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fter reading the BrewDog piece (sorry, I can’t remember where) kind of bashing CAMRA, what is the sentiment in the drinking circle in the UK? I always thought CAMRA was a bastion for good beer (well, at least for real ale!), but they made it seem like they only focused on specific (labeled boring I believe) styles. I haven’t made it over that way, but I am interested to hear how things are and how they compare to what we have in the States.
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CAMRA are quite traditional and stuffy. They really only promote traditional cask ale and seem to be uninterested in other styles. They look to the past and not the future.
The US beer scene has only a recent history which means that it is not bound by tradition. Thus there is more experimentation with beers. This is just my opinion, it may be wrong.
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Originally posted by Elwood
After reading the BrewDog piece (sorry, I can’t remember where) kind of bashing CAMRA, what is the sentiment in the drinking circle in the UK? I always thought CAMRA was a bastion for good beer (well, at least for real ale!), but they made it seem like they only focused on specific (labeled boring I believe) styles. I haven’t made it over that way, but I am interested to hear how things are and how they compare to what we have in the States.
Theres a lot of CAMRA bashing that goes on here. But again here isnt really representative of the Wider UK beer Scene. I know loads of people here who drink good UK cask beer, but dont drink bottles at all. ie they only drink in the pub.
CAMRA like the Wider beer scene is fairly "Traditional" in nature.
There are few or less brewers producing Imperial stout and Double IPAs
CAMRA like any large member organisation, is farily middle of the road. But does quite a lot of good as well. GBBF has an Amazing Foreign bar with beers from around the world, with a large selection of US cask beers. Many of the local CAMRA groups organise local festivals and promote good beer localy.
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Originally posted by traPISSED
CAMRA are quite traditional and stuffy. They really only promote traditional cask ale and seem to be uninterested in other styles. They look to the past and not the future.
The US beer scene has only a recent history which means that it is not bound by tradition. Thus there is more experimentation with beers. This is just my opinion, it may be wrong.
I think thats unfair to say "they look to the past". They represent there wider members.
Its amazing just how many people i serve while working at the festival , who want to drink just the same beer all evening, and more often than not its the same beer they drink every night in the pub.
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The British beer scene is probably the best its been for a long at at present. CAMRA essentially saved cask ale 30-40yrs ago and in the last 5-8yrs things have picked up a bit which are showing that a new movement of styles and brewers are coming out. Id like to hope that its only 5yrs before we have a new group representing these new styles and brewers, which will no doubt take over from CAMRA.
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I think CAMRA are OK, on the whole. Like Tom said, they did a lot of good work in the 70’s and they still organise great festivals but they definitely don’t carry the clout they used to.
Most of the CAMRA members I know are good guys with a genuine interest in good beer but, do they help much in convincing others to drink good beer these days? I don’t think they do, apart from the beer festivals.
I also think a focus on craft beer generally rather than just cask ales called ’Old Trumpet Trousers’ with a watercolour of a fat man riding a train on the pumpclip would be good.
Probably a consumer group focused on craft beer (as opposed to just real ale) with a slightly hipper image would do a better job of persuading the masses to drink good beer.
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Also, regarding the BrewDog piece. They seem to hold a particular dislike for CAMRA that isn’t common among other beer enthusiasts I know. So, if you’re wondering whether the feeling that CAMRA is a significant stultifying influence on UK beer is widely held, I’d say it isn’t.
Sometimes you encounter people who really dislike CAMRA; usually pub landlords who’ve had members in being self-important arseholes; but not any more than one would exect for a group that doesn’t vet their members for arseholery.
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Originally posted by GarethYoung
Sometimes you encounter people who really dislike CAMRA; usually pub landlords who’ve had members in being self-important arseholes; but not any more than one would exect for a group that doesn’t vet their members for arseholery.
Not that I have ever met one, but theoretically it would be possible to imagine a Ratebeerian going to a pub and present themselves as a self-important arsehole. As a Dane, I can envy you for having a beer culture going back more than ten years, at the same time that I’m very happy with our more American-like craft brewing culture.
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Originally posted by ChristianScheffel
Originally posted by GarethYoung
Sometimes you encounter people who really dislike CAMRA; usually pub landlords who’ve had members in being self-important arseholes; but not any more than one would exect for a group that doesn’t vet their members for arseholery.
Not that I have ever met one, but theoretically it would be possible to imagine a Ratebeerian going to a pub and present themselves as a self-important arsehole. As a Dane, I can envy you for having a beer culture going back more than ten years, at the same time that I’m very happy with our more American-like craft brewing culture.
Why are you so angry?
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Who said I am? 
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Originally posted by GarethYoung
’Old Trumpet Trousers’ with a watercolour of a fat man riding a train on the pumpclip
ISO
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