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The Month That Was: June 2014

Despite spending more than a week in London sidling up to people saying “Pssst! Wanna buy a book about beer?” we managed a decent number of posts in June.

[ezcol_1third]Barley illustration. [/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_2third_end]We’ve noticed a distinctly improved malt character in the last two pale ales we’ve brewed at home, and think we know why…[/ezcol_2third_end]

[ezcol_1third]Beer mixes illustration[/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_2third_end]For the Session #88, we asked people to try ‘traditional beer mixes’. Here’s our contribution.[/ezcol_2third_end]

→ A letter from former CAMRA chairman James Lynch prompted us to consider whether beer geeks owe a debt to the old regional brewers.

→ A bit fun: etiquette expert R.M. Banks considers the impact of smartphones on pub conversation.

→ In the first part of a series, we finally got round to trying Mackeson Stout, as recommended by Michael ‘Beer Hunter’ Jackson in the first beer guide we ever bought.

→ And in the second part, we tried Williams Bros Ebulum.

→ The launch of St Austell Korev in cans led us to ponder the meaning of those little tins that are so fashionable these days — what message do they send?

We rounded up Session #88, for which there were 18 entries.

→ A 1995 edition of The Grist magazine shone a light on a turning point in British beer culture.

A few interesting beer-related projects have emerged or are underway, from podcasts to print magazines.

We found Pistonhead Lager rather depressing.

→ Our week away wasn’t just about flogging books — we also got to gorge on the kinds of beers we rarely see in Cornwall.

→ Inspired by a 1964 book we picked up in London, we wrote about the Britannia, a British pub installed at the 1958 Brussels World Fair, aka Expo 58.

Do tasters given away by pubs and bars impact on their margin? And do they pass the cost on to drinkers?

→ Another in a month of firsts: we finally got to try Greene King XX Mild, which we were beginning to doubt really existed. (“But it’s really common where I live, ten yards from the brewery!”)

We dissected a 1984 guide to real ale in Devon in search of insights.

→ Four new instalments in our video series The Strange Rebirth of British Beer in 10 Objects went live.

→ We put together a couple of new galleries: brewery bigwigs and London pub details.

→ And if that’s not enough to keep you occupied, check out the links in our weekly round-ups of news, nuggets and longreads.

One reply on “The Month That Was: June 2014”

There you are, having a quiet drink in a craft bar, not bothering no one, and strangers come up to you trying to flog you beer books. Diabolical liberty. Harassment it is.

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