Your Thursday Beery News Notes For The Best Week Of The Year

Yup. The weather this spring has been good so far, thanks for asking.  The air has stayed cool. And a wobbly fence has been replaced and a basement corner refit turned into the revelation that we owned a cast iron heritage sink needing keeping after all. The bugs have yet to hit and I bought that new lawn mower. One that isn’t powered by me. It still feels very twentieth century if I am honest. Power tools always do. This week, Barry has taken us in another direction, pulling some lovely old examples of scythes out of his barn:

I’ve been thinking about scythes again. I think it’s about time I got one, though we have a collection of old handles in the barn, and a fancy metal snath (that’s what the shaft is called, and I only know that because I just searched it). The stems (the bit that sticks out of the snath that the grip is attached to) on two of these are quite wobbly and worm-eaten. Actually, I guess these broke fairly often, as I found a little stack of them on top of a beam in the barn years ago. The third one is rather fancy looking.

I start with this for a few reasons. It illustrates that sort of curiosity about the knowledge that imbues the best sort of worthwhile yet somewhat idle writing. In troubled times access to good idle writing is vital. And focused knowledge drawn from idleness is usually more interesting that personal experience. Not unlike your photos of your meal or child, a lot of the personal is most often best kept personal as, believe it or not, we are all already persons. By contrast, the knowledge gained that leads to a “who knew?” needs sharing.

As a helpful illustration, David’s latest Desi Food Guide piece on Indian food in Britain as exemplifed by the beginnings of Jay Patel’s shop Budgens describes a key moment in any meeting of cultures:

…it’s this food that makes the shop so special in 2025. It’s cooked by Meghana, the wife of Jay’s eldest son, Pratik… “People were wondering ‘how do you eat Indian food?’,” says Pratik. The answer was to show them at a few tastings and this blossomed into holding stalls at local fetes. The clamour was huge but so was the generosity with the family (and its loyal workers) even dropping off free samosas at parents’ evenings and school quizzes. “It snowballed and because the public wanted it we did it more,” says Pratik. “Now people will go for a walk and have a samosa.”

Yes. Samosas came into my life at a very clear point in 1988 when I went back to university to study law. The Grad House at Dalhousie, a side benefit pub near the law school, got a fresh delivery every morning from a home kitchen. Even though my family had a particular connection to a sort of curry going back to the late 1800s, these samosas were the first things I had which were so laced with that much cumin. Who knew peas and potatoes with cumin were that good? There are lots of things I want to learn, a lot of them about what to eat and drink. But that’s about me, isn’t it. Or is that the knowledge. Hmm.

But did I really need to know that Rick Astley was in business with Mikkeller, now seemingly fully excused? Not sure. Did I need an impenetrably indulgent fog of words? Pretty sure on that one. Nope. Let’s face it: much of beer has lost that bit of thrill that can’t compare to a samosa in 1988 or a barn full of antique scythes today. Stan provided a particularly helpful if really sad example this week of how bad it’s gotten:

I did not receive the press release about how Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head), Bill Covaleski (Victory Brewing), and Greg Koch (Stone Brewing, now retired) are “bringing their legendary friendship, their boundary-busting brews, and a rock-and-roll spirit that can’t be tamed” to Manhattan later this month. But… I’m sorry, but although these are founders of breweries that make really good beer who have spent decades in the trenches (and, full disclosure, Sam Calagione wrote the foreword for “Brewing Local”) I won’t be booking a flight to be there June 26. For one thing, that poster is, well, I have no words …

That there’s a bit of a pathetic display – especially given that sort of “rock star” shit was, you know, shit back in the day, too. Fortunately, Stan also gave us a hopeful glimpse of the opposite that may soon be found at the Carnivale Brettanomyces fest coming up at Utrech in the Netherlands:

“Take a sip of beer and you will notice aromas and flavors that remind you of the world around you. Some of these play crucial roles in our physical environment by interacting with the atmosphere, oceans, and geology. We will explore some of the ways common compounds in beer reflect natural processes in our environment and climate, and how life could have evolved to use those compounds to regulate the environment to its benefit in Gaian ways.”

