun wrote: »

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The UK went through the whole Real Ale movement, spearheaded by CAMRA, back in the 70's and 80's (I was part of it!) and today practically every pub in the country has at least 2 cask ales on tap, many have many more including a section of regular guest ales. There isn't the snooty pretentious attitude that seems to surround the "Craft Beer" scene here, it's just another product on sale along with all the other regular stuff in ordinary, everyday pubs.

I've just come back from a 2 week walking holiday in Cornwall, and managed to sample 16 different beers from 5 different breweries without having to try hard at all. These were, in the main, the only pub in some quite small villages, and I didn't have to go searching for a pub that served them.

If only we had that situation here in Ireland I'd be a happy man.

Correct. Most beer drinkers in England have grown up with local, regional and speciality beers as the norm. We'll catch up eventually and so will attitudes.

JustAddWater

Alun wrote: »

It's become a bit like that in recent years I think, possibly an extension of the Craft Beer thing, but it wasn't like that back in the day at all.

It's a bit like all the guff surrounding coffee. A few years back, espresso style coffee was all the rage amongst the afficionados, but the average Joe on the street couldn't afford a machine to make it. Now they're two a penny, so the coffee snobs have to look elsewhere, now singing the praises of filter coffee, something they'd have turned their noses up at years ago. They just have to have something they consider superior to what everybody else is drinking, so they can look down on them sneeringly.

While sipping their craft beer on their decking under their outdoor heater, all while eating a pulled pork sandwich

Grandeeod

Egginacup wrote: »

Wanker-alert right there. So the pheasant was born and raised in Wicklow? Went to school there did he?

Pheasants are wild. They fly all over the country.

Pan-seared? How else are you going to sear a piece of meat? In a bucket?

Wicklow is actually well known for its game and in particular pheasant. The term/meal "Wicklow Pheasant" is very popular and can be found on a lot of menus along the east coast. "Pan Seared" is yet another culinary term.

osarusan

As usual, the people moaning about the preachy snobs are far more numerous than those they moan about.

Roger Hassenforder

JustAddWater wrote: »

While sipping their craft beer on their decking under their outdoor heater, all while eating a pulled pork sandwich

Decking and pulled pork is so passé.

Beefy78

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

You must be joking. The snobbery around "real ale", CAMRA vs. mass-produced refrigerated fizzy keg rubbish is monumental.

But people who drink both manage to coexist in the same pubs and online forums without this dull one-upmanship that we see on here.

Dayum

The craft beers are great.

Bit pricey but you get a warm feeling knowing you're supporting the small breweries as opposed to propping up Diageo and these big commercial corporations.

Your daily run-of-the-mill piss is made within 2 days - craft beer is REAL beer; it's left to ferment for a month or so....

So keep supporting the small breweries....

First Up

JustAddWater wrote: »

While sipping their craft beer on their decking under their outdoor heater, all while eating a pulled pork sandwich

You're just jealous.

somesoldiers

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

Decking and pulled pork is so passé.

have heard "pulled chicken" ( Rachel Allen O'Briens ads) and "pulled ham" somewhere else recently, up til 2 years ago the only pulling I had heard associated with foodstuffs was "pulling your plum"

flas

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

I worked in bars for years, if we ran out of Heineken we'd tap on a barrel of Carlsberg or even Harp back in the day.
Nobody ever noticed, it's all hogwash.

I'm calling shananagians on this, they have different tapping heads so one can't be tapped to the other!

Drakares

daveyeh wrote: »

True.

But I'm sick of listening to craft beer gob****es ****eing on about how great the alternatives (and by extension themselves) are.

**** off.

When I come back to Ireland on holidays, people call me snobby for refusing to drink this pisswater you're referring to..

I DO NOT LIKE CARLSBERG OR HEINIKEN so why should I be forced to drink it because other people do? I have not assumed to be more cultured because I prefer Weißbier. However when I don't want a pint of pisswater, people like you assume I think I'm too good for it.. I just don't fecking like the stuff.

Anyone ****ing on about how their beer/wine/house/job/whatever is better than yours, then they are a twat full stop.

Generic Dreadhead

I did not realise quoting the WWN was now a valid type of thread.... yet when someone does it for the Daily Mail... well god help them, and that's more farcical :rolleyes:

henryporter

You're always going to get some jumped up inverse snobbery from the rabble.

