Beer galore!

In a scene reminiscent of Compton Mackenzie's famous book and subsequent Ealing comedy 'Whisky Galore' a beer fermentation vessel has washed up on the shore of Stinky Bay (I kid you not) on Benbecula! Unfortunately for the islanders it was empty. Hogmanay would have gone with an added swing if beer had been included in the beechcombers' bounty!

A happy Hogmanay and wonderful New Year!

Happy Christmas!

As things are winding down here in the Cellarman caravan, may I wish you a very happy Christmas and wonderful 2008. My next rambling will be in the early new year, so have an enjoyable Hogmanay too!

Bill Gates the brewer

Mr Microsoft has gone into beer. Before you start ruminating about Cellarman being bundled in with Microsoft Office (there's a thought), Mr Gates has bought 3% of Mexican brewer FEMSA. FEMSA brews the lagers Sol, Dos Equis, Bohemia, Tecate and Carta Blanca, and although Mr Gates is unlikely to be turning a malt shovel or digging out a mash tun, he must see the value in investing in brewing and breweries. $392m worth of value.

In the meantime, I've invested in a new mouse for my computer, and a new fleece for visiting breweries. Funnily enough, both were bought using Microsoft Internet Explorer. What is it they say about 7 degrees of separation?

Last orders

I am afraid to say last orders for Christmas and New Year deliveries has now elapsed and orders are now being taken for January 7 2008 despatches. Thanks to all of you for your custom and support in 2007.

Official: stout is good for you!

A pint of the black stuff a day may work as well as an aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks. Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, experts from University of Wisconsin told a conference in the US.

Now, next week they may tell us the opposite, so for the moment rejoice and sing the praises of porter!

Carol concert & mulled cider

I am off to the nursery's carol concert tomorrow. The nativity play is not to be performed this year because it was felt to be unfair to force the children into something they didn't want to do! Who says they want to perform songs at a concert? Anyway, at least we can take photos and record the performances. I am led to believe some local authorities are still agin this! Humbug!

What has this got to do with beer? Nothing. However, have a think about serving mulled cider rather than mulled wine at your carol service or Christmas party. It is really good. Try and get a hold of a 'real' cider, and a good, strong one at that. 6% ABV at the very least. My old mucker John Howkins might baulk at this (he is ex-Bulmers) but try it for yourself.

Sanna the Sami and her reindeer

My wee boy's chum was away to Lapland over the weekend to see Santa. They are visiting Finnish Lapland rather than Swedish Lapland, though I guess the differences are moot. I once worked with a Sami (similar to Lap) woman called Sanna. Every Christmas she would bring in the most delicious smoked reindeer for the office, and we would sit and drink glögg and get well on the way. One of the most (if not the most) Northerly breweries in the world is in Trømso. Norway. The Mack Brewery is family-owned and brews some great beer (including Polar Beer). The Mack Brewery claim to fame, or at least one of them, is that it doubles as the UK Consulate! Diplomatic relations are good in Trømso.

Food glorious food!

My headings are getting more Dickensian the closer we get to Christmas. Apologies for that. It is just that Fiona and Will Beckett have brought out a book called An Appetite For Ale. This is the first book to comprehensively explore beer as an accompaniment to modern British food. Recipes and pairings address everything from cheese to chocolate to spicy food.

I have been a little dubious about the whole beer with food movement. However, I was convinced by A Young Lady at the Stockholm Beer Festival who introduced me to dark chocolate and stout. Try it. It is fantastic! So before we enter a period of traditionally serious feasting, have a think about beer with your grub rather than (or as well as!) wine.

Mr Bumble (in a stern manner): 'MORE! You want MORE!'

Hard times

When trying to decide which charity to give a donation to in lieu of Christmas cards, someone asked whether there was a charity for brewers. A few clicks of the scurrying mouse later (isn't the interweb a wonderful tool?) and I have found the Brewers Benevolent Society based in Surrey. The Society provides financial assistance to individuals who are employed or have been employed in the brewing profession. Terrible to think that people (whatever their profession) have to turn to benevolent societies and their ilk for help during hard times, but in a way it is comforting.

Anyway, that is where Cellarman and Mrs Cellarman and all(?) their little helpers are sending their Christmas card donation this year.

£4 a pint.... £36 a mini-cask (only kidding)

Press coverage today states that the £4 will be commonplace next year. There is enormous pressure on brewers to raise prices in 2008 as the cost of raw materials soars (see my previous note). The sheer dichotomy between that situation and the prices charged by supermarkets at this time of year is astounding. But such is life.