A bit freaky and maybe not entirely my thing but at least it’s actually promising to be about something interesting. Something you and/or I didn’t know much about yet. What else is there to learn about? BrewDog (ie “who cares”) is claiming its changing its brand and vision – as if Martin Dickie hasn’t been there all along:

“2025 marks a new era for BrewDog,” the site states. “A fresh look for our beers. Fresh faces at the heart of the company.” The erstwhile Caledonian revolutionaries are now the official beer suppliers to Lord’s, the home of English cricket, where blazers rather than baseball caps are de rigueur. Lauren Carrol, the newly-installed chief operating officer, confirmed that the UK’s most unruly company has been tamed. “When people hear the name BrewDog they expect us to shock, disrupt and, let’s be honest, probably offend,” she said. “But we wanted to do something even more radical.

Yawn. Didn’t need to know that. Much more interesting was watching the family of a contestant for Britain’s best pub pianist of over four decades ago, one Peggy Fullerton:

It was absolutely mind blowing. The family of Peggy Fullerton spoke to #BBCBreakfast after watching footage found by BBC Archive of her playing the piano and being interviewed by BBC Look North in 1981…

Watch the video under that link: “There’s Grannie Peg!” Fabulous. Speaking of fabulous, there has been actual jostling to get a place as the host for the June edititon The Session, thanks to the whipping up of frenzy by Boak and Bailey:

@morrighani.bsky.social has bagged this month but you should definitely get lined up for next month, or the month after. @beerinthecity.bsky.social is also interested in hosting a future session.

And I liked Jeff’s complaint about the cacophony of styles being pushed by the Brewers Association for the 2025 Great American Beer Festival:

No one needs 108 categories! No one needs 108 categories that balloons to around 200 styles with sub categories! The ever-finer slicing and dicing does not result in clarity, it results in six (!) types of smoked beers… Style fragmentation also leads to an inevitable auroboros exemplified by a category like “international amber lagers” in which Mexican amber lagers will be judged with polotmavý and Franconian rotbier. What?

Remember, as Stan recently reminded us, when folk said styles were important to help consumers understand what they were buying? Not so much now. Elsewhere, someone wrap Jessica Mason in asbestos* as she has been on fire this week asking all sorts of clear questions. Like “why have Belgians stopped drinking as much beer?” and “why have the Irish stopped drinking as much beer?” and “why are UK drinks makers enjoying a rise in profits?“:

“Anecdotally, what we’re hearing from some of our customers is that Q1 brought welcome windfalls. Some tariff-affected international customers have turned to UK firms to do business, while others raced to order more before tariff pauses came off. That’s delivered a shot in the arm for some firms, but more importantly we’re hearing that steadily falling bank rates are starting to stimulate the economy, which obviously is very welcome to UK manufacturers who’ve posted a really strong start to the year.” The data has also highlighted how profitability is improving as manufacturers have held off from buying new stock, instead preferring to use up inventory reserves where possible.

That’s interesting. And David, also in TDB, has added his own question – “what’s wrong with cheap beer?“:

… with my honest hat on, most beer drinkers under retirement age know there’s better options at the bar. And I really wished that those who write about problematic drinking in the media showed the same discernment. Because it isn’t sessionable pints that are the issue here but how pub chains profit from alcoholism. That substance abuse might be from excess beer drinking but it’s also more likely from much higher ABV drinks. Especially because I see morning drinkers drinking their Bells but I rarely see them ‘enjoying’ it.

That’s also a bit of clear observation right there. I like how TDB has been exploring all angles of the trade – the good news and the not so good news – without necessarily making a lot of noise about how that they doing just that. What else is going on? I really liked this observation by Steve of Beer Nouveau in reponse to Katie on gastropubs:

It’s fair to say I don’t like them. But my 81 year old dad does. And his new 82 year old wife (yeah, they got married last year!) does… They know when they go in that there’ll be a menu with favourites like cod and chips, beef wellington, steak, roast chicken and maybe a sticky toffee pudding to follow. They know they won’t be confronted and bamboozled by “dirty fries” whatever the frag they are. They know they won’t need a spoon to help them eat a burger. And they know that they can order a pint of “bitter” and not be interrogated as to which variety of yeast they want that fermented with. Oh, and they’ll also sell Chardonnay as a standard. These are not places for us. These are places for them.

