BrewDog Beers

The alcohol free range of other companies has way surpassed BrewDog crap over the last few years. I love love IPA and a porter (Titanic Cherry Porter will always be my number 1 from infant Hercules, I'd buy a pint now just to smell it 😀), but haven't had a "real" beer for 4 years. "Big Drop" make some amazing drinks. Poolside is just phenomenal, shame the only place I have seen it is at PlayBrew. Or pay a small fortune online.
 
I quite like Brewdog. They were better when they were new and there was a bit of anti-establishment but now they are firmly the establishment and some of the things they rebelled against they have fully embraced (like cost-cutting, treating staff terribly and mass-production). They are definitely not "craft".

A lot of their core beers are very hoppy and I like that but I can understand why others wouldn't. They aren't the best but they are not bad for the price and compared to the mass-produced options we used to get, which was pretty much just lager, then they are a step above. I think they have really pushed the market on and a lot of the great beers we have as a selection now in bars and supermarkets have them to thank a bit.
 
Pak_Doo_Ik said:
I have and have to say I loved it. The roof top bar was a nice touch as was the free drinking arrival. Food not the greatest I seem to recall but overall a great experience, LPs wise I think I got The Sniths, Blondie, Bowie and possibly Oasis or The Stone Roses. Location is fab too, would recommend to anybody.

Also big Hazy Jane and Elvis juice fan and am partial to double Punk (or normal Punk on the draft machine)
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I have actually been to the one in Columbus.
 
Hazy Jane, Punk IPA and Lost Lager are all nice I think.

As someone said, Brewdog burgers are excellent. The company itself has moved far its original purpose. Hence the Punk name of their IPA.

I know a few people who live in Ellon and people are still proud it’s from their area.
 
Muttley said:
I think the advent of zero % beers and lagers prove you wrong there. They used to be universally pretty bl**dy awful but now some are very palatable and easier to drink over an evening than diet coke or lemon and lime. Guinness Zero is very decent and unless you did a back to back tasting I doubt many could tell it was alcohol free.
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Yep, still can't really get on with alcohol free but some are OK at a push.

Would love to find one I love, particularly for the summer, beers on a hot day in the garden is a constant temptation but can't be drinking alcohol every day (sadly).

Even if I am only wanting to do it because it's the done thing and can't possibly enjoy the taste 😂
 
Muttley said:
I think the advent of zero % beers and lagers prove you wrong there. They used to be universally pretty bl**dy awful but now some are very palatable and easier to drink over an evening than diet coke or lemon and lime. Guinness Zero is very decent and unless you did a back to back tasting I doubt many could tell it was alcohol free.
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Nah, I don't think they actually like them, I think it's more of a mental thing, people think they need booze, and this helps them con themselves they're having booze.

Better to drink these than booze of course, far better for you and a lot less calories I assume?

Diet coke is awful, but not as bad as full fat coke, but I think I don't really like either of them as I associate them with vodka, and I pretty much dank a litre of vodka and 2 litres of coke over Fri/ Sat night every weekend for about 15 years :oops: That was after about 5 can fri/ sat night too.

Guiness is rancid, says a lot that people largely only really drank it on st paddy's day. I think Guinness is more "cool" now, which is why more seem to drink it now.

Don't get me wrong with what I'm saying here and above though, I still drink Lager for the same reasons as everyone else, but I don't think that reason is really taste, it's all in the head/ feeling of the alcohol I think. I appreciate I might be a minority in my line of thinking!

I went from drinking shed loads to practically nothing nowadays, now I no longer go out on the town much. But I was always more of an all or nothing person, could never understand why people would just have one or two drinks, for me it was always 10 or none.
 
Andy_W said:
Nah, I don't think they actually like them, I think it's more of a mental thing, people think they need booze, and this helps them con themselves they're having booze.

Better to drink these than booze of course, far better for you and a lot less calories I assume?

Diet coke is awful, but not as bad as full fat coke, but I think I don't really like either of them as I associate them with vodka, and I pretty much dank a litre of vodka and 2 litres of coke over Fri/ Sat night every weekend for about 15 years :oops: That was after about 5 can fri/ sat night too.

Guiness is rancid, says a lot that people largely only really drank it on st paddy's day. I think Guinness is more "cool" now, which is why more seem to drink it now.

Don't get me wrong with what I'm saying here and above though, I still drink Lager for the same reasons as everyone else, but I don't think that reason is really taste, it's all in the head/ feeling of the alcohol I think. I appreciate I might be a minority in my line of thinking!

I went from drinking shed loads to practically nothing nowadays, now I no longer go out on the town much. But I was always more of an all or nothing person, could never understand why people would just have one or two drinks, for me it was always 10 or none.
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It's such a bizarre statement to make with that much certainty that nobody likes beer/lager. It sounds very much like you have been doing something you think is cool or to fit in and are assuming everyone else is the same.