Thankfully, people are becoming more prepared to pay a little bit more for quality, craftsmanship and choice as opposed to mass produced homogeneity. This is not just true for beer, of course, but in beer it is marked. Just look at the choice of local beers available in the 'big' supermarkets nowadays and compare it to what was available just two years ago! Now, the motive for the big boys to list small craft brewers could be debated, but the fact is customers are demanding quality and choice like never before... even if it costs a few pence more.

From the Minstry of Love: Proles may not get cheap beer

Comrade Brown seems to be turning his spotlight on supermarkets who sell alcohol at below cost, effectively as a loss leader. A Labour MP has branded the Tesco Chief Executive as 'the godfather of British binge-drinking'. During a Commons debate, the same MP said “Beer is being sold below the cost of water. It is not baked beans we are talking about here; there has to be a totally different attitude.”

At the risk of being anti-totalitarian, isn't there a demand side problem to be resolved as well as a supply side? Surely people need to be educated that quality not quantity is the key. OK, I have a vested interest but is anyone getting value from 20 half litre cans of lager for £10? The brewer? The retailer? The consumer? Winston Smith?

Last orders fast approaching!

Quick reminder: last orders for Christmas deliveries need to be with me by Tuesday 18 December AT THE LATEST for despatch on Wednesday 19 December. Full services will begin again in the New Year. If you are caught short between Christmas and New Year, get in contact through the website. There maybe something I could do. I can't promise, but I'll do my best.

Please help: how do you define S&N?

A friend asked me today: 'what do S&N do nowadays?'. I replied that they are concentrating on the core activity of brewing. But this is not strictly true as even that core activity is being outsourced.... 3m hectolitres (536m pints!) will be given to Coors to get on with. What does that leave S&N with? Well, I suppose they have the off-trade to contend with, but with prices dropping and costs increasing this is no easy task. Maybe they are becoming a sales & marketing company in the UK? But surely 'Britain's biggest brewer' should keep some brewing asset alive and kicking? Strange, and sad, days indeed.

Sunday sermon (no intended blasphemy)

THE LADS' (and LASSES') PRAYER

Our beer which art in barrels
Hallowed by thy drink
I will be drunk, thy will be drunk
At home as it is in the local
Forgive us this day our daily spillages
As we forgive those who spillest against us
And lead us not into the practice of poncey winetasting
And deliver us from alco-pops
For mine is the bitter, the ale and the lager
Forever and ever

Barmen

Pashminas and knitted bootees

Today is day two of a 'Christmas Street' at the David Lloyd Centre. The cellarman stand is delicately positioned between wonderful hand-made jewellery and Thai nick-naks. The other offers include boots made for walking, chef's gadgets and hand-knitted baby clothes. Not the typical environment for beer you would think. But the number of people picking up the mini-casks for 'a great present for Uncle X' is phenomenal!

All it took was one call

Frantically making sure all the orders go out at the moment. With no elves to help it takes up a lot of the day. Not that I am complaining mind. I really want to ensure our customers get the best possible beer with the best possible service. Not everything goes smoothly, as I am sure you all know. My promise of 'best service' is really tested when things go wrong. Which is why a telephone call from a lady yesterday made my world that wee bit better. She was very, very complimentary about the service, the beer, the website, the delight of our customers.... her words where indeed a shot in the arm!

Thank you kind lady. You made my day.

Peelwall's lunch

I was invited to the Peelwall's lunch last Thursday. Phil Elliott is the cider maker at Peelwall's and a gregarious ex-Navy man who is boisterous company. Unfortunately I had to bale out at the last minute, and when I phoned (the next morning) to apologise to Phil was greeted with a gravelly voice which was obviously the embodiment of a good lunch/afternoon/evening. Phil proceeded to regale me with the 'craic' of the previous day and how his imbibing had got him to his current morning after-state. In the next sentence he informed me it was so good they are doing it again.... and I was expecting to hear 'next Christmas'... but out came 'Wednesday 19th December'. I'll be there.

Poor summer hitting beer prices

The poor summer may soon have an impact on beer prices. Reports coming back to me are of hop price increases of 250%, barley prices up 40% and wheat prices more than 50% higher than last year. This coupled with rapidly increasing power and fuel costs is putting a tremendous squeeze on small brewers who have less ability to absorb these increases.

The hiked raw material prices are just beginning to filter through now, but don't be surprised if you pay a few pence more for your beer soon. Let's face it though a few more pence for a handcrafted beer is surely a small price to pay?