If you look at most other countries, they brewed a way narrower range of beers. Pale Lager, Dark Lager, Strong Lager. That was about it. Even in Germany, the most renowned continental brewing nation, apart from specific regional specialities, the variety wasn't great.
OK, Belgium was home to an amazing variety of often pretty weird stuff. But look at its northern neighbour, Holland. What did you have there? Pils, Pils, more Pils, seasonal Bock, the odd Dortmunder, Oud Bruin and that's it.
In Czechoslovakia, they still had almost a full periodic table of Lager styles, most of which no-one had heard of. That was the exception, though.
Now let's look at strength. In most countries, everything was 4.5% - 7%. And almost everything was around 5%, depending on local laws. The UK had beers from 2% to 11% ABV. Yes, most beer was session strength, but there were still plenty examples of way stronger beers: Bass No. 1, Gold Label, Courage Russian Stout. Beers far stronger than you'd find in most of the world.
UK beer culture wasn't crap. It was one of the most diverse and vibrant in the world. We should remember that.
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Some of us will never forget. In the late 70's and early 80's I thought I was living in beer heaven, and it only got better when breweries like John Smiths started brewing cask beer, to a very high standard, after a long hiatus. Other breweries, that only produced a mild and a bitter, started to produce a best or a special bitter. Jennings did this, and Theakston's with XB, Ind Coope with Burton Ale. Whitbread brought out Castle Eden Ale, it was glad confident morning again.
Of course it couldn't last. But it was great at the time.
England also had the advantage of relatively easy access to foreign beer. Here in the US imports were limited to just a fraction of what was being produced overseas except in a few specialty stores. We could otherwise get a few unremarkable imports like Carling Black Label or Corona. Maybe one Irish bar in town might have Guinness Stout.
Funny that a bottle of imperial stout is in a conical beer glass makes you wonder whether this whole glasses thing is a load of bollocks.
While not as diverse style and brewery wise you still had bitters,milds, barleywine and of course stout. Phoenix bitter, smithwicks mild, Mcardles mild,Smithwicks mild, and even Perrys, Guinness,Murphys and Beamish.
Oscar
British beer culture still is one of the most diverse and vibrant in the world. People tend to forget that, too.
@Lars Marius Garshol I fully agree.
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