Yup. It’s OK that people don’t like the same things. I like how “it’s not for me” can mean a quick judgement or, more usefully, a realization. Knowing that makes life easier. For example, I had a bit of a moment realizing I wasn’t warming to the tale told by Will Hawkes this week in Pellicle about the brewery German Kraft at London’s  Elephant and Castle food hall called Mercato Metropolitano. Was it phrases like “a no-holds-barred business” and “this is our USP” that reminded me a bit of something I didn’t like? I really don’t think so. I think it’s just a good description of a place that’s probably just not for me. Which is fine.

Speaking of fine, there was some plain speaking over in one corner of the wine world that could equally apply to good beer:

There is no question that wine faces significant issues. I was talking to a leading port producer, who is in a state of near panic (not without good reason, I’d be panicking if I made port!). He was convinced that the anti-alcohol lobby would put him out of business. I suppose that’s easier than admitting you make something that nobody seems to wants to drink any more, but there is no question that the health lobby is reducing wine sales, especially with young professionals, where, if they don’t stay alcohol free they are often turning to cocktails.

And, finally, the details of memorial services for the late Martyn Cornell were posted at his website by his brother David:

For those that wish to attend his funeral it will be held at: Hanworth Crematorium (TW13 5JH) Monday 30th June 2025 @ 12.20 with a small wake at a local pub afterwards to celebrate Martyn’s life. For those that can’t make it we will be having a small wake at Poppyland Brewery, Cromer on Sunday 06 July between 13.30 – 16.30. The family request no flowers.

Still… being that I was raised by a florist and worked in the shop myself perhaps I will still plant something good looking out in the yard in remembrance, something nearby when I need to have a shady sitting spot to sip a beer this summer.

Next week I am on the road so who knows what will be please check out Boak and Bailey every Saturday. Look out for Stan when he feels the urge now that he’s retired from Monday slot. Then listen to a few of the now rarely refreshed Lew’s podcasts and get your emailed issue of Episodes of my Pub Life by David Jesudason on the (sometimes even but never) odd Fridays. And maybe The British Food History Podcast. Maybe? And Phil Mellows is at the BritishBeerBreaks. Once a month, Will Hawkes issues his London Beer City newsletter and do sign up for Katie’s wonderful newsletter, The Gulp, too.  Ben’s Beer and Badword is out there with the all the sweary Mary! And check out the Atlantic Canada Beer Blog‘s weekly roundup. There is new reading at The Glass which is going back to being a blog. Any more? We have Ontario’s own A Quick Beer featuring visits to places like… Michigan! All About Beer has given space to some trade possy podcasts and there’s also The Perfect Pour. Plus follow the venerable Full Pint podcast with an episode just last month!. And there’s the Craft Beer Channel on Youtube. Check out the archives of the Beer Ladies Podcast. That’s quite good but, hmm, they’ve also gone quiet this year. The rest of these are largely dead. And the long standing Beervana podcast …except they have now stood down.  As has We Are Beer People. The Share looked to be back with a revival but now its gone quiet. And the Boys Are From Märzen podcast appears suspended as does BeerEdge, too. VinePair packed in Taplines as well. All dead and gone.  There is more from the DaftAboutCraft podcast, too. Nope – that ended a year ago.   The Moon Under Water is gone – which is not surprising as the ask was $10 a month. Pete Brown’s one cost a fifth of that – but only had the one post. Such is life. Such is beer podcasting and newlettering!

*Please don’t. It’s actually not very good for you. Though, to be fair, neither is actually being on fire. So perhaps we can agree that you will deal with the situation as necessary should the occassion arise.