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Beer in cans versus bottles

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sprinterguy

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Crikey, to think that ale nearly died out in the late 1990s and you're worried about Brewdog.
"Nearly died out"? The trend for draught cask ale in terms of total volume has been a downward one since a peak in 1980 (and in total market share for longer than that) until very recently, but it's been a gradual decline as far as I know - I'm not aware of any notable statistical blip in the late nineties myself.
 
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DarloRich

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Tell that to the good people of Cloudwater. In Manchester. Or Rooster's in the cockney holdout that is Harrogate. Obviously you've tried all their beers?

I have tried many ( but not all) of their beers, thanks. Never been impressed with Roosters. Find it a bit American for my taste.

BTW - I have tried a fair few Brew Dogs. My views aren't based on lack of tasting ;)
 

Bald Rick

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Having always been a beer snob and drunk out of bottles, I was appalled to be handed a can of John Smith's at a party. However, poured into a glass it was quite palatable.

Good grief, I’m not a beer snob either, but if someone handed me a can of John Smiths at a party I’d hand it straight back! Dreadful stuff in any format.
 

Ashley Hill

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I always thought nitro-keg beers were/are bland. Although not a fan of "craft" beer at least it has flavour even if it is fizzy. John Smiths is ok as long as it's free! In a twist to the OP if JS is in a can I prefer the origional to the smooth!
 

route101

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Indeed. 'Not proper beer' is a misconception that many microbrewers and craft brewers continue to fight to overcome. I'm no huge fan of the way Brewdog markets their products but some of their beer is pretty decent. Cloudwater and Fourpure are better examples of great craft breweries that have emerged in recent years. Their stuff knocks the spots off some of the murky brown twig-water found in certain stickier-carpeted establishments.

There's room for all styles. Horses for courses!

Arent Fourpure owned by a big coparation?
 

Spamcan81

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Having always been a beer snob and drunk out of bottles, I was appalled to be handed a can of John Smith's at a party. However, poured into a glass it was quite palatable. And it became my everyday drink at 18 cans for £15 at Morrisons. Value for money there.
Never drink out of the can, always in a glass, might reduce the tinny flavour people complain about.
Always drink Budweiser out of a bottle, under no circumstances put it in a glass, that is awful.
Never drink Guinness out of a bottle - put it in a glass, despite that ad campaign they ran a few years back.

John Smith's should never be poured into a glass, it should be poured down a drain. Awful stuff IMO. As for Budweiser, that makes John Smith's taste good.
 

Spamcan81

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Not at all, there's a huge variety of it. If you were going to use "it's nitrokeg" as a reason, it's long been the case that nitrokeg is the favoured method of delivery in Scotland; handpumps are more popular in England and Wales.

It might not appeal to your "anti-pretension", but that's purely the image, not anything to do with the quality of the actual beer.

Crikey, to think that ale nearly died out in the late 1990s and you're worried about Brewdog.

If you think the ale situation was bad in the 1990's you obviously never experienced the Watney's "Red Revolution" era of the 60s and 70s. Keg reigned supreme and the number of breweries still doing cask ale were few and far between.
 

Mag_seven

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If you think the ale situation was bad in the 1990's you obviously never experienced the Watney's "Red Revolution" era of the 60s and 70s. Keg reigned supreme and the number of breweries still doing cask ale were few and far between.

"Now the bitter war is over" ;)
 

sprinterguy

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Drinkable. Thornbridge make decent stuff. Bit hipster obvs but under control ;)
I personally feel that Thornbridge have done an excellent job of straddling the divide between craft beer and traditional brewer. They have a core range of sensible, unchallenging bitters and pales - even though their trademark beer has long been a 5.9% IPA - and their branding is classic and understated rather than brash and in your face.
Can't be as bad as all that Caffreys/Kilkenny nitro-keg nonsense from the 90s.
Caffreys is still around pubs in the Newcastle area and is eminently neckable. Plus it doesn't give me the hangovers it was renowned for when it was launched in the mid-nineties.
 

DarloRich

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I personally feel that Thornbridge have done an excellent job of straddling the divide between craft beer and traditional brewer. They have a core range of sensible, unchallenging bitters and pales - even though their trademark beer has long been a 5 9% IPA - and their branding is classic and understated rather than brash and in your face.

agreed!
 

route101

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Yep, Lion bought them. The beers haven't changed but they're using FourPure's distribution and sales arm to get craft Australian brewers into the UK market..Little Creatures being the first example.

