Sunday 26 November 2023

Wasting my time?

I've assembled all this information about 1970s beers. Enough to do something like the brewery section of the Good Beer Guide. But with the bottled and keg beers included.

Is it weird to do a guide the past? For a lost world? Though I have done all that stuff about the DDR. There's a whole country that's gone forever.

Here's what an entry might look like.

Shepherd Neame
Favershan, Kent Tied houses 235    
    OG ABV  
draught
Bitter Pale Ale 1031 3.00 well hopped
Best Bitter Pale Ale 1036 3.68  
Light Mild Mild     similar to the Bitter, only in clubs and on the Isle of Sheppey
Mild Mild 1031 3.21 Dark Mild
Old English Stock Ale Pale Ale 1039 4.01  
keg
Draught Abbey Pale Ale 1044 4.01  
Hurlimann Swiss Lager Lager     imported
bottled
Light Ale Pale Ale 1029 2.83  
Abbey Ale Pale Ale 1044 4.01 medium-strength
Bishop's Finger Strong Ale 1053 4.71 pale
Christmas Ale Old Ale     very strong
Brown Ale Brown Ale 1026 2.75  

Am I wasting my time?

5 comments:

Chris said...


"Is it weird to do a guide the past? For a lost world?" It's worth it! Born in the 1980's I've never had the chance to drink the DDR beers,the british pale ales of the 1970's, the urquell in the 1980's. How Heineken brewed beer in WWII....Through your work theses beers stay alive. Helps me so much to understand it all.

Laura Parks said...

I was born in 1985, and I am very appreciative that you’ve done this research. I don’t think you’re wasting your time. I think it is important and interesting.

Anonymous said...

I find all of your work interesting 🍻👍

Anonymous said...

I don't understand half of it, but I like nudging my understanding a fraction of an inch from time to time. I find the prose explanations and theories especially helpful.

Chris Pickles said...

Definitely not a waste of time.

Maybe a couple of extra columns for IBU's, colour etc.

Maybe some 'reader reminiscences' while those of us who drank those beers are still alive and retain our memories.