I, and I assume I'm not the only person, regularly drink just one beer or I drink an alcohol free beer because I enjoy the taste. The reason I don't drink it more regularly is because it's unhealthy.
 
Brewdog are Craft beer pioneers who have basically turned into a Macro brewery these days, they even brew other companies beer. Black Heart was the last straw (hey, let's make a stout to compete with Guinness...but in order for people to actually buy it, we need to make it taste just as bland as Guinness!) The worst thing is they discontinued an actually decent stout in Jet Black Heart in order to produce it.

Not to mention the dodgy ethics. Just google James Watt or look up Punks With Purpose on Twitter/X and you'll find countless stories from people within the industry. Multiple PR stunts which have turned into fiascos, such as the Lost Forest haven't helped either.

I still do like a few BD beers though. Their current coffee stout, Grind is fairly decent and i'll always have time for Double Hazy Jane (formerly O-G Hazy) as it hits that sweet spot at 7.2% abv of being a NEIPA and a Double IPA where the booze actually amplifies the hop flavour rather than just masking it (Seriously, Triple Hazy is the worst TIPA i've ever had!)

Craft beer from supermarkets is largely rubbish anyway, though. There's a reason you can't get the likes of Verdant, Beak, Deya, Track, Cloudwater etc in Tesco/Morrisons/Sainsburys. Northern Monk very hit and miss these days too, their supermarket output is absolutely garbage but their Patrons Project series is very good. North Brewing put out the odd decent beer but again their website/bottleshop selection is so much better.

Vocation, Brew York and Vault City's supermarket offerings are pale imitations of the beer they sell directly, too. Vocation in particular. If you like flavoured stouts and can get hold of any of their BA releases then do so, you won't be disappointed.

In conclusion, if you want decent craft beers, you won't get them from supermarkets.
 
Muttley said:
Some OK, some not. All a bit over priced and over hyped.

But then I'd rather have a well kept pint of Cameron's Strongarm (other traditional beers are also acceptable) than 90% of "craft beers".
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Really hard to find these days… even in Hartlepool
 
Nano said:
It's such a bizarre statement to make with that much certainty that nobody likes beer/lager. It sounds very much like you have been doing something you think is cool or to fit in and are assuming everyone else is the same.

I, and I assume I'm not the only person, regularly drink just one beer or I drink an alcohol free beer because I enjoy the taste. The reason I don't drink it more regularly is because it's unhealthy.
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Nah, when in 20's and 30's I just liked being drunk on nights out, and just drank lager as it slowed me down before going on spirits. I think spirits were more cost effective mind, especially on the pre-drinking front.

I've just realised I've had a crate of Moretti in the beer fridge since Christmas and there's still about 12 in there. Got about 20 bottles of gin, which I've had for years and they're barely touched. I find G&T a lot nicer than beer or lager mind.

Decent lagers are sort of ok (assume it's mainly the marketing making me think that), but I would enjoy a soft drink much more (usually diet fizzy drinks). It's like carling, fosters, carlsberg etc, probably the biggest selling lagers and they all taste absolutely horrendous to me. Come groups seem to say they like (carling, fosters etc) more than the supposed "better" lagers, and other groups say the supposed "better" lagers taste better? Which one is wrong? I can go out with two or three different groups of mates and they all seem to all drink the same drinks? I'm sure people don't make specific friend groups for 20-40 years based on beer preference?

Never bought a non-alcoholic beer in my life, and never will I think. Tried a few and I just don't get it.
 
Andy_W said:
Come groups seem to say they like (carling, fosters etc) more than the supposed "better" lagers, and other groups say the supposed "better" lagers taste better? Which one is wrong?
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Neither are wrong. You seem to be struggling with the concept that people have different taste preferences.

I don't like olives. I have no problem believing other people genuinely like them though!

I'm sure you're right that some people - particularly young men - only drink beer to fit in and aren't really that fussed. I'm sure some only drink it to get drunk. That seems to be your own personal experience and that's fair enough.

But why us it so hard to believe that others genuinely like the taste of it?

I love Weissbier. My mother in law is not a drinker and she doesn't really go out with friends. She very rarely gets so much as tipsy and if she does it's on wine.

But on the odd occasion she'll happily have a half of my Weissbier. I can't think of any reason she'd do that other than because she likes the taste!
 
I listened to the craft beer podcast recently where the guy interviewed the owner of three brothers brewery - he asked him what was the favourite drink around teesside..... he replied "carling & fosters" 🤪
 
I don't mind most of the Brewdog beers, but the Brewdog/Aldi Punk is actually nicer than Brewdog Punk.

I got some of the Post Punk Tropical last week and it's really nice. Tastes a bit like Um-Bongo.

I have shares in Brass Castle Brewery in Malton and some of their beers are outstanding.
 
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