Ive seen Little Creatures in a few supermarkets. Used to get Coopers in Tesco
 

Kingspanner

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New experience last night in the Darlington Hippodrome. At the bar with Mrs Kingspanner as designated driver I was confronted with a poor choice, eventually settling for a Guinness, which I assumed would come from what looked like a tap. Quelle Horreur! the bar staff produced a can which they proceeded to pour into a fairly stiff plastic glass. This was looking grim before said "glass" was placed onto a new-fangled* "surger unit". Ultrasonic waves nucleate the dissolved gas and the head and texture appear as if by magic.

Tasted of absolutely nothing.

I've been to Dublin many times and only a couple of years ago took Mrs K to St James' Gate where we enjoyed a pint each in the Guinness museum. It is true what they say, if you are going to drink Guinness, drink it in Ireland.

*OK so apparently not new at all. Years ago there was a home version you could buy if you were daft enough to buy Guinness in cans. I just hadn't seen it in an actual bar before.
 

Bald Rick

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I've been to Dublin many times and only a couple of years ago took Mrs K to St James' Gate where we enjoyed a pint each in the Guinness museum. It is true what they say, if you are going to drink Guinness, drink it in Ireland.

Although,if you’re going to have Guinness in Ireland, St James’ Gate is probably best avoided. A proper Pub on the west coast will do nicely.
 

ainsworth74

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Gentle reminder that this thread is about beer in cans versus beer in bottles not general feelings on beer! We do have a thread for discussing beer preferences which you can find here.
 

yorksrob

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New experience last night in the Darlington Hippodrome. At the bar with Mrs Kingspanner as designated driver I was confronted with a poor choice, eventually settling for a Guinness, which I assumed would come from what looked like a tap. Quelle Horreur! the bar staff produced a can which they proceeded to pour into a fairly stiff plastic glass. This was looking grim before said "glass" was placed onto a new-fangled* "surger unit". Ultrasonic waves nucleate the dissolved gas and the head and texture appear as if by magic.

Tasted of absolutely nothing.

I've been to Dublin many times and only a couple of years ago took Mrs K to St James' Gate where we enjoyed a pint each in the Guinness museum. It is true what they say, if you are going to drink Guinness, drink it in Ireland.

*OK so apparently not new at all. Years ago there was a home version you could buy if you were daft enough to buy Guinness in cans. I just hadn't seen it in an actual bar before.

I recall from my stout drinking days that there used to be something called Guiness Original which was available in cans and was without a widget. It was very flavoursome.
 

Ashley Hill

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I recall from my stout drinking days that there used to be something called Guiness Original which was available in cans and was without a widget. It was very flavoursome.
In the right off-licence it was possible to obtain Nigerian Guinness. It was then in a very large bottle and about 8%. The head was a thick yellow froth and tasted of liquorice and was brewed there under licence. The last bottle I managed to obtain was in a 330ml bottle with a far lower gravity and declared brewed in Dublin. It tasted much like the Foreign Export.
 

yorksrob

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In the right off-licence it was possible to obtain Nigerian Guinness. It was then in a very large bottle and about 8%. The head was a thick yellow froth and tasted of liquorice and was brewed there under licence. The last bottle I managed to obtain was in a 330ml bottle with a far lower gravity and declared brewed in Dublin. It tasted much like the Foreign Export.

That sounds a bit more tasty, although personally I shy away from anything more than 5% these days.
 

ATW Alex 101

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If I had to choose in a bottle or can, it would definitely be in a bottle. But some beers that I like (that most of the forum brethren would class as disgusting) such as Fosters and Stella don’t do much wrong in a can!

Aside from beer, my all time favourite drink has to be Coca Cola in a glass bottle and ice cold, nearly to the point of frozen. Poured over ice and a nice slice of lemon. There’s just something about Coke in a glass bottle.
 
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route101

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If I had to choose in a bottle or can, it would definitely be in a bottle. But some beers that I like (that most of the forum brethren would class as disgusting) such as Fosters and Stella don’t do much wrong in a can!

Aside from beer, my all time favourite drink has to be Coca Cola in a glass bottle and ice cold, nearly to the point of frozen. Poured over ice and a nice slice of lemon. There’s just something about Coke in a glass bottle.

Yes , coke and irn bru tastes better out of glass , the mexican coke in glass bottles is very good
 
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