That urban beer bubble seems to be leaking somewhat. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen the following:
- A spat between two breweries make national television news, newspapers and hugely popular non-specialist blogs, thanks to the Brewdog publicity machine and a compelling tale of skullduggery.
- Marverine ‘Beer Beauty’ Cole on This Morning — a popular and very mainstream TV show — talking as seriously about beer as that format will allow. Much better than the One Show‘s attempt with Jay Rayner from last year which, although good, patronised beer as wine’s less versatile, uncouth cousin.
- News that Brewdog are to have their own Channel 4 TV show. It will almost certainly be unbearable for most beer geeks to watch but may well grab the attention of many others. (Unlike the Neil Morrissey/Richard Fox show from a few years back, this will at least feature actual brewers, rather than celebs playing thereat.)
- A beer from a small local brewer with a prominent ‘craft beer’ label on the pumpclip appearing between Sharp’s Doom Bar and Spingo Middle in one of our local pubs.
- People we have dealings with in the real world beginning to talk about beer the same way they do about music, films or food: as something in which any person of discernment ought to take an interest. It’s odd to see someone you know only through work tweeting about their plans to go to Camden Brewery on Friday night for ‘some quality craft beers’.
Perhaps it is still a bubble and, yes, perhaps it remains predominantly urban, but if this outbreak continues, it might well pop at some point.