I think it'd be interesting to maintain a watching brief on what EBCU is doing, what methods it's using, and how effective each of the National organisations are at following up their goals etc. It does sound interessting, especially the interaction with the big breweries. TBN has a point though, and I'd imagine that EBCU are also focussed on the consumer. We, as a group, need to think about this offline and put together our thoughts, and roadmap, if any, in this regard.
"Adeptus":3dy0tmei wrote: I think it'd be interesting to maintain a watching brief on what EBCU is doing[/quote:3dy0tmei]Oh absolutely. And it'd be great if they were formally aware that we are here and are generally like-minded, if not in the same actual business, for now.
"Adeptus":3dy0tmei wrote: I'd imagine that EBCU are also focussed on the consumer.[/quote:3dy0tmei]Advice on consumer-targetting strategies would be brilliant. [i:3dy0tmei]Cheap[/i:3dy0tmei] consumer-targetting strategies...
"TheBeerNut":5odh3ibi wrote: It goes back to us not having tied houses but a largely voluntary tied [i:5odh3ibi]market[/i:5odh3ibi].[/quote:5odh3ibi]
Hmmm, interesting, we'd always assumed the Irish market was tied as far as the bars, the British way.
or is it, just like on the continent, that the bars voluntarily sign agreements by which they sell the beers of one brewer only for a number of years, getting in return a loan which banks wouldn't grant them ?
&quot;Laurent Mousson&quot;:2as86t2c wrote: Well, not quite. The EU decision means that foreign non RG-abiding beers can be sold in Germany.[/quote:2as86t2c]Really? That's crappy. I thought that they could pretty much use anything that could also be used in any other food, and that you could only say it was brewed according the [i:2as86t2c]gebot [/i:2as86t2c]if you followed the old legislation. And here was me thinking I'd move over there and revive some old styles <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->
&quot;Laurent Mousson&quot;:2as86t2c wrote: The principle is still anchored in the current German legislation on beer. To be called beer, a beverage must be made of malt, water, yeast, hops. And that's it ? No, there's exceptions:
- top-fermenting beers can contain brewing sugars (but no unmalted grain)
- Hop extract can be used
- Exceptions can be obtained for beers brewed for export.
Scary, innit ? <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: -->
[/quote:2as86t2c]Kind of <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> I didn't realise there were so many exceptions till I read up on it last night.
&quot;Laurent Mousson&quot;:2as86t2c wrote: So it's not five centuries... more like one... but a big lie thats repeated often enough soon becomes a fact. <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->[/quote:2as86t2c]
Yes, which is what I was alluding to in my subsequent post. The fact remains that so much is made of the [i:2as86t2c]gebot [/i:2as86t2c]over there that it is part of a mindset that's difficult to change. I wouldn't like to call it arrogance. It's part of history, and right or wrong, it's just the way it is now (I thought yer mans site ranted a little too much, and it made me think of UK tabloid headlines during world cup time <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> ). The main thing is, how can this be changed? I think bashing what they consider "tradition" (lets not argue semantics about dates) will put theur backs up and make them appear arrogant. They just need a big hug and to be told it'll all be allright, and they can still have interesting beers <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->
[quote:21o9li4l]If we sat down with Diageo today and said "You should make better beer", they'd say "Ireland doesn't want better beer. We've tried giving them variety, giving them artisan, and they won't drink it. What are we supposed to do?" [/quote:21o9li4l]But have they tried to give us better beer? The latest attempt at variety is the Brewhouse series which has seen us given ever so slightly different versions of Draught Guinness that are either
a. so similar as not to make a damn of a difference or b. even blander than the regular offering (Northstar, please!)
It seems to me Diageo toy with the idea of 'better' beer every once in a while but then they shy away from adding any semblance of flavour that might make it really different.
This whole discussion is very interesting in the sense that EBCU have actually managed to have a dialogue with the big brewers. We're a long long way off from that, and maybe it's not even the function of a group supporting 'craft' brewing but it shows the potential of an organised group.
To be honest I get the impression that a numbers of publicans don’t have an interest real interest in what they sell; they will buy the usual brands of the big three.
Not a whole lot of interest in trying to get indigenous brewer beer
Britain had a large under current of people who want real ale; unfortunately this is a yellow, fizzy, low flavour lager drink country.
" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->
" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> I didn't realise there were so many exceptions till I read up on it last night.
" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->[/quote:2as86t2c]
" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> ). The main thing is, how can this be changed? I think bashing what they consider "tradition" (lets not argue semantics about dates) will put theur backs up and make them appear arrogant. They just need a big hug and to be told it'll all be allright, and they can still have interesting beers <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="
