British beer from a Canadian viewpoint

The sign suggests beer and lager are different when they're not

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 *This article appeared in issue 14 of the Lunesdale drinker

The pub-centred culture of beer drinking in Britain is surprising from a Canadian point of view, mostly because here nearly all drinking happens in a pub. Draft beers and the pub system seem to work in excellent unison and the cost makes a social gathering easy and affordable. By contrast, in Canada, going out for drink is a planned, coordinated and costly event, thus most beer will be drunk in a domestic setting. I much prefer the social atmosphere of a nice pub.  

For clarification, it’s important to explain what I mean by the word ‘beer’. By ‘beer’, I don’t mean ‘Bitters’. For some strange reason, in Britain the word ‘beer’ seems to be synonymous with a ‘Bitter’ or some variation of a ‘Bitter’, like a ‘Best Bitter’, or ‘Premium Bitter’. Occasionally, the word ‘beer’ is used to refer to ‘Ale’. “Beer is Ale and Lager is Lager” is an expression I’ve heard on more than one occasion. Actually, this is entirely a fallacy but it is understandable given the beer drinking culture of the UK. 

When I use the word ‘beer’, I am in fact referring to a huge variation of recipes. This essentially encompasses all forms of Ales, Lagers, Limbics and various different styles mixing the three. The historical processes of beer-making in various countries have produced a wide range of beverages that don’t even come close to a ‘Bitter’. Depending on which database you are using, there can be as many as 80 different types of beer in the world*. Many Britons have no idea what I’m referring to and understandably so.

Here in Britain, after examining the various beer festivals, pubs and off-licence stores, some people might be surprised to know that there are 12 styles of beers available: Pale Lagers, Premium Lagers, Pilsners, Porters, Stouts, Strong Ales, Milds, Golden/Blond Ales, IPAs, Old Ales, Bitters/Pale Ale, Best Bitters/Premium Bitters/Extra Special Bitter (ESB) (no one has yet been able to explain the difference to me and they are often used synonymously). There may be some Barley Wines and other specialties but they are super rare. This list may seem impressive but the problem that I find is that nearly 80% of all beer that I can get a hold of is a Bitter, Golden Ale or Premium Bitter. Finding anything else can be a chore. These are usually the core three beers of any brewery. Unfortunately, I find that my palate has become tired of drinking ‘Bitters’ and I crave for more variability. Canada and the US have incorporated brewing styles from all over the world, which keeps the market interesting.   

Even with the limited range of styles, it must be said that most of Britain’s beers are quite good. The average beer is typically very drinkable and enjoyable. But there is a certain level of mediocrity connected with this, as the average beer tends to be just that: although there are few terrible beers, incredible beers are just as hard to find.

Lastly, I wanted to say that Cask is generally hard to find outside of Britain. This is something that really defines the British drinking culture and I believe you all have CAMRA to thank for that. A Cask variant or bottled conditioned beer is highly unorthodox and incredibly uncommon to find in almost any other country where all beer are pasteurised. I would love to see some of my favourite beers in Cask form. Cask is definitely my preferred way to enjoy beer.  

* Japanese Sake is often translated as rice wine. However, unlike wine, in which the sugars present in the grapes are fermented, the brewing process of Sake is closer to that of beer. ‘Rice beer’ would actually be a more accurate term than ‘rice wine’.