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HALIFAX & CALDERDALE CAMRA CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALECampaigning for Real Ale, Pubs and Drinkers' rights since 1971 |
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EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE 
WHAT IS REAL ALE? Real ale is simply beer that contains live yeast, allowing it to develop and mature. This gives a wonderful variety of gorgeous beery flavours. In the pub, real ale undergoes a secondary fermentation as it conditions in the cask. IS IT BETTER? Real ale in a bottle has a more complex flavour than processed beer, which can be dull and one-dimensional in comparison. It tastes fresher too, without the need for extra carbon dioxide pumped into the bottle. Not only is it a more natural product, many drinkers prefer the enhanced flavour that comes from the additional maturity. ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADVANTAGES? Properly created and looked after, bottle conditioned beers can be kept for years. The ideal storage is dark with a constant, cool temperature. This allows the beer to mature and develop, producing fantastic flavours. IS IT NEW? At one time, all bottled beer was real ale, as the techniques to filter, pasteurise and sterilise are fairly recent innovations. Even half a century ago, most bottled beers would have been real ale. As brewery rationalisation and the trend towards keg beer gathered pace in the 1960's, all real ale fell out of favour with many breweries. The decline continued, such that by 1984 CAMRA's Good Beer Guide listed just four British bottled real ales, plus one widely available import. Courage Imperial Russian Stout, brewed at John Smiths in Tadcaster, was a very strong (11% abv) stout. It was brewed occasionally before finally being dropped. Each batch was dated, the last was in 1993, but you may still see bottles on sale. Thomas Hardy Ale, the country's strongest naturally conditioned bottled beer (12% abv) was originally brewed by Eldridge Pope. Having closed their brewery, the beer fell by the wayside but has recently been revived by O'Hanlon's of Devon. A favourite in many countries, much of the beer will be exported to the USA. Gales Prize Old Ale (9% abv) was the UK's only naturally-conditioned beer sold in a corked bottle. It's still going strong today, proving if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Worthington White Shield (5.6% abv) used to be available in most Bass pubs and many others. It has faced an uncertain time over the last 20 years, having moved from its Burton home to several other breweries. A couple of years ago, it moved back to Burton and is now brewed in the brewery at the Bass Museum, which is part of the Coors group. Guinness Extra Stout (4% abv) was brewed in Dublin and imported to the UK. It meant there was something worth drinking in just about every bar in the UK. Sadly, Guinness couldn't see the light for the dark, and withdrew this fabulous real ale in a bottle a few years ago. It was replaced by a filtered, pasteurised version, although other real variants continue to be exported elsewhere in Europe. Over the last 20 years, the trend has reversed. A similar list from the 2004 Good Beer Guide, it would run into 100's of bottled real ales. WHO BREWS REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE?
Nowadays, most real ale in a bottle comes from
microbreweries, eager to explore new markets at home and abroad. Bottling some
of their beer means they don't have to rely on the small number of free houses
to sell their beers. Many have recognised the importance of bottle beer,
particularly for export. However, family
ARE THE BOTTLE VERSIONS OF WELL KNOWN CASK BEERS REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE? Generally not. Read the label to find out more IS IT JUST BRITISH? Bottle beers with sediment are brewed in many countries - Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, France, USA, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Australia and many more. Of course, not every beer from these countries is real ale in a bottle. AREN'T ALL FOREIGN BEERS LAGERS? Absolutely not! It's true that Pilsner style lagers dominate the beer market in most countries, but there is a rich variety of ales and other beer styles from all over the world. Some of these would be familiar to drinkers who have only ever experienced British real ales, while others are completely different or unique examples, but wonderful nonetheless. HOW CAN YOU RECOGNISE IT? Look for this CAMRA logo on the label. Alternatively, there are often clues to look for on the label. One or more of the following phrases usually means you've got real ale in a bottle: - real ale in a bottle
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bottle conditioned or bottle fermented - live or live beer - unfiltered - refermented or secondary fermentation in the bottle Flemish/Dutch - hergist in de fles - nagisting in de fles - bier op gist - niet gefilterd (ongefilterd) French - refermentée (refermentation) en bouteille - biere sur lie/levure - non filtree German
- hefe,
or mit hefe (as in hefeweissbier) - ongefilterd - flaschengärung - naturtrüb - nachgärung Alternatively, look at the bottom of the bottle. It's often possible to see a fine layer of sediment. Less often, there is an obvious yeasty sludge. HOW TO POUR IT?
For a clear beer, let the sediment settle to the bottom before
opening. Carefully open the bottle without disturbing the sediment. Pour
steadily in CAN THE SEDIMENT BE DRUNK? The sediment is all natural, an essential part of the beer. It will do no harm if it is drunk, although the beer may not look too attractive. In fact, many drinkers prefer to add it to the beer. Belgian wheat beers, such as Hoegaarden, are meant to be drunk cloudy. For these, pour most of the beer into the glass, then swirl the remaining beer around in the bottle to disturb the sediment and pour into the beer. WHERE CAN YOU BUY IT? The best selections are often in specialist off-licences, such as in Calderdale:
Czerwik's, 83 Commercial St, Brighouse HD6 1AQ 01484 720912
The Oasis, Albert St, Hebden Bridge HX7 8AH 01422 845893 Wine & Food Co, 3 Leeds Rd, Hipperholme 01422 202985
Deli Belge, 59 Wharf Street, Sowerby Bridge, HX6 2AF, 01422
836110 A little further a field, Beer-Ritz, Far Headingley, Leeds has one of the best selections of bottle beers in Yorkshire. Several internet web sites offer to deliver to your door (although usually at a price). www.bottled-ale.co.uk CAMRA beer festivals often feature real ale in a bottle, both British or foreign. It is also possible to buy real ale in a bottle in many pubs, off-licences and supermarkets. In fact, some bottle real ales have been developed for specific supermarkets keen to sell a quality product. Also look out in gift shops, craft and garden centres or even farmers' markets. WHAT ARE THE BEST KNOWN EXAMPLES? Worthington White Shield was the original India Pale Ale and has always been real ale in a bottle. Despite a checkered recent past, the beer survives and continues to grow now it’s being brewed in Burton again. Fuller's 1845, an award winning strong (6.3% abv) ale, is the best selling real ale in a bottle in Britain. It was first brewed to celebrate 150 of the brewery. Gold Miner, brewed by the Freeminer Breweryc, is a beautifully hoppy and refreshing pale ale of 5% abv, available exclusively in many Co-op supermarkets. It also features the most informative label of any bottled beer, with lots of background material, as well as full ingredients and nutritional information. Local examples include Beyond the Pale (4.2% abv) from Eastwood & Sanders of Elland and Tabatha (6% abv), a Belgian style blonde ale by the Anglo Dutch Brewery of Dewsbury. Seen less often, all bottle beers from Cropton Brewery, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, are real ales, being bottled in a labour intensive production line involving all brewery staff and anyone else available at the time. The better known and more widely available foreign bottle beers with yeast include: Duvel, Hoegaarden, Chimay, Westmalle (all Belgium), Anchor Steam Beer (USA) and Coopers Sparkling Ale (Australia). Words: Geoff Green. Illustrations: Christine Jopling © Halifax & Calderdale CAMRA, 2004 |
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