Craft Beer



James said:
They knock out a couple of beers every two weeks so plenty of variety to pick from. I couldn't drink a pint of any sour though as much as I love them. 2/3rds is enough of one then move on!

Orbit do a very refreshing tzatziki Berliner Weisse (sour) which goes down a treat on a warm afternoon.

I've got a table booked in at the a Beer Merchants Tap on Saturday night. Gunna drink all my covid savings on lambic and gueuze's.
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The Tzatziki is weird but so easy to drink. No longer living within walking distance of the Tap is the number one negative of moving down here.
 
DoctorMick said:
I started with supermarket beers as well so I don’t doubt it happens. The problem is the vast majority of craft beer drinkers used to buy their fridge fillers from beer shops as supermarkets were a bit boring but that’s definitely not the case now.
Doesn’t impact us too much thankfully as we’re more pub than shop.
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I must be late to the party. My fridge fillers were John Smiths and Guinness. Only now it's stuff like Northern Monk, Tiny Rebel, even Brewdog and Beavertown occasionally. Bottle shop beers have always been a treat for me and never a fridge filler. £5 cans have never been fridge fillers for me.

Pubs opening again will probably hit my beer shop purchases more than supermarkets expanding their ranges. Don't drink much midweek and will be out more on a weekend again hence I'll go through less beer
 
Town End Farmer Giles said:
I must be late to the party. My fridge fillers were John Smiths and Guinness. Only now it's stuff like Northern Monk, Tiny Rebel, even Brewdog and Beavertown occasionally. Bottle shop beers have always been a treat for me and never a fridge filler. £5 cans have never been fridge fillers for me.

Pubs opening again will probably hit my beer shop purchases more than supermarkets expanding their ranges. Don't drink much midweek and will be out more on a weekend again hence I'll go through less beer
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A lot of bottle shops have a range of beers at around £3.50 but that range has dwindled as breweries have done into supermarkets. Bottle shops will of course remain for the non fridge fillers but, imo, that’ll lead to less bottle shops.

Pubs reopening is going to be a killer for a lot of bottle shops, at least short term. As I mentioned before, an awful lot has changed over the last year and it’s going to be interesting to see how it pans out.
 
Town End Farmer Giles said:
I must be late to the party. My fridge fillers were John Smiths and Guinness. Only now it's stuff like Northern Monk, Tiny Rebel, even Brewdog and Beavertown occasionally. Bottle shop beers have always been a treat for me and never a fridge filler. £5 cans have never been fridge fillers for me.

Pubs opening again will probably hit my beer shop purchases more than supermarkets expanding their ranges. Don't drink much midweek and will be out more on a weekend again hence I'll go through less beer
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I think different people probably have different views on what a 'fridge filler' is. The last year I've pretty much only bought stuff I've never tried before which isn't doable with supermarkets only. A fridge filler to me would be something like Neck Oil or Clwb Tropicana which I'd never have gone to a bottle shop for or ordered online.
 
Hammer said:
The Tzatziki is weird but so easy to drink. No longer living within walking distance of the Tap is the number one negative of moving down here.
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It's odd isn't it, it shouldn't work, but it's so refreshing. Everything I've had from Orbit has been solid actually, and I like that they only do bottles, feels like a novelty along with Kernel.

The Tap is so good, I've got a table booked for the next 3 Saturdays. :lol: It's not cheap like, but there's not many places like it, and even fewer with the outdoor space they've got. I can't stand all this booking lark, kills the spontaneity of a weekend, but needs must and I've turned into the most organised bloke going!
 
DoctorMick said:
A lot of bottle shops have a range of beers at around £3.50 but that range has dwindled as breweries have done into supermarkets. Bottle shops will of course remain for the non fridge fillers but, imo, that’ll lead to less bottle shops.

Pubs reopening is going to be a killer for a lot of bottle shops, at least short term. As I mentioned before, an awful lot has changed over the last year and it’s going to be interesting to see how it pans out.
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Thats not a fridge filler for me, a fridge filler to me is a multipack or 4 for £6 or summat. Cheap stuff. Well, cheap as far as craft ales go anyway. Some outside this thread might see 4 x 340ml cans for £6 as exorbitant 😂
 
James said:
It's odd isn't it, it shouldn't work, but it's so refreshing. Everything I've had from Orbit has been solid actually, and I like that they only do bottles, feels like a novelty along with Kernel.

