Craft Beer

[Paul]

Sadly most of the nationally available "staples" of the beer trade have been mucked about with over the last twenty years or so. We have already heard about Abbot, Speckled Hen, Boddington's and Directors is another to add to that list along with the likes of Pedigree, Bass and many more.

Then to add to the confusion there are brands which you might not know where they are brewed. Take Thwaites for example, who still brew in Blackburn but Wainwright is now brewed by Marstons and Lancaster Bomber, one of my favourites, is brewed by Thwaites for their own houses but by Marstons for all other markets. 

I think the rise of those local brewers who have managed to avoid takeover and the ever increasing number of micro breweries is a direct result of all this chopping and changing. Real ale drinkers tend to be quite discerning and they don't alway appreciate the "improvements" to their once favourite tipple.