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Generalisations about beer culture real ale

Control beer

noun. A beer so familiar and consistent that it can fairly be used as an indicator of the quality of an unfamiliar pub. For example, Young’s Bitter.

5 replies on “Control beer”

There aren’t too many New Mexican restaurants new to us any more, but when we find one, or perhaps visit a place we haven’t in a while, then cheese enchiladas (flat) with a mixture of red and green chile (we call that Christmas) serves as a similar control.

On the food front, tarka daal is the thing we always order when we’re trying out a new curry house.

Completely with you on the Tarka Daal. Excellent indicator, that.

The flipside to the control beer would be something like Courage Best or Bombardier, usually on a lone handpump, which usually indicates a pub which would rather not have cask at all. I have to park about 20 mins walk away from my work in High Wycombe, and there’s a pub en route (Beaconsfield Arms) that was recently refurbished, and – of course – sported a sign saying “Cask Ales”. I went up to the door, saw the lone Courage Best pump, and didn’t even bother going in. Shame.

Ant, February 5, 2010 at 10:40 am:
I agree, the Beaconsfield Arms is a rubbish pub, if you’re in High Wycombe and are looking for “Cask Ales” you should try the Bootlegger (previously the Flint Cottage).

It has 7 hand pumps and the ales are rotated regularly.
See:
http://www.thebootleggerpub.co.uk/

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