The Tap is so good, I've got a table booked for the next 3 Saturdays. :lol: It's not cheap like, but there's not many places like it, and even fewer with the outdoor space they've got. I can't stand all this booking lark, kills the spontaneity of a weekend, but needs must and I've turned into the most organised bloke going!
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Stumbled across it by accident just after it had opened and was barely out of the place that whole summer. Not too bothered by the prices while you're in there, it's the £50 of take-away I inevitably leave with that drives the price up. One of my mates still lives in Hackney Wick so at least there's a reason to get everyone to trek East occasionally.
Town End Farmer Giles said:
Thats not a fridge filler for me, a fridge filler to me is a multipack or 4 for £6 or summat. Cheap stuff. Well, cheap as far as craft ales go anyway. Some outside this thread might see 4 x 340ml cans for £6 as exorbitant 😂
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Exactly, fridge filler is sessionable that you wouldn't mind sharing!
 
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Town End Farmer Giles said:
If the quality is there plenty people will move on from paying £3 a can, to £4 to £5 and onwards for even better stuff. It's a gateway to a whole new world of beer.
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Town End Farmer Giles said:
It came true for me. I buy fridge fillers from supermarkets and treat myself to a bottle shop periodically. @Longy, you moved up from supermarket stuff to bottle shops?
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DoctorMick said:
I started with supermarket beers as well so I don’t doubt it happens. The problem is the vast majority of craft beer drinkers used to buy their fridge fillers from beer shops as supermarkets were a bit boring but that’s definitely not the case now.
Doesn’t impact us too much thankfully as we’re more pub than shop.
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Aye, this was pretty much me. I’d bought the odd thing from bottle shops, but wasn’t a regular & the price would be quite important, never went high end. Started spending £3.50 on Roaster Coaster & felt like billy big bollocks. I started to go to Blues regularly & it’s a hobby now.

So now a fridge filler for me is £3-£4 a can stuff from the supermarkets. I bought the 4 pack of Northern Monk Biscuit Stout rather than a 4 pack of Murphys. I’m not saying there’s not a place for Murphys, I’ll buy a load of them for BBQs or camping, basically when I’m getting pissed & not logging each drink on Untappd.

As for how my habits might change when pubs are back open, I was (am) a stereotypical binge drinker. When I go out I do 10+ pints, usually Guinness, but if there’s a different type of stout I’ll buy it, providing it’s session strength. What this means is, my imperial stouts won’t get drank before I go out, I’ll get too pissed, I’ll not drink them when I get in, it’ll be a waste & I’ll get too pissed. So it’ll be stuff like the Northern Monk Biscuit Stout or Vaux’s Black Wave.

I guess I’ll have fewer nights where I’ll have 3/4/5 imperial stouts whilst watching YouTube too.
 
Hammer said:
Exactly, fridge filler is sessionable that you wouldn't mind sharing!
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Drinking in the garden last year me and my neighbour were talking beer, I said you'll have to try something different, you might like it (he was drinking coors iirc). I meant a fridge filler, think it was Faith at the time

Missus came out of the kitchen and handed him a can. Verdant. I'm still f***ing seething.
 
Town End Farmer Giles said:
Drinking in the garden last year me and my neighbour were talking beer, I said you'll have to try something different, you might like it (he was drinking coors iirc). I meant a fridge filler, think it was Faith at the time

Missus came out of the kitchen and handed him a can. Verdant. I'm still f***ing seething.
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I remember my missus’ brother coming over, I said he count have whatever he wanted...he went into the garage and the fucker walked out with a bottle of Cantillon!!!!
 
Town End Farmer Giles said:
Drinking in the garden last year me and my neighbour were talking beer, I said you'll have to try something different, you might like it (he was drinking coors iirc). I meant a fridge filler, think it was Faith at the time

Missus came out of the kitchen and handed him a can. Verdant. I'm still f***ing seething.
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That’s my nightmare like. Cos I don’t generally buy more than one. They can have a sip, that’s it.
 
DoctorMick said:
I remember my missus’ brother coming over, I said he count have whatever he wanted...he went into the garage and the fucker walked out with a bottle of Cantillon!!!!
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You asked for that really. I'd have done the same.
Longy said:
That’s my nightmare like. Cos I don’t generally buy more than one. They can have a sip, that’s it.
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100%. If I've only got one can of something, I'm having it.
 
Town End Farmer Giles said:
Proper Aladdins cave your garage I reckon
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Aye, I honestly can’t wait to share it with people tbh.
Hammer said:
You asked for that really. I'd have done the same.
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You’d have done it because you knew it was a good beer so I’d have been happy with that. He went in blind and picked out one of the best beers in there by sheer chance...very annoying. 🤣
 
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DoctorMick said:
Aye, I honestly can’t wait to share it with people tbh.

You’d have done it because you knew it was a good beer so I’d have been happy with that. He went in blind and picked out one of the best beers in there by sheer chance...very annoying. 🤣
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Genuine question: The price has always put me off those types of beer; I know I like the style and I'd definitely enjoy them but are they really worth the prices they charge in your opinion?
 

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