Travel Info: Fullers Condones Fake Cask Beer in US

According to BeerAdvocate.com Fullers is supporting the sale of depressurised keg beer through handpump beer engine systems here in the US. Check out the following link:

formatting link

Bruce CAMRA member from New Jersey

P.S. I witnessed this first hand in an Irish pub in Key West, Florida last year.

Reply to
Bruce
Loading thread data ...

Hi all, I couldn't believe what I was reading this indeed appalling behaviour on behalf of Fullers. My wife & I run a successful Freehouse (GBG registered) here in Norfolk and do sometimes include Fullers beers in our guest list, but this may change. I have to-day emailed Fullers UK demanding a response, as was pointed out in the beeradvocate threads this practice would be illegal in the UK. I must admit so pissed am I that if I don't get a proper explanation from Fullers I doubt I'd have their beers back again. Just my two pence worth.

Reply to
Steve C

While I agree that it's really disingenuous to serve keg beer thru a handpump, I didn't know it was illegal in UK, anyone know what law that is?

I just assumed seeing as we have many dispense forms in UK, that any of the common ones were legal, (and that there was no compulsion to serve only cask beer thru a handpump) as long as you served about 90% of a pint in the glass.

I know I have been served cellar-tank beer thru a handpump in a brewpub in the past, but as it tasted lovely, and was unfiltered & unpasteurised (under blanket c02 tho) I didn't mind at all. Cheers, MikeMcG.

Reply to
MikeMcG

No it's not illegal. We used to frequent the Jodrell Arms in Whaley Bridge (Derbyshire) when it was an excellent place run by Jackie Bond (ex Lancashire cricketer and umpire). When he was forced out due to exorbitent rent demands it was taken over by a cowboy who decided to serve keg Wilson's mild through a handpump. That was the last time we went there. Since then it's had many licensees, none of whom has managed to make a success of the place, despite attempts at a Thai restaurant, and attempting to appeal to underage drinkers. I don't know its current fate, although a quick Google suggests that it may be doing better at the moment.

Brian

Reply to
BrianW

The problem for many of

The way I look at it is - if the pub is actually owned by the regional and so emblazoned with that company's insignia then it has no excuse (Youngs, are you listening?). The bricks and mortar of the pub are owned by 'em, the beer's brewed by'em. NO EXCUSE. The feeble defences like "it's due to bad managers" or whatever is buck-passing and is dishonest.

JP

Reply to
Jeff P

Yes the brewery has a responsibility in how and where the beer ends up. So I am with you on that score. However that doesn't change the fact that these beers can be magnificient.

Your statement, "Not only do these breweries* rarely ever brew anything interesting" clearly shows you believe there is a problem at source. I think you are wrong on that score.

*Fullers, Youngs, Green King, Shepherd Neame, Adnams, Jennings, Robinsons...
Reply to
Brett...

Actually the main comment (and I'm one of the regular ones making it) is that the beer has nothing intrinsically wrong before the cellarman gets hold of it.

I haven't been up Hampstead hill for a while but the last tour there was one of profound disappointment. Lack of cellar cooling in most establishments meant that the usual offering was a luke warm beer soup. The funny thing was that I'd been in the Brittania Tap (Warwick Road) earlier in the day (and in the full heat of it) and the beer was pleasantly cool and a pleasant drink.[1]

I presume your argument is that the brewery should be shelling out for the cellar cooling in which case I'd tend to agree

[1] Lets leave aside personal preferences in beers shall we? I've heard people rave about Bullmastiff beers that I thought tasted of bubblegum. Oh, and Boddingtons was always boring once you'd got past the hop blast - they simply eliminated the hop blast and left the boring.
Reply to
Steven Pampling

Can be, but pick one of their pubs at random and you'll have a choice of dull, boring or insipid - e.g. Youngs Ordinary, Green King IPA, Wadworth 6x etc.. The good beers produced by the regionals are increasingly only found only in bottles and the bottles not found in the pubs.

My brother said that, not me, but we do have similar views.

I have the misfortune to live on Youngs home turf and I know too bloody well how dull their pub beer generally is. I also know how delightful SLA can be but how many of their pubs have it - bugger all. I actually rather enjoy Youngs Pilsner which is very tasty in a fruity way but usually over-carbonated (even more than mainstream lagers) and sometimes oxidised.

Reply to
Jeff P

I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous post regarding lack of investment in proper cellar kit.

I tend to agree with the general statement. But I actually like "Ordinary" (if the cellarman hasn't naffed it up)

Reply to
Steven Pampling

ISTR a case where Trading Standards pursued this one through the courts and got the judgment that seeing handpumps on a bar gives the customer the impression that they are drinking real, i.e. cask-conditioned ale, and therefore to put keg beer through a handpump is misleading, which does fall under Trading Standards legislation. (I also STR the trading standards officer in question was a leading West Midlands CAMRA member at the time!)

Reply to
Christine

Jeff P wrote: only found only in bottles and the bottles not found in

My apologies for the misquote!

Reply to
Brett...

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.