First Up

henryporter wrote: »

You're always going to get some jumped up inverse snobbery from the rabble.

They are just jealous because our toenails are good enough to allow us wear sandals without socks.

Jamsiek

somesoldiers wrote: »

any craft beer I have tasted was muck, some from Trim in some place on Dorset street, a few in Brew Dock on Amiens Street, wouldn't be rushing back to either place and only went in coz of a work thing- or maybe I just have no taste

I don't think it's a matter of having no taste, maybe you're just not drinking the right stuff.
The west coast of Canada where I live as well as the US have great craft beers, lots of different types and flavours.
A place I sometimes go to has 100 beers on tap alone.
Some beers are not for everyone but it's nice to have the choice IMO.

Areyouwell

I don't drink craft beers, but Christ Heineken is piss. Especially if drank out of a bottle or can.

marco_polo

Not a huge fan of Carlsberg or Heineken, but always wonder what are all these alleged preservatives which it appears are so crucial to the longevity of an already pasteurised beer.

humbert

Diego Simeone wrote: »

Cask is a specific brewing and serving method. How could you have a problem with someone describing ale as cask when that's exactly what it is?

Ah. I thought perhaps you were telling me that it had broader application than I realised. There are lots of craft beers and smaller breweries making great beers, it's people that latch on to the term cask ales as if there is nothing else that bug me.

If, on the other hand, a person really does just like cask ales, well that's perfectly fine.

Beaner1

humbert wrote: »

Ah. I thought perhaps you were telling me that it had broader application than I realised. There are lots of craft beers and smaller breweries making great beers, it's people that latch on to the term cask ales as if there is nothing else that bug me.

If, on the other hand, a person really does just like cask ales, well that's perfectly fine.

Cask ales are the only man for me. Fresh, at cellar temperature and with the right amount of gas. Very rarely found in Ireland. Instead we're left with lots of Irish breweres who are fairly new to the game knocking out stuff that is ok but way overpriced in some pubs. The savings in duty and marketing are not passed on to the customer at all.

Laois6556

What's happened to Ireland? It used to be you'd have as many ale's or stout's that your stomach could hold, jump in your motor and head on home to see if you could get it up for the wife. We've lost our ****in identidy!

delw

Peasants drinking their "craft beers" , Dutch Gold is where it's at

SilverScreen

delw wrote: »

Peasants drinking their "craft beers" , Dutch Gold is where it's at

There's a difference between craft beers and crafty beers.

First Up

SilverScreen wrote: »

There's a difference between craft beers and crafty beers.

Crafty being an anagram of sorts?

Rucking_Fetard

Plastic Bits Found Floating Around In 24 Out Of 24 Samples Of German Beer

BionicRasher

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

I worked in bars for years, if we ran out of Heineken we'd tap on a barrel of Carlsberg or even Harp back in the day.
Nobody ever noticed, it's all hogwash.

Different keg systems. Carlsberg and Bud may have had the same but heineken was a D coupler and I believe Carlsberg a G coupler. Maybe it's changed over the years since I owned a bar but I think its hard to tap the wrong stuff.

anncoates

rubadub wrote: »

I doubt that very much, I have no doubt a large percentage would fail blind tasting, but being served up what they think is heineken is less likely again. There is a mod in the beer forum who a member of some group into their beer tasting and homebrewing. He is always going on about the imporantce of blind tasting and telling people to challenge themselves. A group of them from this organistation met up in a pub and did proper blind tasting of numerous stouts and few could distinguish between them. Not rare oddball stouts, it was guinness, murphys, beamish, o'haras. I would think bud is more distinctive than heineken.
.

I've always thought I'd be able to blind taste the difference between Carlsberg/Heineken or identify some of my favorites but I'm intrigued as to whether I could now after reading this. :pac:

thesandeman

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

wychwood ginger beard beer is some lovely stuff.....although ive recently started growing my beard and its ginger hmmmmm.

I'm guessing you haven't tried Crabbies Ginger Beer yet?

hardCopy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

is there any craft beer that tastes of anything other than excessive hops?

Try a few red ales from Irish micros. Independent, kinnegar, 8 degrees and mcgargles are all nice and not hoppy.

The hop obsession is quite overdone by a lot of craft brewers, I think it's just a backlash against the blandness of the mass produced stuff.