Friday, July 27, 2012

HBH 296

Forgotten pleasure,
Tradition almost vanished:
Beer that tastes like beer.


I got a pint of Old Speckled Hen on draught last weekend, and it brought on the swoons. Such a pleasant change after weeks of suffering the 'craft beer' affectation of the Americans, which has got way out of hand in the last few years. It seems that every bar there now has 20 or 30 different brands on offer, almost none of which you've ever heard of, and almost none of which taste much like beer. I came across one that bore the name 'Blueberry'. I was assuming that this was just a quaint name the brewery had adopted for itself, but the barmaid assured me that it actually tasted of blueberries. Blueberries - all kinds of berries, all kinds of fruit - have their place; but that place is in muffins, pies, and cheescakes, NOT in beer.


No comments: