I don't know why I thought about this but all the "boy who cried wolf" stuff with BrewDog and CAMRA this week must have triggered it. For those who have not seen the story, I can do absolutely no better than cite the world's best beer writers, Boak and Bailey, from their recent post "Can Everyone Just Grow Up":
...based on what we’ve read so far, we’re annoyed at both parties... Brewdog make some beers we really love. ...But Brewdog’s relentless pursuit of publicity and attention-seeking is really boring. They’ve got nice beer, good design — why do they need to be so malevolent? Is ‘irritating’ one of their ‘brand values’? ... And CAMRA… well, they make us sad. Why can’t they just try to turn the other cheek, show some statesman-like dignity, and make their critics look petty and bad-tempered for once? Brewdog take the piss and push and push, hoping for a controversy, and CAMRA give them one.
Let's be clear first off. I said the "best beer writers" and I stand by that completely. Others may have aspirations to write texts or travelogues and achievements to back that up. Others still may have depths of research and decades of drinking and newspaper columns behind them. Still others know all the telephone numbers of all the players in the trade. But when these two good people post, I want to read that first. Because the craft of simple concise, warm, clear, personal, informative and pleasurable writing is more than a skill, it is something of a gift. And Boak and Bailey have it. Deal with it.
OK, enough of that. Speaking of awards, as I did in my last post where I suggested that this blog needs to sponsor a Beer Drinker of the Year Award (and apparently Becks agrees... until, no doubt, my people get in touch with theirs), I wondered out loud to myself (I did, I did - people remarked, even) why it was that CAMRA still gave out the "Champion Beer of Britain" awards when it only represented one minority portion of beer brewing in Britain? I felt so strongly... I made a tweet. See, I may not know everything but science has proven that beer > real ale. Could Coke create the Best Soft Drink Awards of American and exclude Pepsi products? So, in addition to the Beer Drinker of the Year, I am thinking about creating the A Good Beer Blog award for the, ta-ta-da-dah, Champion Real Ale of Britain awards every year. Like a parallel universe, it will be awarded to every one of CAMRA's Champion Beers of Britain (because, you know, there seems to be more than one "champion"... awkward "branding"...) and will provide the winners with some literature on being pedantic along with some certificates for something that somebody sends in sometime. Perhaps a tie. It could happen.
That has to be a winner. Right?
Comments
Stephanos - July 21, 2011 2:56 AM
There's only one champion per year. Therefore bronze, silver and gold in various style categories (as with most beer competitions)
Bailey - July 21, 2011 4:23 AM
Blimey. Thanks. Nice to be appreciated.
Knut Albert - July 21, 2011 6:40 AM
Yes, they are splendid writers. They are very nice in person, too.
Velky Al - July 21, 2011 6:41 AM
think of it like Major League Baseball and its World Series.
And yes Boak and Bailey write great posts, but they are even better to share a pint (or was it 10?) with.
Alan - July 21, 2011 8:16 AM
"Major League Baseball and its World Series"?
That only works if there were unacknowledged better teams out there.
And why have "Supreme Champions" if there is only one champion?
Bailey - July 21, 2011 8:42 AM
Al -- we don't mention that night. You and Max led us badly astray.
Alan - July 21, 2011 8:48 AM
Did I mention they are also easily led?
Bailey - July 21, 2011 8:51 AM
We didn't even want any beer. We were in Prague for the architecture and history and shit.
Alan - July 21, 2011 8:53 AM
See, its that "and shit" stuff that catches you every time. We keep that off our little lists at travel time now and the hangovers are much more manageable.
Velky Al - July 21, 2011 10:44 AM
plenty of shit in Prague, mostly dog. Thus the drinking was an act of kindness because only with umpteen pints inside can you successfully navigate the turd laden trails without stepping in it.
Of course, we could have taken you to the Rudolfinium for tea instead of U slovanske lipy for Kout na Sumave. You just had to ask! ;)
Velky Al - July 21, 2011 10:45 AM
Oh and don't forget Evan, it wasn't just me and Max.
Bailey - July 21, 2011 10:58 AM
But Evan went home early, sensible chap. It was you and Max who took us to the *third* place which was open late, and where I thought we were going to get murdered, or poisoned by the marinated cheese....
Velky Al - July 21, 2011 11:02 AM
Ah yes, Zly Casy. If I recall from the smoke laden fug, I myself was rescued by the good lady Mrs V as she had forgotten her house key. Anywhere after that was entirely Max's doing! (I hope for your sake there wasn't any Pivni Prvni Tramway involved).
ATJ - July 21, 2011 12:42 PM
Ah, Pivni Prvni Tramway, great place, unusual designs on the loo tiles though…
Alan - July 21, 2011 1:23 PM
Once, no word of a lie, in Paris in 1986, while walking for ten minutes to the restaurant from the hotel with my pals I stepped in dog shit three times. Surely Prague can't beat that.
But, aside from the poo question, isn't it nice how people come together when CAMRA is gently mocked?
Jeff Alworth - July 22, 2011 2:32 PM
Interesting to mention best writer. Until he died, I think Jackson was the undisputed champeen. He took a fair amount of heat for his scholarship (as all early scholars do), but I doubt anyone would claim his prose lacked luster.
You actually have fair claim to the title, which is why I read your blog. I enjoy Ron Pattinson's prose a great deal, too. Most people read beer writers for their prose the way sports fans read sports writers, so it's a little-examined facet of the endeavor. I notice, though, and a few others do, too.
Alan - July 22, 2011 2:47 PM
Me? No way.
But likewise, for me, not clearly Jackson either. I think he was the best researcher of contemporary brewing to that point but I actually would claim his prose lacks a little luster - compared to other trade writers but not necessarily writers in the trade. Best short writings about beer for me are those Richard Boston's (of what I have seen) as there was something of the personal essayist about him. Jackson also had such a massive body of work that he is likely to stay considered a great. Best long piece of work? Hornsey.