Me too. I don't drink anywhere near as much as I used to, so it's all about quality (i.e taste and decent ABV) for me these days. And with that in mind, how can you possibly pay less for a 5% premium real ale than an overly-marketed-and-hyped pisswater lager like Carlsberg, Hofmeister or Fosters (UK brewed, Aussie brewed is delicious) where you need to drink a gallon to feel anything - other than the constant need to empty your bladder
And in most foreign countries, of course, where a typical local beer tends to be lager type. But they tend to be more towards the premium styles you mentioned above, all circa 5% abv.
Stella Artois used to be the King of Lager beers when brewed to it's traditional 5.2%ABV and it had the best taste and advertising slogan I've ever known, which was quite simply "reassuringly expensive".
However, they have pissed around with the brew so much firstly reducing it to 5.0%ABV and then to the current 4.8%ABV. The taste has definitely suffered for it, why oh why mess around with a product that was reknowned as being the best of it's kind?
To be honest it was probably due to the fact that the original alcohol content meant they would have had to charge a lot more for it due to new tax regulations. So what, I would have still paid a premium for what was THE premium lager beer.
The writing was on the wall when a gnat's piddle 4.0% version was introduced and they now even produce different flavoured ciders FFS
Me too. I don't drink anywhere near as much as I used to, so it's all about quality (i.e taste and decent ABV) for me these days. And with that in mind, how can you possibly pay less for a 5% premium real ale than an overly-marketed-and-hyped pisswater lager like Carlsberg, Hofmeister or Fosters (UK brewed, Aussie brewed is delicious) where you need to drink a gallon to feel anything - other than the constant need to empty your bladder
But not only can you pay less, but you do in most pubs? Curious.
I don't mind Belgian fruit beers, Dubbels, Trippels, etc but some of the modern stuff brewed over here which is £5,6,7,£8 a pint are a total rip, in my personal opinion. I also tried one which tasted like alcoholic mango juice at the Mash Tun, alias Hog in Armour, on St Benedict's St.
Hence why I volunteer to work in the Foreign Beers bar at the Beer Festival, though obviously you can't drink too much, but I can at least try some fo the beers which in the Belgian Monk would cost £3 and upwards for half a pint!!
Well, my local sells both so when you're next up this way we won't have too many ructions
