I'd like to think I've come a long way from my first pints of Tetley's Smooth flow, at 18, in one of my locals - Woodies, down the street. My tastes in all things have grown and evolved significantly since those days gone by, but looking at the world of beer today I would still NOT call myself a c***t beer drinker.
I've always refused to get involved in the 'what is c***t beer' debate as I think it's pointless, well to me it is anyway. I took a degree in furniture construction... I know what a real craft is and what isn't. What is interesting about the term however, is how it's transferring from the beer label to the pub name or shop window etc..
As mentioned, one of my locals is Woodies. It's the kind of pub where you'll down five pints of generic lager whilst sticking to the floor and then go for a dirty kebab afterwards, but it's also the pub where you learnt to drink beer so you still love it when you grow older. Woodies has been closed for renovations for the past couple of weeks now, and I didn't really think anything of it till we got one of the bar staff in the shop the other day...
"We don't know if you guys know but we're re-opening next Thursday and would like to give you some free vouchers for drinks!"
That's fine, I thought to myself, thinking I'd go check out the new paint job over a free pint of Carling... The bar man continued to explain what they we're going to be doing though.. Turns out it's going to be called "Woodies Craft Ale House" which will be serving a selection of 12 different local hand pulled beers, and will have 20 different c***t beer bottles in the fridge selection.
Immediately I figured it was another pub jumping on the c***t bandwagon, but I wondered whether or not that was actually a bad thing... Woodies had been expanding their cask selection for a couple of years, and taking better care of it. With that in mind and the addition of 20 different bottled beers behind the bar I can only say it's going to be for the best! ...or is it? I reckon it could go either way. It might just be 20 different varieties of Blue Moon...
I guess I'll get to find out this Thursday...
Hmmm....mixed feelings on this. Whenever I've been in recently the beer quality (and choice) hasn't been great. Maybe if they sorted that out first they wouldn't need to do the big rebrand job. Hopefully it'll be a kick up the backside in far headingley, it's certainly nothing like it was 10 years ago atmosphere wise.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'd go in over the past two years they'd always have one hand pull with a good looking clip (like Ilkley Mary Jane or something of the like..) but they'd always say "oh yeah, that ran out about lunch time.." If they fill it up with that sort of stuff and keep it well I'll be happy..
DeleteIs this going to be the same as Whitbread's "Tut'n'Shive" alehouse concept from 25 years ago?
ReplyDeleteBeing 3 I wouldn't be able to say Mudgie.. ;)
DeleteAh, the tut n shive... We had one in Cheltenham that lasted to the mid 90s... Seem to recall it was half decent (relatively) for ale although my palate was poor in those days...
DeleteAt least with those vouchers, you'll be able to find out for free!
ReplyDeleteEven 20 varieties of Blue Moon would be a bit interesting; it's not like you see that in every British pub. Have they removed the "pending threat of being stabbed" ambience they used to have in Woodie's maybe four or five years back?
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